The Prettiest Plots in Steelhead (or so I think)

With a heavy heart, I must announce that my plots in Steelhead will be available for rent. My typist has decided that as she no longer has the free time to allow me to be in world as much as I used to be, that the expense of Rosehaven can no longer be justified.

Available for rent are one plot in Steelhead main as well as the 512 plot directly behind it in Boomtown. Please contact TotalLunar Eclipse about the prims. procedures and rental agreements. My loss is truly your gain.

Happy Halloween!

The Duke and Duchess of Argylle would like to extend the warmest wishes for a Happy Halloween to all of our friends, neighbours and acquaintances in Steelhead and Caledon. Please drop by Primbroke Manor at Argylle or Rosehaven in Steelhead for some treats as you are out with the ghouls and goblins. Happy Halloween!

Another Fowl Mystery Afoot

Today as I was out in the back garden of Rosehaven, feeding my chickens I noticed something that has made me very upset. One, possibly more of my chickens have gone missing! Now while these chickens are nothing like the Steelhead breed, having been imported from Caledon, they are still very dear to me none the less. Because of them, I have a steady supply of eggs for my baking, as well as eating and of course, once the older ones quit producing, I will have chicken for the stewpot as well (and we all know how comforting chicken stew is on a cold winter's night). They are also very friendly birds and would not harm anyone, unlike the Steelhead variety which was known to tackle and defeat elephants.

I did not notice any tracks around the chicken coop nor any in the yard itself. While Sheriff Ortega's club *is* next door, and he has been known to "wolf out" on occasion, I cannot for the life of me picture him stealing a few chickens. He has slightly better morals than that. I have a very solid fence around my property as well, and my dear hens like to stay in the shelter of the backyard and have never been known to stray anyhow.

Having lived through the turkey murders, I am very alarmed at the disappearance of my birds and hope to find a solution soon. Perhaps a stroll through the neighbourhood will give me some clues....

Giving Thanks

Dear reader, you may have guessed that I'm not the most dedicated journaller. I jot things down as the mood or inclination strikes, and as of late, I will confess to being exceedinly lethargic. So, please accept my deepest apologies for my sporadic entries and I will try to write more in the future.

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. I know some people are rather perplexed why we have our thanksgiving so early, but if you think about it, it does make sense. At this time of year, our harvesting is fairly well complete, with the exception of sugar beets and catnip (yes, I do know of people who grow catnip as a crop....be still your neko hearts!). As the harvest is over, it is only natural to partake of some of the bounty and give thanks for the blessings of the previous year. That and the thought of cooking two large turkey dinners within a month of each other fills even my stout heart with fear.

In celebration of this Canadian holiday, I hosted two "el fresco" dinners, on the lawns of Davaar and Rosehaven. Passers by were welcome to help themselves to a full turkey dinner plus an assortment of desserts, including pumpkin pie. I think in the future I am going to include recipes with my bakery items and the pumpkin pie recipe is *so* good that you can taste every blessed calorie. Yum!

So, on behalf of Lord Primbroke and myself, I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and were able to stop in for turkey dinner, as even though you may not celebrate it where your motivating spirit lives, it's always nice to have dinner and not worry about the dishes! Happy Thanksgiving!

The Case of the Missing Art

After resting a couple days at Davaar (and washing, ironing and putting away the laundry), Sir Edward and I set off for Steelhead. I wanted to check on Rosehaven and my bakery, while Sir Edward wanted to update his wares at his shop. It was a pleasant trip and we chatted happily while our train whisked along the track.

Upon disembarking, Sir Edward set off to his shop while I went to Rosehaven to air it out after being closed up for so long. I unlocked the door and heard the happy purrs of our cat, Laudanum, who was curled up in his basket by the parlour fireplace. I had asked Mr. Abel to feed him periodically, even though he does keep quite fat and sassy on mice.

Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the foyer (the blinds all having been drawn) I was immediately taken over by surprise. Two of Mr. Able's artworks were missing from the foyer! I could not believe my eyes! My heart in my throat, I dashed up the stairs to his lair to see everything was gone.....art, ancient Egyptian artifacts, everything!!! I was certain that we had been set upon by thieves who specialised in art and rare artifacts. I ran down the stairs again and flew out the door, running pell mell to the Sheriff's office, losing hairpins (and my hat) along the way.

Upon arriving at the jail, I saw a notice tacked to the door that Sheriff Ortega had been called away on urgent business and was out of town. What to do now?! I hurried back to the house, hoping Sir Edward would arrive soon.

It was upon my return that I noticed the thick envelope of fine stock paper sitting on the hall table. I recognized Mr. Abel's distinctive hand immediately and tore it open. Inside was a letter telling me that the work on Abledown had been completed and that he would be moving this things there as the management of his estate was going to require his full attention. I had been to his fine manor in Kittiwickshire which it was being renovated and knew that he spoke the truth. Such an estate would need the master of the house to be home to make sure the servants did their jobs properly and to keep it from falling into disrepair again. Feeling very relieved, I was able to set about airing out Rosehaven and fixing my rather wild and unruly hair do.

It will be odd to not hear his measured footsteps pacing the floor as he works out some of the ancient texts he had, or to hear him creatively cursing as he burns his toast as he toasts it over the fire in the fireplace. He and I had shared a common roof for sometime, but change is never ending and I am glad that he has a place of his own that is in keeping with his excellent taste. I'm sure in time it will be the scene of many social events and gatherings. I will confess I won't miss the laundry though.....that man had a bad habit of making a mountain of towels....very fastidious about his cleanliness indeed!

By the time Sir Edward had finished checking his shop and restocking it, I had made a light dinner which we enjoyed before spending the evening on the porch swing, breathing in the scent of the climbing roses and talking about many things. We discussed what to do with the attic, came to no firm conclusions and then went off to bed, to rest up for the next day. I *did* manage to decide to repaper the foyer (again), strictly to cover up the nail holes in the wall, I assure you! *grins* So beings another new chapter at Rosehaven.

Miss Christine...You make GOOD cookies!!!

For those who have pointed out to me that my blog is exceedingly boring, I apologize. However, when one's beloved is in the armed forces and he is at war, it is prudent to stay close and keep the home fires burning. So, in the absense of being able to gad about and have adventures, I've been frantically trying to get everything in order for my bakery.

So far I've put together several plates of cookies in a variety of combinations. I will see which sell better and perhaps cull the rest out. I've also made a plate of doughnuts and some cupcakes. My biggest problem is deciding what colours of icing to make....I know it's really just a visual thing, but I suppose I could make a notecard that tells potential customers that if they don't like pink (or blue or green or whatever) icing, I would be happy to change it. I need to build up my inventory of cakes, preferably the lower prim variety.

On that note, I was pleased to make a cake on the Duchess of Loch Avie's request for the delightful and talented Miss Kate Nicholas' rez day party. It was a bit of a hurried job, so I intend to fix it properly. As well, Professor Alfonso Avalanche was ever so kind to make me an animation where one holds the cake on a plate and eats it with a fork (or spork as the case may be). Far more civilized than smushing the cake into your face, as I was forced to do before.

So, with any luck, my bakery will be open within the week. I've settled on the name "Rosehaven Recipes" and I'm hoping my beloved will make a sign for me as he is so talented (hint hint Sir Edward! *grins). I am looking forward this new venture. I'm hoping to include a few pies as well and would be willing to try my hand at other items, so if you have a favorite item, please let me know so I can attempt to include it in my inventory.