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Category: Colin Rowland

Trivia Thursday: Carving a mountain in South Dakota’s Black Hills- A labor of dedication and love

Trivia Thursday: Carving a mountain in South Dakota’s Black Hills- A labor of dedication and love

As I have stated in previous posts, I love the Black Hills of South Dakota, especially the world famous memorial to democracy on Mount Rushmore. Although we haven’t visited in more than a decade, past trips to the area are still some of my favorite memories. The four presidents are not unique in South Dakota, however. Less than an hour away is the site of the world’s largest mountain carving currently in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial. The facts surrounding…

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A Glimmer of Gold – Victoria Day in Canada

A Glimmer of Gold – Victoria Day in Canada

Today was Victoria Day here in Canada, or as I and my high school friends always called it, May Two-Four. It was named in honor of England’s Queen Victoria and has been observed in this country since 1845, originally on her birthday, which was May 24, hence the nickname, although now it is always on the Monday immediately preceding May 25. The holiday is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of the country’s 10 provinces…

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What’s Up Wednesday? An excerpt, of course

What’s Up Wednesday? An excerpt, of course

I don’t have much today, other than a blow by blow description of the trouble I have run into preparing my home for the installation of new windows next week. It is doubtful that is of interest to anybody except for me. What I have instead is an early excerpt from my latest WIP, If Not for the Entail. The story revolves around the fate of Elizabeth and her family following the unanticipated passing of Mr. Bennet, and a despicable villain’s…

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Funny Friday—The comic genius of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman

Funny Friday—The comic genius of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman

Rather than lament the paucity of true comedy these days, I decided to treat myself, and everyone reading this, to the comedy gold of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the funniest actors of the seventies. They were regulars on the Carol Burnett show, a program I watched every week without fail. The entire program was full of laughs, but in my opinion the best sketches were the ones featuring the two of them. When the segment began, I…

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A Glimmer of Gold—To write? Or not to write?

A Glimmer of Gold—To write? Or not to write?

I began my writing career, such as it is, in 2017. My brother, Jann Rowland, was doing well as an author, so why couldn’t I? How hard could it be? I had always been an avid reader, so why not treat the world to my unique humor and sarcastic wit? I won’t describe the rude awakening I had upon publishing my first literary masterpiece, but the reviews were unflattering, to put it mildly. Almost every part of my storytelling was…

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Tuesday Tunes—The Incomparable Franz Joseph Haydn

Tuesday Tunes—The Incomparable Franz Joseph Haydn

Today I want to explore popular music in Jane Austen’s time, specifically Franz Haydn, the composer often referred to as “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet”. He was born in 1732 to a wheelright and a former palace cook. Although neither could read music, his father was an enthusiastic street musician who taught himself to play the harp. In later years Haydn said his family was extremely musical and frequently sang together and with their friends…

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Trivia Thursday-The Dark Side of the Moon

Trivia Thursday-The Dark Side of the Moon

As I have said before, I’m not a huge fan of current musical trends. Call me old and crotchety, but I prefer music with some depth to it and, as far as I’m concerned, there is not much of that to be found today, in any  genre. So why not explore one of the greatest and most influential recordings of all time? I’m referring, of course, to Pink Floyd’s 1973 release, “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Rather than boring…

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Spring, glorious Spring!

Spring, glorious Spring!

Welcome to my favorite season, which this year begins March 20. Anyone who knows me is aware of my dislike, bordering on hatred, for winter.  Those months are depressing, with their colder temperatures and limited sunlight, but I think it’s the snow  that bothers me the most, probably because it needs the cold to exist. I’ve often said I might enjoy playing in the stuff if I could do it at 70° or 80° outside (that’s 21° or 27° Celsius)….

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What’s up Wednesday? An excerpt and cover reveal.

What’s up Wednesday? An excerpt and cover reveal.

Those familiar with my  work know that I have spent the last seven or eight months writing the Elizabeth Said, Darcy Said series. I have finally come to book six, which is the dramatic finish to this saga. As a reward to those who have read these stories, I offer an excerpt, where Darcy and his companions have arrived at Longbourn to find the manor in turmoil because Lydia has run off with Wickham in the middle of the night. Mr….

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A Glimmer of Gold and New Year’s Resolutions

A Glimmer of Gold and New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year is upon us and I’m sure a lot of people indulged in the time honored tradition of coming up with, then announcing to the world what they resolved to change, improve, quit, etc. in 2023. I might be a little bit late exploring this subject, but there is a method to my madness. The practice of making promises at the beginning of the new year is not a recent invention, unless one considers four thousand years in…

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