Good Morning #Canada
Congratulations to me on hitting 1000 Good Morning posts. Actually I have no idea how many posts I've published and I even asked Google Gemini and it didn't have a clue. Stupid #AI. My guesstimate would be 1,100+, based on when I started the habit. Last summer I thought about celebrating #1000 and calculated September 30th would be relatively close... and then forgot about the idea.
Most mornings I wake without any content I plan to post. So it's a relaxing web surf with coffee to find something interesting or humorous. I keep this commitment because I enjoy learning about Canada's heroes, history, geography, trivia, and quirks.
I don't remember enough about my posts, and too lazy to go back and review, to list any favourites. Some of the weekly series are fun, I enjoy the #BigStuffInSmallTowns features, and anything involving #Beavers is patriotic and an opportunity to drag you all down to my level.

And Yes, today's post is kinda a filler....

#CanadaIsAwesome #Anniversary

Good Morning #Canada
If your next #RoadTrip takes you to today's #BigStuffInSmallTowns destination, your GPS might get confused. The only border city in Canada is Lloydminster, which straddles the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. This bi-provincial city is recognized for being the only one of its kind in Canada, with its unique situation reflected in its single municipal administration, which operates under a special charter approved by both provinces. And on the dividing line between the Lloydminsters are 4 of the largest border markers on the planet. Each one is 100 feet high and they stand on the boundary for the third and fourth meridian. Erected in 1994, each marker represents an important theme: oil and gas, the Barr Colonists, agriculture and First Nations & Métis.

#CanadaIsAwesome #Borderlands
https://youtu.be/kaDRDtn1-3w?si=cp99_Afi5otl70Os

Good Morning #Canada
In the Ojibwe culture, a dreamcatcher is made with willow hoop, on which is woven a net or web and decorated with sacred items such as feathers or beads. Traditionally, dreamcatchers are hung over a cradle or bed as protection during sleep as Native Americans believed that at night the air was filled with dreams, both good and bad. Today, based on current events, we need numerous and bigger #Dreamcatchers to filter out the crap. I'm fortunate that the world's largest dreamcatcher, measuring 12.93 metres (over 42 feet) in diameter, is in my backyard, only 45 minutes north of where I live. It was created by Dale (Bobbie) Williams and located in Rama First Nation, Ontario, Canada, near Orillia. Williams was inspired to create it after learning the Guinness World Record holder for a dreamcatcher was in Europe and he felt it didn't meet the traditional definition. I think it had sausages hanging from it.

#CanadaIsAwesome #BigStuffInSmallTowns #RoadTrip
https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/worlds-largest-dream-catcher-aims-to-provide-powerful-energy-in-rama-8721002

Good Morning #Canada
Ontario may not have the World's Biggest Hoe, but in New Liskeard, they have Ms. Claybelt. That's an udderly ridiculous joke because Ms. Clay belt is a 3 metre high and 6 metre long Holstein cow that has been attracting visitors for over 30 years and is so popular. McDonald's built a restaurant beside it to take advantage of the crowds. Bonus fact for today - the Holstein is the most prevalent of the seven dairy breeds.

#CanadaIsAwesome #BigStuffInSmallTowns #Moooo
https://www.laketemiskamingtour.com/bigthings.cfm

Good Morning #Canada
So you're planning a weekend #RoadTrip and maybe thinking about something exciting like.... mushroom hunting. Well, Vilna, Alberta, is an addition to the #BigStuffInSmallTowns list because of a giant mushroom that is greater than 3 metres in height. A mushroom statue may not make a lot of sense in some parts of the world, but in Vilna, mushroom hunting has been a tradition since the early Ukrainian settlers arrived in the early 1900's.

#CanadaIsAwesome
https://www.travelalberta.com/listings/worlds-largest-mushrooms-5627

Good Morning #Canada
For over 20 years, this 17-meter tall musical instrument has struck a chord with visitors to Sydney Nova Scotia. This installment of #BigStuffInSmallTowns showcases the biggest fiddle in the world and is a must stop selfie spot for cruise ship passengers as they disembark at the harbourfront. But Sydney has a reason to fret about their fiddle dominance as the original artists has been asked by two other towns to create an even bigger version to take the world title.

#CanadaIsAwesome #BigFiddle #RoadTrip
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/big-fiddle-celebrates-10th-anniversary-on-sydney-waterfront-1.3076554

Good Morning #Canada
Todays edition of #BigStuffInSmallTowns involves a kinda boring object with an interesting story behind its installation. The tall tale of a man trading a paperclip for a house, and that may be oversimplified, takes us to Kipling Saskatchewan, the home of the Guinness World Record "World's Largest Paper Clip." The paperclip was unveiled on July 12, 2007 and is made of 3043 lbs of solid steel. It is 15 ft. 2 inches tall and 3 ft. 3 inches wide; 45 ft. 6.75 inches long.

Thank you to @CTVNews for the article that prompted this post.

#CanadaIsAwesome #RoadTrip
https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/on-video-the-tale-of-the-red-paperclip-trade-and-kipling-sask/

Good Morning #Canada
Today, we celebrate the reincarnation of Shep to the shores of Dorchester New Brunswick, despite being reinstalled without proper government approval. The original wood Shep was less than 20 years old when it began to rot, leading to a new, more durable version made of fiberglass and steel. At 2.4 metres high and 135 kilos, it should be able to weather storms and bureaucratic red tape.

#CanadaIsAwesome #BigStuffInSmallTowns
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/shep-2-sandpiper-statue-returns-dorchester-1.6805965

Good Morning #Canada
In 2022, this town was voted by CBC readers and viewers as the "Best Small Town in B.C.". Sure, it's got skiing, golf, scenery, and friendly people but it's also a destination for your next #BigStuffInSmallTowns road trip. Kimberley's downtown was designed to resemble a Bavarian tourist village, so it features an almost 7 metre tall cuckoo clock where Happy Hans, a Bavarian-style mountaineer, announces the time.

#CanadaIsAwesome #Yodel
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kimberley-best-small-town-bc-winner-1.6434796

#Good Morning #Canada
Another installment of #BigStuffInSmallTowns takes us to Dewberry Alberta, the home of chuckwagon racers. So it's no surprise that the world's largest chuckwagon was unveiled at the 1995 Chuckwagon Races held in Dewberry, a full 1.5 times the size of a real racing wagon. There may be more deserving oversized monuments across Canada, but the YouTube feature on this big wagon only has 54 views and needs some love.

#CanadaIsAwesome #Chuckwagon
https://youtu.be/O47HcrOI39g?si=J6Zbl-74jw8f_T-B