Never spend your money before you have it. -Thomas Jefferson, third US
president, architect and author (1743-1826)
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| Summerland, across the lake, January 1st! |
The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world
into words. -William H. Gass, writer and professor (b. 1924)
Hello Bridgettes! Thanks to everyone for lovely evening, scintillating company and wonderful food, fab salad and scrumptious dessert! Trust we'll do it again, in the not too, too distant future. Must away as I'm off to ride. Fondestos from Mme Coriandre, readying herself Oasis. Looking forward to the hunt for wild buttercups domani. Cheers, Opening Points Be Damned Patrizzio! Pics: Patrizzio was too, too busy sipping malt and winning to contribute to menu!
Thank you Corinne and Patrick for initiating and accomodating "the wonderful beginnings of bridge" This week will not work for me with 3 days volunteering for BC Winter games,a.o. What about Tuesday March 1st, 5pm at The Dronkers? Looking forward to hear if date and time fit your schedules. Cheers, Jos
Thank you so much for such a lovely afternoon/evening. I enjoyed brushing off the 20 year old bridge cobwebs! It was wonderful sharing card playing with you all and sharing a meal. Thanks for the delicious chili and baklava! Thanks also for the perfect wine though it made it harder to focus on bridge! Mar 1 unfortunately doesn't work for me - I'm going down to the coast for a week starting this Friday. I'll be back Mar.4....
Hi Patrick! thanks for thinking of us! Doggone it, that would have been fun but, truth be told, I did not look at emails yesterday so I just got the message. Oh well, hopefully there will be other times! As usual, not sure if I will be going with the gang tomorrow but if I do, see ya' there. Bill L
Yes I remember Pam, you told me, but I forgot the dates.Anywayzzzz.....
What about Sunday March 6th, 2pm, a potluck dinner after bridge around 6-7pm where Aart can join us, and we have our NO bridge social. Let me know if this will work for you. Cheers, Jos
Hi Patrick Thanks for forwarding the email from the Cofaros. I recently supped one of their wines at the Hobbs . My stock was exhausted years ago and I was amazed that hobbsy could be so patient. Those were splendid trips we made down to California together and I remember them very fondly .
Tomorrow, I am playing my first golf game after my second eye operation, so it will be interesting to play without specs for the very first time. I play with a great group of guys who try and play through the winter and the course will be very soggy tomorrow after a very very wet February , but we slog through it and it always good to be out and getting some exercise. Looking forward to your visit and enjoying the rugby sevens in March. Cheers, Mick
Hello Dunbarites! Thanks for the pictures from The Archives! How is Tip? Please send along fond regards. Sorry I've not been in touch sooner but seems time slips away and all the things I had intended to do don't get done. Thanks very much for the lovely dinner invitation but the timing simply won't work on this trip, I'm afraid. Saturday, the 12th, a pot-luck bridge evening has already been arranged. Sunday evening the Sevens finals are on and probably won't be over until 9:00 pm or later and Lady Dar will be at last sessions of Cuffed. Friday evening we are at the evening session of Cuffed.
Given chock-a-block schedule, we are now planning to drive into Vancouver on Thursday afternoon. We subscribe to a series put on by Kitchen Stove Film, run by the Art Gallery, which has an arrangement with TIFF to screen ten films shown at the festival. Our tickets are for the 4:00 pm showing but Mme Coriandre will change them for the 1:00 pm screening. This being the case, I was wondering if you might be available for a java, perhaps lunch, at some point, somewhere, during the day on Friday. We will be running a series of errands, etc., so relatively flexible and it would be lovely to visit. Anyway, let me know what you think and we'll plan accordingly.Must away as I'm off to ride. Fondestos from Mme Coriandre, readying herself Oasis, United Church she has joined. Looking forward to the hunt for flowering wild buttercups domani, as hiking group will explore the area above McIntyre Bluff. To get there we will drive past Vaseux Lake on the way to Oliver, drive up Secrest Rd and park in Covert Farms. We will then hike towards Rattlesnake Lake. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Bit of a lazy morning, digitating, with java, until Lady Dar boiled me two eggs. After I'd eaten them with some of the overleft cheese bread from last night's dinner I laid the fire to be ready for her ladyship's return from church. After she left for Oasis, I did a bit of vacuuming, along with a few other chores and then suited up. Needed to refill my front tire so I will take the Trek in to Freedom, tomorrow, after hiking. Something is wrong, probably some sort of slow leak, so I need to have it looked at.
