Before we get to monster hunting, I thought I’d give an update on the water problem in our kitchen.
It got worse at one point with water dripping and running all along the wall under the cupboards. BUT my coworker recommended a company she used for ice dam removal in the past. The guy came and looked on the 7th, and that same day, his crew came and removed the ice dams!
What’s better is you, yes you, helped me cover the costs. I had a few generous Ko-Fi donations, and of course, book sales. (I do have a new book out after all. This is your hint to check it out if you are in need of a new read.)
The 9th, we had a guy in to assess the water damage, and he said it was minimal enough that it looked cosmetic and all that would need done for that is to scrape and repaint, which we can do ourselves easily enough. He also reassessed the attic, as last year, we called him because of water leaking in an unused closet and after an inspection, he said the main cause was the insulation in the attic needed replaced. There’s not enough, some has fallen down, and some is blocking a vent that would allow heat to escape properly. Instead it’s all going through the roof and causing the ice dams. Unfortunately, none of that will be covered by our house insurance as they only cover damages the water caused, but the quote he gave us wasn’t as bad as I was dreading.
The knot of anxiety making me sick has abated for the time, and I’m feeling determined again to get through this out of pure spite at the universe.
Lastly, I want to give a shout out to some attempted Ko-Fi donations that failed. It happens for various reasons, but I so appreciate the desire to help. For an anti-social introvert, one thing that gives me joy in life is humanity’s ability to help others and the world. As I said in my last post, it’s driving me nuts that I can’t do it for others right now. But I’m plotting. Oh, am I plotting for when I can to pay it back.
I’ll leave the update there. Let’s get to the monsters.
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THE METEOR DRAGON
Gaasyendietha has been a part of Fist Nations folklore for hundreds of years. The name’s origin is from when French explorer Jacques Cartier asked natives about a creature he and his crew had sighted in the St. Lawrence River. They called it a “giant finned snake” and said it moved like a caterpillar.
Often Gaasyendietha is described as a giant serpent with a deep green, scaly body and wings. The wings allow it to fly on a trail of fire. It also spews fire much like European dragons and often drawing comparisons. It’s also referred to as the “meteor dragon” because it is said to originate from a meteor that crashed into earth. The eyes of Gaasyendietha are piercing and its teeth sharp. It has a forked tongue that enables it to sense it’s surroundings.
But Gaasyendietha is not a malevolent creature despite its fearsome appearance. Like many creatures of myth, it is a protector of the waters it lives in with some stories claiming it can control the weather.
A SECOND LAKE MONSTER?
Gaasyendietha may not be the only serpent swimming in Lake Ontario. The Kingstie is a massive snake-like beast with short legs and a tail that inhabits the waters around Kingston, Ontario. There is some speculation that Gaasyendietha and Kingstie are one and the same. I guess Kingstie is easier to pronounce than Gaasyendietha!
But Kingstie has its own tales. One tells of people witnessing a blueish-grey serpent soaking up the sun on Lake Ontario’s surface in 1882. Apparently, the beast didn’t want an audience of shocked onlookers and made a dismayed noise before diving beneath the waters.
The Kingstie was also the subject of a hoax in 1934. In late summer, people reported seeing a dragon-like creature in Cartwright Bay, which is east of Kingston. An expedition went out to find the monster and participants claimed their boat was jostled by the creature.
Then in 1979, three people from Kingston stepped forward and revealed it had been a prank. They had taken empty bottles and filled a barrel so it would float and crafted a dragon’s head. The “monster” was attached to an anchor so it wouldn’t float away. Twine tied to the rope under the lake’s surface allowed them to make the creature bob.
BUT ARE THEY REAL?
Even though the 1934 incident was a hoax, other people have claimed to seen cryptids in Lake Ontario. The most recent claim was in 2011. The person was at a concert at the Toronto docks and saw a creature in the water. It was black and slithered on the surface and they noticed a large fin. They initially thought it was a fresh water dolphin, but, like sharks, there are no dolphins in the Great Lakes. I have to wonder if this is case of mistaken identity and what they really saw was a Sturgeon, which as you know, is a lake monster in its own right. Another explanation I saw given was otters. With the picture the article shared, I could see it making sense.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LAKE ONTARIO’S MONSTERS?
There is no denying Gaasyendietha’s roots in legend, but what about Kingstie? Is he one and the same as Gaasyendietha but renamed? Is he is own monster with his own tales? Do we have more stories that are just mistaken identity? I find these tales fascinating for these questions.
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They may be of the same species as Ogopogo, a similar creature said to exist in British Columbia's Okanagan district.
Good news on the house repair front! As for the cryptids… I’m always pretty skeptical, with no skeletal or other evidence. But what dwells in deep waters… that’s always harder to be sure. Probably not a dragon, but they do keep finding unexpected things in the deep oceans. Maybe in the Lakes, too!