Suncoast Louvered Roofs Blues: Tuesday, April 5th!

Curiosity is the lust of the mind. -Thomas Hobbes, philosopher (5 Apr 1588-1679) 

Hi Patrick & Corinne Just realized why we haven't come to visit you yet. You never gave us your new address or phone number! Now maybe this was a hint, but since we're pretty thick-skinned, could you please send your address anyways. Hope all is well. Elaine

Hello Angry, Thick-Skinned Bayswater Bee People! We had decided that since Elaine was so anti-Kamloops that she could hardly be expected to want to visit tiny Penticton, hence the fact that we didn't presume to send along our Okanagan co-ordinates! However, now that we know it our fault, Lady Dar has sent our address and phone number by expedited Internet courier!

Trust all is well with you folk. Busy here. Had Ruth and Rick here for last Friday night and had a lovely visit. Lynne and Peter came for dinner and we even played bridge around our fire-pit. On Sunday, a number of friends from the hiking group came to play bridge as I've managed to start a small group here. Mme Coriandre was attending a yoga workshop so I asked Peter to fill in. We thought of you and your magnetic cards as wind can gust, at times, and since our patio table is metal it would have been great to have had such playing cards. At any rate, we managed to have a grand time.

Have included snaps from yesterday's hike, near Peachland. You vets of the Himalayas would find any of these outings a piece of cake so you should plan to join us when you finally visit! Big news here is that we have contracted with Suncoast Louvered Roofs to install a structure over back patio, from back of house to end of the garage and close to fence. This will provide shade from the fierce summer sun, as well as cover from rain and snow. Since the louvres open, (powered by a small solar panel), we can adjust angle to regulate sun/shade as conditions/seasons change. Not inexpensive so we will have to charge 5 star rates when you visit!

Lads came yesterday to begin process, measurements, etc., and digging a small hole for concrete footing which will support, with a single post, the southwest corner of the structure. Everything else will be attached to the garage/house walls. We expect structure will be up by the end of this week or early the following week. Once everything is finished Lady Dar will re-arrange patio furniture, plants, etc. Since the new "roof" will shade the back of the house this will help keep the inside, overall, much cooler. As well, we will be able to keep most, if not all, of  the patio furniture under completely dry cover for the late Fall/Winter.

At some point we are hoping to put a car-port on the other side of the garage, not only to protect the car but also to shade that part of the house, again to keep things as cool as possible in the broiling summer temperatures. Sun takes on a whole new meaning here, as you can well imagine! For the time being we'll use the large sun-umbrella we needed on the patio to keep the sun off the windows there as we won't need it on the patio with new roof. As finances allow, we pan a permanent structure, with any luck, including solar panels. So hurry up and visit as we desperately need the enhanced revenue stream!

Fondestos from Lady Dar, just off to her yoga class. Must away as she left a list of chores as long as the Hope-Princeton! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Friday night with Lynne and Peter; fire-pit bridge; Squamoids depart with their pooches, Arya, (L), and Sansa, (R); bridge on Sunday with Michaelo, Jugos Dom Pedro and Spamela; Michaelo toasting our bid and made small slam, (6 Diamonds), with very expensive malt! Cutting area for powder-coated, (black), struts, etc., where car port will go eventually, we hope!  Putting in footing. Luke is from Australia so we hope he will marry Chloë! Chris from Suncoast. Structure will cover to end of orange ladder and roughly from aluminum ladder to footing tube. You have the option of sleeping here at reduced rates!

Hi Elaine! Apparently album is too large to send so I'll have to re-work it before trying to send it again. Cheers, Patrizzio!

hi Patrick,we are now back following our fantastic trip to N E India. this was all about trekking living in the villages and riding many bumpy roads.everyone very lovely and happy and inviting. however i do not recommend ever sleeping on a bamboo bed. we slept and ate with the villagers.it all ended with a visit to an ayaruvadic spa; ah ,delightful. no upset stomach until we got back to our high end Delhi hotel.

we are now nomads again as we tour the various Vancouver rental accommodations. again our China town apartment has been delayed but at least this place we are in on broadway is fine compared to our previous dump. Kali our wee puppy was farmed out to Alexa in Nanaimo for our month away. she has had a good year in nursing. she is now off tree planting for the summer in BC.  we are off to New York at the end of may to an Indian wedding of all things. so we will catch up with sascha then. her b/f Daniel has been offered a job in New York at last but having some visa issues. he is in snowy Toronto. we are then off to the U K in july for a friends 70 th. so a few things coming up. how are you both doing? i presume the snow is melting as we speak. how is Chloe doing? say Hi to Corrine; take care Matt 

Hi Glasgow! Welcome home! Pleased to learn that all went so swimmingly on your trip. Look forward to hearing all about it at some point, in the not too, too distant future, I trust, given your continuing peripatetic existence! Fondestos to you both, from Lady Dar, watching The Young and the Useless as I scribe away, in front of the fire, as it is quite cool today. Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: Chloë is fine. We spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights, of last week, with her as we drove in for Sarge's retirement party on Tuesday. Not yet decided what she plans to do regarding trying again. As well, you have the option of sleeping on the patio, once covered, at greatly reduced rates, better, by far, than bamboo, or Whirlygig's on-going bed of nails Chez Galiano!!