At any rate, I set out a few minutes after 12:00 pm. Had decided I'd make for Naramata but once I was on Lakeshore I changed my mind and thought I'd go to Summerland. Wanted to scope out the shoulders on 97. Did a short dipsy-doodle through Red Wing before continuing on. Pleased to find that the shoulders were not too, too bad. Had the wind to help me along and I was delighted to find that I was maintaining an AVG slightly over 21 kph. Knew I'd be bucking it on return leg so thought I's enjoy it while I could!
Wasn't long before I took Wharf Street into Trout Creek and made my way through the residential streets there, to Landry Crescet where one can connect with the new bike path, just completed this past year. Much to my annoyance, discovered it is closed for the season, a gate barring the entrance. This meant that I had to return to 97 but shoulders here were even freer of debris so I was soon on Lakeshore Drive and making for Crescent Beach. Did a few loops here, checking out the building which had been going on last few times I'd ridden here.
Had about 30 km on the clock by the time I was heading south and chuffed to find that I was not riding directly into the wind, as I had expected. Didn't actually have to fight it until I was back on 97 and even then it wasn't too, too strong. Quick detour into Red Wing, this time doing as many loops as I needed to register 51 km. Knew that I'd be able to log the rest of the distance I wanted, dipsy-doodling off Riverside, once back in Penticton itself. Did just that and then it was only a bit of and uphill/head wind slog up Ellis to Padmore/Braid and then home. Absolutely delighted to record and AVG of 21.6 kph even though I'd been on the the flat for almost all of the ride and had the wind to push me along, much of the time. Stats for ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1059154877#.VspGcHIINaQ.email
Into the garage to put my Trek away and when I went to take off my helmet I realized that it was already on the shelf! I've taken to putting on a close fitting toque under my helmet and when I don this I next put on my sunglasses as it is easier to get the earpieces on before I strap on my helmet. Anyway, I forgot to put the helmet on! Not enough or perhaps too, too much porch cleaner!
In the living room I found Lady Dar, wrapped in a throw, watching TV. I put another log on the fire for her and turned on the blower, (She didn't know where the switch was, hence the comforter.), before zapping another mug of java. While it was heating up, I cleaned my chain. Not overly much grit so pleased to find this was the case. Roads were all very dry so this helps, of course. Time for a shower and then I'm to make a salad.
Hi Josinta et al! Thanks for the lovely invitation! I was going to reply to tell you that Lady Dar will be away for the March 1st as well, into Vancouver for her Book Club! However, March 6th sounds wonderful. We can chat about it tomorrow but otherwise I'll assume we are on.
On another matter, Cora Lee discovered your sun glasses in her purse! I assume you put them there, thinking it was yours! I also found two thousand US notes, probably from Aarturo so thank him for his generosity! Must away are we are going to watch Better Call Saul, on Netflix, before Downton. Fondestos from one of your losing bridge partners. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Patrick can you please bring my sunglasses and my fortune tomorrow.I have been looking everywhere today. So happy to hear where I hid them. See you tomorrow
Hi Patrick Hope you have got over your chocolate hit!! Is it possible for you to send to me a copy of these photos not in Flicker as I would like to save them to my 2016 Canada album? It is a tad over 38C today in Adelaide so we are having a day indoors catching up on office work!! Love Tina
Hi Teens! Sorry to take so long getting back to you! [Will attach snaps you wanted, and a few more, in next message.] Fondestos and Cheers, to you and Trev, Patrizzio!
