I have been remiss. I received this gorgeous tie -- which is embossed! -- a few days ago. And, though I posted on Facebook, I neglected to check in here to say . . . THANKS! I say this specifically to the John Rae Society, which is based in Stromness, Orkney, one of my favorite "thin places" in the world. The Society was formed in 2013 with two purposes:

1. To advance the education of the public in the life and achievements of John Rae as the discoverer of the final navigable link of the Northwest Passage and one of the greatest arctic explorers.
2. To advance the arts, heritage, culture and science by promoting the life and achievements of John Rae to foster friendship and understanding between members of the public, the people of Orkney, and those in Canada, particularly, but not exclusively, those areas associated with John Rae, through a broad range of activities.

You can find out more by clicking www.johnraesociety.com.

(P.S. According to the early Celts, "thin places" are "those rare locales where the distance between heaven and Earth collapses.")

Tonight's the night John Rae turns up in Calgary. The Arctic explorer will be there in spirit, anyway, for my talk at the U of C.  The event, sponsored by Clan MacRae, helps kick off the 2013 Calgary Highland Games.
Today's Calgary Herald ran a terrific piece by Chris Nelson, headlined Clan Macrae leads the charge at Games.
And the University of Calgary published a fine piece with, dare I suggest it, an even better headline:
Bestselling Calgary author to give talk on Arctic explorer John Rae. OK, strictly speaking, "Canadian author" would have worked better. But as an ex-Calgarian, I am thrilled to be here, and excited to be giving this talk in my old home town. Who says you can't go home again?

A big shout-out to folks at the University of Calgary. On short notice, they have found a superb venue for my August 30 presentation on John Rae, the Arctic explorer who discovered the fate of the Franklin expedition. Originally, we had intended to use the Calgary Central Library, but flood damage precluded that. Nothing daunted, leaders of the Clan MacRae began casting about. In the end, Bonnie MacRae-Kilb and Brad Kilb, both affiliated with U of C, enlisted Annie Murray, curator of rare books and manuscripts, and presto: we're making for the Alberta Room. I'm chuffed about this because you know how writers donate their manuscripts to libraries and institutions? My own papers are in special collections at U of C -- Murray's department. For the rest, here's hoping that Calgarians will turn out in droves: August 30, Return to Rae Strait, 7:30 p.m. in the Alberta Room at University of Calgary.