Parker Lake, BC (No. 4)

In the early 1950s the first five acres were sold to locals, which marked the start of the community as a separate entity from the military. Oil and gas exploration in the early 1950s provided Fort Nelson with the industrial sector that it required to jump-start expansion of the community into what would eventually become the village of Fort Nelson in 1971. However, due to collapse in oil price in 2014, most gas fields and associated rigs have been shut down and put out of operation on an indefinite basis. After the completion of BC Hydro's natural gas power plant to provide electricity to the region, Fort Nelson experienced true growth. A railway was built by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (BC Rail) up to Fort Nelson in 1971 which allowed efficient transportation of the local industry's major products (lumber, and gas) to larger markets in the south. The railway was left in abandoned state due to lack of use in the 2010s and was subsequently closed down. No facility has since been built to replace the railway to ship commodity to markets. Renewable energy company Peak Renewables is currently in negotiations with the provincial government and CN Rail to make improvements to the rail line as they develop their Pellet Plant in Fort Nelson.

Fort Nelson held its first annual Northern Lights Festival in March 2019. The community welcomed hundreds of international visitors to experience the northern British Columbia lifestyle. The festival included dog sled races, trips to Liard Hot Springs, northern lights viewing, indigenous handgames and cultural celebrations, concerts from celebrated Canadian musicians, and many other events.

Source: Wikipedia

Freemark Abbey Winery, St. Helena (No. 3)

Freemark Abbey was established in 1886 as the 16th bonded winery in Napa Valley and is considered one of the first Cabernet producers in the region. Our property is home to an 1899 hand-built stone winery that serves as a fixture of Napa Valley history.  

While many wineries have come and gone in Napa Valley, Freemark Abbey has persevered through timeless craftmanship and a progressive vision. This dual embrace of history and modernity defines our philosophy at its core. It explains why Freemark Abbey has been ahead of its time on several fronts, including having one of the region’s first female vintners, first “sampling rooms” (now called tasting rooms), first wine libraries, and first single-vineyard wines. Freemark Abbey was the only winery to have earned the distinction of showing both a red and white wine at the 1976 Judgment of Paris – an event that catapulted Napa Valley onto the world wine scene. At the event’s 2017 reenactment in Tokyo, our 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon garnered first place, attesting to the quality and longevity of our wines.   

Timeless, trusted, and authentic, Freemark Abbey is esteemed by wine critics and enthusiasts alike for our classically structured Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Bordeaux varietal wines, sourced from several of Napa Valley’s most pedigreed sites, including the Bosché, Sycamore, and Colline vineyards. 

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Doors, Gates and Windows (No. 17)

Comillas, E (six pics)

Santillana del Mar, E (four pics)

Benches/Chairs (No. 38)

Quebec City, QC

World War I: German submarine U-20 sank RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many formerly pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.  

Cosmopolitan Day

Cosmopolitans are probably one of the most famous cocktails out there, where people can go out at night and enjoy and fun night dancing, laughing, and singing in clubs. If you love cosmos, then you’ll love Cosmopolitan Day. This drink has been making the rounds for a while, and it highlights the 90’s as one of the best drinks of its time. Let’s check out Cosmopolitan Day.

History of Cosmopolitan Day

Although the day itself is coined by freelancer writer, Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, who writes about non-traditional holidays, the history of the Cosmo itself is very murky. According to Vinepair.com, the first tracked origins of the cosmo go back to the late nineteenth century, where a cocktail known as the Daisy emerged as a drink with a recipe that called for spirit, sweetener and citrus. Although this isn’t exactly a cosmo, a more direct line for its origins comes from 1968, when Ocean Spray wanted to advertise cranberry juice to adults. They named the drink “The Harpoon” and it called for an ounce of vodka, an ounce of cranberry and a squeeze of lime, which was close to the Cosmo recipe but missed the Cointreau and/or Triple Sec.

Although legends differ that the Cosmo came from the gay subculture of Miami Beach, Florida and Provincetown, Massachusetts, the formal invention of the drink is credited to a bartender named Toby Cecchini, who made the drink while working at the famous Odeon in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood in 1987. It’s popularity spread into celebrity culture, where it ended up in The Rainbow Room, where Madonna is pictured drinking it at a Grammy after party. However, it was brought into mainstream culture by the famous Tv Show Sex and the City, where it appeared multiple times throughout the show, creating a cultural impact on the U.S.