Thank you Patrick! This was a beautiful card. I miss you guys so, but will be back as soon as curling is over ( mid March ). Hopefully I'll be out next Thursday as this week I have my oldest son and my grandson here for a week. Bye for now and once again for just being you, Patrick! You such a wonderful person to have in our group. Hugs, Olly
Hello Patrizzio, good to hear from you! It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and relax and catch up with friends, far and near. That is my goal today. First and foremost, if we end up driving to Banff, we will of course stop by to visit you two and your new place. From the photos we've seen and the descriptions of some of your various activities, it sounds absolutely lovely there. I'm curious if you're within walking distance of your downtown area - would that be Penticton or Naramata? I'd love to see the beautiful lake you mention -is that a drive outside of town? Just trying to get a feel for your neighborhood and surroundings. Do you miss Vancouver and your proximity to Granville Island and all the delights there, as well as the city itself? I assume the town you live in is much smaller, with fewer amenities such as dining, entertainment, etc, but sounds like plenty enough to keep you entertained and busy! I see that Corinne has a new nickname, Lady Darjeeling, or Dar for short, and I assume that she may have become an avid fan of that tea while in India. I love the name, and I'm glad to hear that her ankle is much better and probably by now, she's 100%. What a great Valentine's treat she surprised you with - lucky you!
Our Valentine's Day weekend was spent here at home with Kate who came to visit us for the long weekend. On Valentine's Day itself, Dave took the two of us out for breakfast at a local spot in Healdsburg which specializes in cajun style food. We had po-boys, eggs sardou, grits, lobster benedict, beignets, chicory coffee - the works! Very tasty and a popular place for breakfast. There was a line forming outside the door even before the place opened (we were 3rd in line) and when we left, there was another line waiting for the first round of tables to empty out. After breakfast, Kate and I donned our "hiking" clothes and took a little walk around the park at Lake Sonoma, also visiting the fish hatchery while there to observe some very tired-looking salmon trying to make their way up th fish ladder. On the way home from the dam/hatchery, we stopped at a recently opened wine tasting facility just up the road and across the street from our place - Tratorre Winery - tratorre being the name for tractor, and there is an old one marking the entrance to their hilltop vineyard and tasting room. Inside the expansive, modern concrete tasting room, there were 3 shiny red, possibly vintage, tractors roped off at one end. The other end sported a comfortable living room type sitting area, and then there is a very long bar in the middle overlooking a patio (complete with a fountain and pizza oven) and the valley below. Really stunning. And their wines weren't bad either - they specialize in Rhone style wines. I bought two Viognier based blends - something we don't ever get at David Coffaro Winery! Haven't yet had a chance to try them at home, but am anxious to soon.
Other news from the vineyard:
- We have a brand-new steel reinforced roll up door for our winery building, with windows of all things! Yes, now we can actually see outside and enjoy the beauty of the countryside from within. Our employees should rebate some of their salary due to this vast improvement in the workplace!
- The old gnarly vines are all pruned and ready for budding this upcoming spring. Catarino and crew always celebrate when they finish pruning the old vines - many of them are so short and close to the ground, making tedious work for those doing the pruning. It's hard to remember back to when Dave pruned the whole vineyard on his own, for 15 years! With his height, I'm sure it was hard on his back - but he never complained once he got out in the vineyard. Even though a lot of work, I'm sure it was quite rewarding to see the results.
- We're trying to convert our website and database software to a new "point of sale" system with a real shopping cart - just like Amazon! Although an expensive undertaking, we have been talking about making this conversion for the past 10 years and have finally taken the first step in that direction. The conversion of our current database to the new one, though, is proving quite complicated and difficult. If it were me, I would have given up on it by now (been working on it for a week), but Dave is bound and determined to "not to fail" as he puts it. Stay tuned.
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