Wallpaper May 2013

Dead calm isn’t as easy to come by on the River as it is on lakes and ponds. While lakes are surrounded by higher ground and protective shorelines, the River tends to channel any breeze.  I found the perfect conditions, however, at the mouth of Jones Creek. Last month's image was correctly identified by Graeme Sifton.

"Yes, of course this is at Jones Creek. Right opposite the remains of the old bridge used to access Sifton Point. I recall my late mother saying that the cottage (I believe undergoing some renovation at this time) used to be a store. The garage was part of the same property. Clearly teetering on the brink these days!" 

Graeme Sifton, Winnipeg MB and Sifton Point, ON

If you’ve read our iPad eBook, One in a Thousand, you’ll recognize the Sifton name and heritage, as well as several images from his island neighborhood.  May 1st marks the first anniversary of One’s launch. This was by far the biggest and most challenging book project I’ve ever attempted, and it was only possible thanks to several very generous, talented and motivated people.

One is the story of my journey to the River; in many ways, it is also the River's story, illuminating its natural and social history. Donna Walsh Inglehart, the talented author of the historical novel, Grindstone, helped me with my manuscript, then I chose 455 photos to illustrate it, Tony Dekker’s band, Great Lake Swimmers, provided beautiful, unpublished instrumental versions of their hits. The History Channel’s Primitive Entertainment and Tom Weldon’s Great Escape helicopter crew provided aerial footage of my plane and the River. Finally, Doug McLellan’s talented tech team, McLellan Group, pulled all of the pieces together, developing the software that allowed them to produce a book that tells a story in ways never before possible.

We knew that in many respects, One was ahead of the curve; it is currently available only as an iPad app.  Since One was introduced, it has been downloaded in thirty-two countries, receiving high praise not only from our readers, but from the tough-minded critic, Kirkus Reviews. We’re proud that One and the McLellan Group were awarded two platinum MarCom awards, along with this citation: “Every once in a while an entry comes across the judging table that totally enthralls us.  We quickly forget where we are and what we are doing. We become spectators, not judges. Such was the case with an eBook app called 'One in a Thousand.' ”

Still, One remains largely under the world’s radar. Independently produced books are rarely reviewed by the mainstream press. Apple supports its best-rated products with high visibility on its website; ratings and comments seem to be the best way to catch the company’s attention. So if you have downloaded One and have not yet written a comment or given a rating in the iTunes store, please do so now.  If you like our eBook, spread the word.

If you are familiar with my earlier books, you know that I developed them (and became committed to Thousand Islands Life magazine) because I thought that our River had not been properly celebrated and appreciated. That was the motivating force behind One in a Thousand. The classic ‘80s bestsellers, A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun helped transform those regions into international tourism Meccas. It has been our hope that One might do the same for the River. Despite its depth of content, we chose to price it at $8.99 to serve that cause.  For the final winter wallpaper of the season, I’ll share this image from One in a Thousand.

Download in Wide Screen format, Standard/iPad format.

Download wide-angle version

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