Hello Whirlygig and Calamity Jane and Mortadella! Trust that all went swimmingly on your trip to Victoria to see your parents, Calamity. Look forward to hearing all about it, at some point, in the not too, too distant future, I trust, given your continuing peripatetic existence! Thanks for the link to Ian Brown's article, Giggster. I read it with great relish as, in fact, I've been enjoying 60 almost since you very kindly presented it to me. Article is a bit of a "back-story" to parts of the book as you probably already know. While I certainly don't share much of Ian's, (Am I allowed to call him by his first name since I'm older than he is?), obsessive fixation on aging and turning 60, in particular, I do enjoy many, many of his wonderfully perceptive observations about behaviour, in general, male behaviour, again, in particular, skewered ruthlessly, more often than not.

I guess I decided, quite some time ago, that I really didn't care or wasn't overly concerned about what others thought, (Hence my deplorable cycling gear, as one, glaring example, as you well know, much to Lady Dar's despair, among so many other things, as well, of course.), whether at work or play, as long as I was "comfortable" physically and psychologically, with my dress or other pursuits. Hence, again, my lack of ambition to climb the institutional management ladder, preferring to work more closely with students and faculty members than to attend interminable, useless meetings. Let those far more skilled and certainly far more interested in and keen to reach the offices of power, claw their way to life at the top. Buona Fortuna to each and every one!

Ian obviously inherited his father's reluctance to fail, to dare to do something that is fraught with risk or confrontation of one sort or another. I certainly understand this psychological/emotional stance but, once again, I feel I was fortunate not to have been so shackled. However it came about, however it happened, I have long believed that life is nothing but a gift, a magnificent, incredible gift, but more importantly, one that is not guaranteed to unfold as we might hope or expect or dream it should. This being the case, what the hell, go for broke, seek out change and honest challenges, not as a daredevil but because change is healthy, quintessentially necessary and life is very, very short, the only guarantee with this package!

I'm about two-thirds through the work so I don't know what he will say by the end but he seems to be leaning towards taking more chances, particularly with respect to his writing. I like his style, (I think the article was terrific, compelling indeed! I can only imagine it had even more relevance and impact for you, given the unfortunate circumstances leading up to the death of your own father.), but I deplore his lack of self-confidence, given his obvious talent. [Really enjoyed the references to Knausgaard. He was at the VWF two years ago and I scored one of his books, as a gift due to some very special volunteers!] I have no desire to write a best-seller or even publish something but I do enjoy the pleasure my "poor scribblings" provide, if only to me, so I soldier on, in spite of harsh criticism from friends and family who only want Executive Summaries! So thank you, again, for the book. I'm curious to hear your thoughts about it when next we have a chance to meet and tipple maltage!

Fondestos to you both, from Lady Dar, talking to Ayn, at the moment. Dinner is almost ready and we will watch a few more episodes of House of Cards while dining. Until The Sisterhood have finished talking. Cheers, Il Conduttore, aka Patrizzio!

PS: I will be making a whirlwind, (as opposed to a Whirlygig!), trip into Vancouver on April 20th as I have two appointments with specialistes, dermatologico and orthopede, as opposed to centipede! Managed to conflate them to same day, (originally one was on 29th!), as I need to be back home by 22nd when more Freeloaders, (friends of Spumoni's from Denman Island), will be invading! Lady Dar will bus her ladyship-self into The Big Smoke that Friday as she is to attend baby showers and book clubs and power shopping sprees over the course of the weekend and following Monday! 

Hi Patrick, Thanks so much for a lovely weekend. We enjoyed meeting Peter and Lynn, playing bridge on the patio whilst drinking lovely wine and eating delectable appetizers under the Penticton setting sun. It was a great start to April and the cabin opening went well, too. We did manage to stop briefly at a few wineries on the way out of town. We took your advice and
picked up some cheese from the Upper Bench, as well as some wine from U.B., Township 7, La Frenz and Popular Grove.
 
It was all very divine and a good way to depart sunny Penticton before embarking on a different route across the lake from Kelowna. It proved to be a very interesting drive, best done in daylight, as it is quite windy and narrow and slopes steeply down to the water, but we were lucky enough to see a beautiful big horned sheep meandering down the road. We arrived with enough daylight hours for the puppies to play at the beach for hours because they had found a cache of fish bones left by the eagles and the feathers and feet of some bird that met with their demise at said location. We were able to golf the next day with a retired couple from Salmon Arm whose daughter had been married at Quaaout Lodge the year before and had lots of nice suggestions. Ruth P.S. I sure hope our puppies did not soil your beautiful rugs, and if so we will have to make amends for such deeds. We sincerely apologize for any misbehaviour done by our puppies. 

Hi Ruthless! Thank you both for the the terrific visit! I just received this from Jugos Dom Pedro so I thought I should forward it to you and Crustacean Man, given the fact that you hit four wineries after you left us, at least four that you are willing to admit stopping at! Onward! Fight!!!

I'm pleased to learn that the days at the cabin went so well. I was just kidding about the ill-behaved pooches. In fact, it was a not so veiled allusion to His Grumpiness, sleeping on the priceless rug in front of the fire, not your delightful puppies! Fondestos to you both, from Lady Dar. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

April 5 Just sitting here on our balcony looking out at the ocean and having a glass of wine. Found this bottle in a grocery store last night. It's an Alicante Bouschet, same as the Noir de Noir that Wellington used to produce in the Sonoma, but a fraction of the cost. The wine is so dark that even when you hold the glass up to the sun, no light gets through. Very smooth and full bodied.
I think that this place is a bit of a surfers' paradise when the waves are high. Great beach, very wide. Have yet to see anything disappointing in Portugal - probably because it does not exist. Colin