Main Street Market Blues: Saturday, May 28th!

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. -Oliver Goldsmith  

These two are leaving Vancouver tomorrow after 40 plus years and as sad as it makes me, I'm excited for them and their new adventure!!! Good luck mom and dad❤️❤️💋💋😢🍷🍷 

Chloe Alexis Dunn shared a memory. Can't believe it's been almost a full year since the folks flew the coop!!! ❤️ Corinne Durston and Patrick James Dunn but Penticton seems pretty great!! Especially when the wine is flowing!!🍷

Patrick James Dunn Thanks Chloë! As you say, hard to imagine that a year has flown by and Lady Dar hasn't unpacked all the boxes of her books yet! No room for my bikes in the garage, as a result! Off to the Farmer's Market this morning and then I'm going for a longish ride. Have to start logging greater distances to ready myself for this July's GranFondo! This evening we are dining at a local spot, Front Street Brasserie, which has only been open for a month or so. Will stroll by this morning to see if we need or can make a reservation. Snap was taken last Friday when Judith and Rick were up for Meadowlark Festival. Happy Anniversary Burns Street Gin Joint and Hot Sheets Hotel!

'Songlines' Lighting the Sails 2016 Live:

https://www.facebook.com/sydneyoperahouse/videos/10153485296275723/

Patrick James Dunn Hi Tiptoe! Thanks for the simply stunning light show! We are celebrating the 1st anniversary of moving to Penticton today, 40 years of domestic bliss this past May 14th! Cheers, Lady Darjeeling and Patrice!!!
 

Colleen Teahan Waldron We do miss you but it is great that we can stay in touch and get together so regularly. Keep our room reserved for July 7-10 at the Burns street B&B&W Patrick James Dunn Fabulous! You can be my GranFondo support crew! Bad Boy is my coach!

Ayn P I hope they don't forget us Chloe Alexis Dunn 

Chloe Alexis Dunn I'm sure they already have Ayn P!! Patrick James Dunn Tia, who are these people? Nana's new pooch although she hikes with me!

 Hello Mother Katherine! I see that you have enlarged your brood! Congratulations indeed! Would have certainly volunteered if we'd still be in Vancouver but too, too busy hiking and playing bridge at the moment! Missed you at Dram but enjoyed seeing many of The Usual Suspects!  Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling to her favourite Volunteer Coordinator! Cheers, Patrizzio!  Ayn P Ha!

Patrick James Dunn Hee Hee!

Strolled down to the Farmer's Market around 10:00 am and had a a grand time, bumping into friends, (Jake, The Flin Flon Kid; Perpetual Motion Mary Lee and Naramata Pamela), as well as chatting with some of the vendors we've started to know over the course of this and last year's markets. 

Headed home just before noon and had a bite to eat before suiting up for a ride. [Hadn't had a chance to go out on Friday as it rained pretty steadily all morning and much of the early afternoon. By the time it had dried up, Lady Dar wouldn't let me leave as we were supposed to have visitors drop by at 3:30 pm] Was quite windy at the FM so I knew I'd be heading to OK Falls as I wanted to ride into the wind on the outward bound leg, as opposed to having to battle it on way home. 

By the time I as ready to leave it was around 1:00 pm and I set off, making for Government. Full force of the wind, (anywhere between 22.5 kph to 30 kph, out of the S and SSW, didn't really hit me until I was along Skaha. Some of the clouds ahead looked pretty dark and foreboding and when I felt a few drops I thought I was going to get soaked. Turned out it was spray off the small whitecaps near the shore! Have never experienced this before but was pleased it hadn't started pelting!

Fought my way to McLean Creek turn-off and shortly thereafter, passed a couple, on bikes, stopped on the shoulder. Told them, as I passed that there was no stopping to smell the flowers and the man replied that they were looking at the wild asparagus growing there. Having seen it on some of my earlier hikes I knew they were telling the truth. Anyway, I suggested they pick a kilo for me and kept going.

