Starting Season 5 of Outlander and its refreshing to see not only a call back to the oath taking in Season 1, but how the show takes oaths and vows of fealty with a suitable gravity many shows (and books) fantasy or otherwise don't often portray.

It's always a little mind blowing to me that the greatest generals of the older eras were men taught not in the ideas of command, but philosophy and rhetoric. Routinely the armies led by "scholar officers" put to route the warrior societies around them, contrary to expectations.

The finest smog Toronto (or Thunder Bay apparently) has to offer.

The other major highlight for me was getting to see some Eurasian wild horses up close! The zoo has helped introduce 300 into the wild over the years!

There were some young and eternally chaotic otters that really stole the show! Chronically in motion I couldn't get a good photo of them!

A pack of polar bears beating the heat was simply adorable. I also hope to never be that close to polar bears without a wall because they would consider me delicious.

I haven't been to a zoo in some time but I sincerely enjoyed the experience despite some blistering sun today! Unfortunately much of the zoo was undergoing repair and reconstruction, but it was still amazing to see the animals!

Today is the last day to get THE VIRTUE OF BATTLE for 0.99$! Get it before it goes back up to the price of 3.99$ 😉

Dipping my kayak into the water today I'm reminded of how my country was largely founded by brave explorers and traders working their way up mighty rivers and into the interior!

Maybe make an author happy by checking out his novel for 0.99$! Available at that low price until Sunday!

I'm enjoying Outlander Season 4 a bit more than Season 3, if only because it's set in America on the rough days of the settlement and frontier. And it is completely unstinting on how violent the frontier was!

I think people misunderstand cavalry in the age of gunpowder. By the 18th and 19th century (and even 20th) they were no longer primarily an anti-infantry force, but were instead a check on other cavalry! Their armaments reflected that with carbines, sabers and pistols!

Did you know my debut military science fiction novel is currently on sale for 0.99$ (and free on Kindle Unlimited) until July 12th? You should absolutely read it!

Wolves of the Calla is such a fun book because it combines the great Western tropes with the pure madness of Stephen King's imagination! He's been such an inspiration writing my own fantastic Western!

Listening to The Sojourn S2 E4 "To Pray for Tempests" and man there is no more ship unlucky than the Ivory Thorn! Crime doesn't pay kids!

Rolled out of bed after a day of being 34 and damn if I don't feel it! Never ready to get up in the morning past 33 apparently!

Current read:

Going from sun to storm today!

Enjoying the 🇨🇦 day by drinking Canadian beer on the water 🍻

Happy Canada Day everyone! And a reminder to my American friends, we were shooting at Benedict Arnold before it was cool down there 😎 🇨🇦

Been a while since a book solidly tugged my heartstrings so much, but man Jade Legacy nailed the landing on this series! Such a sweeping and well done conclusion! Loved this finale!

Outlander Season 3 opening probably has a grand total of 1 minute on how accurate the Battle of Culloden is portrayed, but it's a solid one minute of firing redcoats, a charge and then some bayonet action. Then they've got guys setting sod on fire for... aesthetics?

Every hometown's got the ominous megastructure, what's yours?

Men, are you ready for what peak masculinity looks like?

My current non-fiction read and its all @bretdevereaux.bsky.social fault!

Fundamentally, the greatest difference between the American and Canadian mythos is that while both had a frontier the US birthed the Wild West and cowboys, while Canada sought to entrench a tradition or ordered progress as exemplified by groups like the Mounties.

Wild that an innocuous post about wishing we had more Indigenous history can bring out such casually racist comments.

Memento mori today means chilling and enjoying some coffee and reading.

Perplexing to me that ketchup chips and Hawaiian pizza are Canadian foods. Like yeah ketchup chips are available in other places but they seek so much more common in Canada. Mind you I'll happily take ownership of Hawaiian pizza.

Today we remember the Battle of Waterloo, the great victory over Napoleon which was commemorated in an album by ABBA I'm pretty sure.