How to Celebrate Cosmopolitan Day

Want a Cosmo? Here’s an amazing recipe you can easily make at home. In a cocktail shaker, mix 1 ½ ounces vodka (or citrus vodka), 1 ounce Cointreau orange liqueur, ½ ounce lime juice (fresh), and ¼ ounce cranberry juice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass dipped in sugar, then garnish with an orange peel and viola! Cosmo’s can be as strong or tame as you like it, but because it has vodka in it, it isn’t exactly the most innocent drink out there as far as cocktails go.

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The Burning of Edinburgh by an English army on May 7, 1544 was the first action of the Rough Wooing.

Glenn Miller recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” for RCA on May 7, 1941.

The city of New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville on May 7, 1718.

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Parker Lake, BC (No. 3)

Fort Nelson, named in honour of the British naval hero Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was established by the North West Trading Company in 1805 as a fur-trading post. Due to fires, floods and feuds, Fort Nelson is in its fifth location.

Fort Nelson Airport was a valuable asset for allied military forces in World War II, as it served as an airbase for the United States Air Force and for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Contrary to popular belief that the construction of the Alaska Highway commenced in Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson was the original Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway because of the existence of a previously constructed road from Fort St. John to Fort Nelson. The United States Army built perhaps the most notable historical artifact in the area, the Alaska Highway. Construction began in 1942 out of a firm belief that Alaska faced a significant threat of Japanese invasion. Initial highway construction was performed by over 11,000 U.S. soldiers. After approximately nine months, the highway was finally completed, making Fort Nelson a bustling service-centre along the road. After the Japanese surrender of 1945, the U.S. Army ceded the Canadian portion of the highway to the Canadian government, which it made accessible to the public in 1948.

Source: Wikipedia

Freemark Abbey Winery, St. Helena (No. 2)

In 1939, three businessmen from Southern California, Albert "Abbey" Ahern, Charles Freeman and Markquand Foster purchased Lombarda Cellars. Together they reopened the winery and renamed it Freemark Abbey (a combination which includes a portion of each partner's name). During the 1940s and 1950s the partners sold the majority of their wines to retail outlets in San Francisco. The winery went through several hands in the early 1960s before being purchased by a group of seven partners in 1966. After the purchase, the new owners made major improvements to the facility.[2] This core group owned the winery until 2001 when they sold it to The Legacy Estate Group. In March 2005 the Legacy Estate Group overreached and tried to consolidate Arrowood and Byron into one group. Eight months later, in November 2005, the Legacy Estate group went bankrupt and sold its assets in an auction. Freemark Abbey is now a part of Jackson Family Wines, which is owned by the family of the late Jess Jackson.

The winery won the New York Wine Tasting of 1973, a wine competition of 23 California, New York, and French Chardonnays. The blind tasting brought together 14 wine experts, including France's Alexis Lichine. Freemark Abbey Winery achieved international recognition when it achieved sixth place in the historic Judgment of Paris, placing ahead of two French and two other California wines.

Source: Wikipedia

Doors, Gates and Windows (No. 17)

Oviedo, E (three pics)

Cudillero, E (four pics)

Comillas, E (three pics)

Benches/Chairs (No. 37)

Gettysburg, PA (two pics)

Columbia, PA

Manhattan, NY

Quebec City, QC

International No Diet Day

Drop your rules and restrictions around eating and join a movement of no-shaming body positivity and health-focused education on International No Diet day.

There has been a long-standing movement to shed the shame typically associated with being less than Hollywood perfect. The photoshopped images found in fashion and beauty magazines have been marked as a direct cause of a rising instance of eating disorders among the youth.

Too long has health been associated with unrealistic body types and unhealthy, dangerous fad diets. International No Diet Day has been pushed forward with the intention of promoting healthy lifestyles for all body types.

