Corn Broom Blues: Tuesday, January 5th!

We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. -Konrad Adenauer, statesman (5 Jan 1876-1967)

Back to being a human snowplow this morning! Didn't head out until about 10:30 am to find that Gary, our next door neighbour, to the south, had cleared a goodly part of our front walk so all I had to do was tidy up a bit. The back driveway was another matter, altogether, as I decided I'd try to clear the large snowbank, next to the patio fence, that I'd created. I'd piled much of the snow here, when clearing last significant snowfall, anticipating, at that time, and basing my hopes on the forecast, that it would melt. Of course, snow kept falling so knew I'd need to clear it away before it became an iceberg. Did just that and so if we continue to be inundated I'll be better able to push new fallen covering into back lane. 
 

Turtles waiting for thaw!

As it is, we already have a fairly high ridge at the end of our driveway, so I have to be careful about how high this gets as it might present a problem getting the car, even with new snow tires, in and out, at some point. Adding to this, the snowplow came down the lane as I was busy shoveling and raised the ridge so I needed to flatten it out, again for easier, less complicated ingress/egress. By the time I was finished, bare concrete and bricks were almost completely bare so pleased about lack of ice, of course. Now, I have no real excuses not to start working on rearranging garage!
 
Hi Chloë! Sorry, Alexis, but we won't be able to make the dinner! Thanks for the invitation, nonetheless. Love, Dad! Pics: Front yard this morning, tree waiting for Ukrainian Christmas; turtles waiting for thaw; cat-prints!

Fellow Bridgers! Thanks, Dave, for hosting last night and a splendid crockpot medley, complete with assorted dessert pies! Thanks Byron for organising (and complaining about other’s scoring!) the duplicate two-table eight-player arrangement!  Although I have to say that I think it’s more fun to follow the developing scores throughout the night than to wait at the end for calculations to be made!  Attached are the full 2015 BASTARD Awards, including those not present last night (Les, Patrick and Winston – congrats on your awards too!). May we all rise to the bid-and-play challenges for 2016! Clive

Hi All: A special thanks to Clive for his generous time and efforts for his worthy Bastard awards. Also much appreciation for Byron on his tireless efforts to keep our scoring up to date and accurate with our duplicate bridge last night. And for David T; a very wonderful dinner last night and the special apple pie. I know you will enjoy your new digs in Lynn Valley Regards: David McCleery

Hi Hildegard von Bingen! Lovely to see you on Saturday, if only for a  bit. Miss you on our hikes so hurry up and come back! Bon Voyage. Have a wonderful time in Cabo San Lucas! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Patrizzio! Great to hear from you. You have such an active life I fear you might implode. The Okanagan and India, as different as they are from each other, are obviously perfect fits for you, Lady Darjeeling and your friends. The photos say it all. I love them. Is it possible for you to resend a single of the one with the guy in pink sitting next to you, hands on knees? We could easily crop him out for a Scrapbook picture. On the other hand, if you have the ability to do that yourself it would be a great help.

I've been working on a Stackettes page, including some of the lyrics we warbled. Hopefully it will be fun. You'll be prominently displayed, as the impresario you are, at the top - along with a shot of Sheila Porter who submitted that experience as one of her most memorable while on staff. And then some group shots, with a single photo of the "queens" in their special gear. Speaking of which, what do hear about Richard? I'm hoping it's something good.
I missed the premiere of "The Last Gasp". I was in the Dakotas on a roundup. Branded more dogies than there are little green apples in Wisconsin.I hope the sequence we shot of you doing all that yee-hawin' and foot-stompin' with the sequinned lariat brought down the house. It surely was one humdinger. S.

Hi Stompin'! Trust you are well. Must apologize for taking so long to send along the "Rogues Gallery!" My standard reply:  "No excuses but plenty of reasons!" Anyway, here is a selection, from late July, here in Penticton, to Agra, so I'll let you choose. Let me know if you require something different or can use what I've sent along.

