Well, folks, I thought doing a Tiree event in Brandon, Manitoba was really pushing the envelope for expecting Tiree folk to show up and talk about their family history. But that was such a success, that now I'm going to give it a try in Shellmouth, Manitoba. Shellmouth is about 200 miles northwest of Winnipeg and is so small it doesn't have a hotel or even a gas pump. However, on July 31 it will have a committed bunch of Tiree folk in town for another event -- the Centennial of the Shellmouth United Church. The organizers of that event have graciously allowed me to tag a Tiree event onto its coat tails. And so you are extended a warm invitation to join us for Tea, Photos, and Family History later in the afternoon. Please just drop in at tea time if you are in the area. Attached is an official invitation. Please forward it and this message to anyone who you think may be interested. Now, if you would also like to attend the Centennial church service and luncheon, which begins at 11:00 am, then please RSVP. There is no charge for any of the events, but the organizers need to know how many are coming for lunch. Between lunch and Tea Time, I will be recording & photographing a historic tour of the town which will be turned into a Self-Guided historical map-and-tape set so that future visitors to the town will be able to get a sense of where everything was in the olden days. Our guide will be Ellen McArthur, a Tiree descendant who is 91 years old. So why, you ask, would I drive all the way from Vancouver Island to Shellmouth, some 3,000 miles round trip? Because that's where my own Tiree family is from. And where you find one Tiree prairie pioneer, you can usually find a few more! There are many Tiree descendants buried in the Shellmouth cemeteries, including some of my own family. The Tiree folk who pioneered in the Shellmouth area were mainly of McFadyen, McLean, McDougall or McDonald descent (to the best of my knowledge at this point.) To read a bit about Shellmouth and it's wonderful restored pioneer church (originally built and recently restored in large part by Tiree folk), visit: www.tireegathering.com then click through on "Shellmouth 2005" There are maps showing where Shellmouth is and a great fish story for the guys! Enjoy, Louise MacDougall P.S. Please drop me a line if any of your Tiree folk settled in Shellmouth or elsewhere in Manitoba, and I haven't heard from you yet. Editor "Isle of Tiree Descendants in Manitoba"