Category Archives: Stories

A Kinrowan Estate story: Pumpkin Spice Ale

Quite some time ago, it was suggested to Bjorn, our Estate Brewmaster, that an ale enhanced by the spices used in pumpkin pie, as the American brewers had been doing for some decades, would make a good autumn ale. Now I’ll … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate storyA Tale of Indexes

I found this exceedingly suspect story in a Sleeping Hedgehog published in 1889. There was no author indicated. The indexes were quietly sobbing again in protest as the librarian’s apprentice misfiled ‘McZweygle, Doris F., A Receipt Book for the Proper … Continue reading

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Tad Williams: The Very Best of Tad Williams

Not every collection has to be earth-shattering. Not every story has to be a mind-blower. Sometimes it’s nice to have something that’s just amusing and easy to read and straightforward, without challenge or morally fraught situations. And that’s where The … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Contradances (A Letter to Svetlana)

Dear friend, You asked me why we call our dances here contradances and not English country dance or something akin to it. Well, a bit of history first. English Country Dance is a form of social folk dance which originated … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Spring Chores (A Letter to Anna)

Varmaste hälsningar Anna, Spring has finally arrived which mean Gus, our Estate Head Gardener, has drafted everyone not busy doing something they can’t drop for the needed tasks that the Estate demands this time of year. All of my Several … Continue reading

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Glen Cook’s The Tyranny of the Night and Lord of the Silent Kingdom

I’ve been an admirer of Glen Cook’s writing for many years, ever since I read Shadowline, the first book of the Starfishers series, way back when. I had never run into anyone who had quite that mix of myth and … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Curling (A Letter to Svetlana)

Dear friend, We’re making last minute preparations for the curling tournament to be held here in a week. Yes, a curling tournament. We’ve got teams coming from Sweden, Finland, Canada, and even a Russian team. Gus has been busy having … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Yurts (A Letter to Anna)

G’Morning Anna, Sometime ago I remember you asking about how the yurts out towards the north meadow came to be. It’s an interesting story, as they were here a decade before I arrived here thirty years ago this year. It … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Carols and Other Matters (A Letter to Ekaterina)

G’Day My Dear, We don’t do Thanksgiving here except in those years when one of the Several Annies, Iain’s Library apprentices, is from America and that’s an interesting circumstance as we don’t raise turkeys here so we barter for one … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Kinrowan Special Reserve Pear Cider (A Letter to Tessa)

Dear Tessa, I talked about the Kinrowan Special Reserve Pear Cider in my last letter to you but I thought I’d talk about cider in general this time, as you expressed interest in knowing more about it. Cider is oft … Continue reading

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