In case you are wondering a bit about life in the Okanagan, I've included an account of my latest hike, this past Monday. All the best and Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling. Cheers, Patrizzio, Down-in-the-Dumps Impresario without an act to promote, still dreaming of the glory days of life on the road with you and The Stackettes. Did you see The Last Gasp, our final concert in the Dodson Room, now on Netflix? Are you still receiving royalty cheques for our CDs? I've not had one for some time and am starting to feel the pinch!

Hello Lady Patrizzia and Sir James! Healthy New Year's Greetings to you both. Trust all goes well. Hope you had a most enjoyable time over hols. Well, dear, dear friends, must needs away as scullion duty calls! Fondestos to you both from Lady Darjeeling. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hey Patricio! Merry belated Xmas to you and your lovely women. If we had your address we would have sent you our Christmas letter, PDF attached so you can scrutinize grammar and punctuation in true Librarian fashion (or so I believe, based on Julia’s tendencies....)

Julia and I are rushing about getting ready to go to Sidney Island bright and early tomorrow, so you will have to make do with the Xmas letter. PDF copy attached as we don’t have your address (please provide!) We had Jack, Saba and Richard here for Christmas. It was a very nice time. Weather was super (no rain; snow on the mountains.) 

The whole affair was capped for me by going with Jack and Richard to see The Hateful Eight. I recommend it to you; possibly not Lady Darjeeling. Julia and I went to see Brooklyn, which every sensitive husband should attend with his spouse. Also very good. Final cinematic item was The Danish Girl. Mixed emotions on that one, although I have to say the Eddie Fishmonger or whatever his name is did a superb job, as he did in the movie about Hawking. I will look forward to your reports. Cheers, and best wishes to you all for 2016! Ross

Thx for newsy update. My Grandparents, John & Margaret aka Maggie Leslie as well as my Uncle John aka Jack Charles Leslie & Aunt Hazel Mae, called Mae Leslie are buried above the Penticton sign. Grandpa & my two Uncles, U Jack & U Roy Leslie built The Shielings in 1951? An early Panabode Auto Court, near Joeys Seafood Restaurant. For a few years, U Jack, Auntie Mae & their daughter, Allison, born in 1953,  lived in one of the units. My grandparents lived on Toronto Ave. After the motel, J & M moved to Victoria St until Aunt Mae became hospitalized with Parkinson's. 

 

Our family used to take most of our hols at their place. U Roy & Auntie Pat lived on Killwinning St until they both passed at home 3 years ago. My brother, Roy Leslie,  from Victoria inherited the house. They use it as a family & close friends holiday destination. The rent is cheap so our kids love to take their families there in the summer. The place has 2 brs & a hideabed in the sun room. It is pretty old but it's clean & works for a popular tourist place. The fenced yard is huge which is great for the kids. We have on occasion stayed there but it is kind of our of the way when we are headed to AB. 

We spent 3 fabulous weeks in Sh Pk at our youngest daughter's place over the holidays. We had planned to leave Jan 2 but the husband of a close girlfriend died two weeks ago and we stayed for the service. So sad, lung cancer to the liver & bones in less than 6 mos. think he used to be a heavy smoker. Our 5th loss of a dear friend to Cancer in 2015. 

We arrived via the 12:45 ferry at Tsawwassen to Duke Pt yesterday. The roads were mostly bare with blue skies & sun almost the whole way. 

Cheers, my friend! May 2016 be a healthy active one for both of you. I noted in the recent U of Wpg alumni Journal that Frank Baker & Susan Buggy died. Frank was the boyfriend of my girlfriend Jan Graham. Frank was a year older than me I think, young!! Susan may have been 6 or 7 years older. Susan was my history? teacher in Collegiate, grade 12. Did u know either? Two of my childhood girlfriends from St. James, underwent surgery this past week for breast cancer. What a horrible disease!! I am a 15 + year bc survivor. How blessed I am😘!!