History of International No Diet Day

International No Diet Day was first started by Mary Evans in 1992. The purpose of the day was to help men and women around the world to appreciate their own bodies. Having gone through anorexia herself, Mary began Diet Breakers, which is her organization. She then created the first International No Diet Day, bringing attention to the cause, and of course, her organization as well. Now, the day is used to help tackle tough issues regarding diet and body awareness, focusing on a number of agendas. This includes the following…

Bodies can be beautiful at all shapes and sizes, with both the svelte look of the athletic beach nut and the more Grecian and Rubenesque body types merely exemplifying the natural body type. Considering that the failures of dieting often result in yoyo-ing weight, with all of the weight lost being regained in almost every case within 5 years. To combat these incredibly unhealthy habits organizations all over the world have been engaged in forcing the fashion industry to label those images that have been modified, or outlawing the use of photoshop altogether.

How to celebrate International No Diet Day

Celebrating International No Diet Day is best done by recognizing that your own body is beautiful exactly as it is. De-emphasizing your efforts to shed weight to look a particular way, it is far better to celebrate the holiday with efforts at beginning to live a healthier lifestyle altogether. Worry less about your final goal, and more about getting out and being active and keeping your body healthy. Losing weight rapidly or shooting for unrealistic body types is an excellent way of causing yourself harm in the pursuit of greater health. Instead, love your body by finding active hobbies and love yourself the way you look!

There are a number of different ways that you can participate in International No Diet Day. This includes the following…

Here are some of the suggestions that we have to help you make the most of this day…

You can also use International No Diet Day in order to make people aware of different eating disorders. There are so many ways that you can go about this. If you have had your own personal experience and you feel ready to share it, you may take this opportunity to start a blog about it. You could also decide to fundraise for those who are struggling with eating disorders. Whether you raise funds or you simply raise awareness, you are going to be doing a great thing to help a lot of people.

However, you should not feel guilty about simply using this day as an opportunity to look after number one! After all, we all need to care for ourselves as well. Why not make a list of all of the things you love about your body? Now is the perfect time to start focusing on the positive rather than the negative. Most of us have a tendency to focus on the things we dislike instead of focusing on what we do like about our bodies. Today is the perfect time for you to change this!

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Sauvignon Blanc Day

Sauvignon Blanc Day is celebrated in New Zealand and other countries around the world on May 6 and it’s a day dedicated to tasting and enjoying Sauvignon Blanc wine. Restaurants and wine tasters promote the event on social media, giving out suggestions of meals that pair with the wine and other tasting tips for beginners and even experts in the wine community. Read on to learn more about this popular white wine that is bound to grace any celebratory occasion.

HISTORY OF SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY

Wine has been a part of humanity and its traditions since ancient times. It’s estimated that the first production of wine dates back to 7000 B.C. in China. Traditionally, this drink was made from fermented grapes, which can stay up to a few years in a keg fermenting the perfect blend. There are many varieties of wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Chardonnay. However, wine can also be produced from fermented honey, starch, and other fruits, such as apples or cherries.

Not only was wine an important beverage to ancient people because of its antioxidant properties, but because water wasn’t well treated at the time, it was common for the main drink in a household to be wine. There is also religious importance to this drink. In Christianity, for example, wine is considered a symbolic representation of the blood of Christ. In the Catholic tradition, the congregation takes wine with the Host every Sunday Mass in memory of the blood and the body of Christ.

Wine tasting has also been a part of the culture for a long time. Around the fourteenth century, methods of experimentation were developed for tasters in Europe. Theories about how humans taste and smell have been useful for tasters to learn how to recognize different grapes and even regions and prices of certain wine bottles.

SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY TIMELINE

7000 B.C.

The First Production of Wine

The first-ever documented production of wine happened during this time period.

Fourteenth Century

First Wine Tasting Developments

The first few developments of taste and scent theories for wine tasting spread around Europe.

1976

The Wine Tasting Verdict

French wine tasters blind-taste wine from California and France and vote for U.S. wine as better.

2010

The first Sauvignon Blanc Day

Celebrations to mark the first Sauvignon Blanc Day are held.

SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY FAQS

When should I take Sauvignon Blanc?

Early. Remember to also keep it in the fridge for a bit so it’s nice and chill to drink!

What is special about Sauvignon Blanc?

It’s very acidic and citric in comparison to other wines.

Is Sauvignon Blanc only from New Zealand?

Other places make Sauvignon Blanc, but the one in New Zealand is considered to be the best one.

SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY ACTIVITIES

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT WINE

WHY WE LOVE SAUVIGNON BLANC DAY

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The Eiffel Tower was officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris on May 6, 1889.