Welcome to MontLand - the Land of the Monts

Don't be surprised if you  don't find it on any map - the cartographers have not yet discovered it. If you would like to know what MontLand is all about, I will tell you its story.

The flag above is the official national flag of a country Vera and Francis invented during the last Quebec referendum when Canada was threatened with dismemberment. We were so frustrated by our politicians recklessly playing with disaster, that one day Francis declared: "if Quebec goes, we go too! We will secede and create a new  country on our 50 acres and call it MontLand"

So we made the flag and waited. Luckily, the nation stayed together (just) and we did not have to follow through with our threat. But, so as not to waste the name, we called our business venture "MontLand Books" and adopted the flag as our logo; a symbol of unity.

Beyond the story, "The Monts" is much more than the sum of its parts. It is a model of human relationship we strongly believe in: mutual respect, admiration, tolerance and interdependence - in two words: true love. We recommend it to any marriage (even Quebec and TROC). It works for us.

We love blue sky and clean water; plants, insects, birds and other animals; gardening and chopping wood for exercise.

We read a lot, Vera mostly novels; Francis is more somber: Philosophy, History,  Physics, and other serious subjects.

Vera used to write and sculpt and now she is making chutneys, vinegars, our own wine and the best mustard in the world. She is also making dry floral arrangements and wreaths, spending a lot of time picking wild flowers and edible plants.

Francis is  working on his book: "Physics: The Skeleton of Nature",  dabbles at woodcarving, plays classical violin  and designs Internet Web Sites and programs computers mostly for small business clients in the neigbourhood.

We don't feel we need to impress anyone or live up to expectations other than our own. We don't need expensive toys or travel to exotic lands. We try to be as independent as possible: we have a solar power system that does not contribute to pollution and keeps our lights on even during thunder and snowstorms. 

We shop locally whenever possible; don't buy much made by 'globalized slaves' oversees; often buy used articles, and meticulously recycle what is left after composting.

Vera and Francis are the proud 'parents' of our non-human children: Gulliver (our Lion King) and Flopsy (intellectually challenged but sweet feline) and Bitsy (the "beast") who remind us constantly of how simple life is and how pleasant it can be. 

We like our neighbors - our community is rich in arts and crafts. There is a lot going on here: theatre, painting, sculpture, music, woodwork and lots and lots of gossip. We have been active in the Durham Art Gallery, been on the Autumn Leaves Studio Tour for three years, played music in local jams.

We hope that this introduction to The Land of the Monts whetted your appetite sufficiently to step inside Montland Books for a closer look.