A few minutes later, the young woman came up alongside me and I asked them if they were training for the GranFondo. They both laughed and said no as they had young children and very little time! She took off and the chap and I started to chat. Turns out that Karl Duda works at JoieFarm Winery and Amy Kinear at Joy Road Catering. Karl and I rode together until we reached the top of the hill and then he took off. 

By this time Amy was not that far ahead of me and after I caught up to her we visited until we raced down the hill into OK Falls. Said goodbye to them near Maple Street as they were going to stop somewhere nearbye for a bite to eat. Funnily enough, I met Penelope and Dylan Roche almost a year ago on McLean Creek Road, however, on that ride we were coming out of OK Falls.

Anyway, had to continue the fight against the wind once I was back on Oliver Ranch Road. Had decided I'd go to Blue Mountain first and once I had made the good climb to ride beneath the bluffs there I almost forgot about the head wind as the view of Skaha and the bluffs beyond is simply stunning. 

Didn't take long to cycle the few kilometres ahead and I turned around before the cattle-guard at the entrance to the BM property. With the fierce wind now behind me I was really laughing as I zipped along, often over 30 kph with hardly any effort. Once past entrance to Liquidity I turned left onto ORR and did the loop past Stag's Hollow and Wild Goose, both their parking lots full of cars so lots of wine-tasting going on! 

Had decided, earlier, that I would return via MCR so did that, struggling on the flats at the base of the hill as I was heading right back into the wind at this point. I find this climb easier than coming from the north so once the wind was blowing across me the going was relatively easy, and when past the crest of the hill I simply whooshed along, often clocking over 40 kph, the wind and the slight downgrade helping immensely. 

Back on Eastside it was more than a delight to have the wind continue to push me along. Past turn-off to Blasted Church I was averaging about 19 kph so I was hoping to manage 20 kph by the time I was home. This being the case, I tried to push as hard as I could, especially when I reached the smooth tarmac, about 5 km south of Skaha Lake Park. 

Once on South Main I had managed to register 19.8 kph and even the climb up Dawson didn't cost me to drop much, if any speed. However, run along Dartmouth was slower than I anticipated and by the time I was back on Government I was still at 19.8 kph and knew I'd not distance to make up the difference. 

This being the case, I kept on Government all the way to Ellis and then south towards the lake and was able to push the AVG to 19.9 kph. I turned off Ellis at Westminster, past Cannery Brewing to make for home. Struggled a bit but chose my route as carefully as I could to find as much shelter from the wind, (by now it was clocked at 41 kph S!), to keep from dropping any lower and by the time I was back on White, with a bit of creative dipsy-doodling on the streets near Burns I was able to push the needle to 20 kph! 

Pleased as  punch I rode up to the garage door, stored my bike and out onto the patio to find The Knitting Sisterhood there sipping wine, (2015 Black Widow Schonburger, 13.4%), and dropping stitches! Michelle Dunn had come by to help Lady Dar with a problem she couldn't resolve herself. More imbibing than knitting, as far as I could gather, but what do I know! Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1188450843#.V0orPJ9F9BM.email  

Must away as I've to shower and change before dinner at Front Street Brasserie where we have a reservation for 6:30 pm! 

Patrick James Dunn, Front Street Brasserie and Corinne Durston.

Had a more than wonderful, wonderful dinner here last night to celebrate our first year in Penticton! FSB is a local, if not an international treasure! Thanks Chef John and terrific server, Crysti, for such a lovely evening!

Front Street Brasserie We are thrilled that you had such a great time! We loved having you visit us, and we look forward to seeing again soon!!

Patrick James Dunn Can't be soon enough! Cheers!

Annemarie Bartlome Chears.....

[Chloe Alexis Dunn Looking gorgeous mom!!] Patrick James Dunn Hi Annemaria Tremonte! Trust you and Rudi Rudenheimer are both well. We are looking forward to having Nadienka visit at the beginning of July. When are you coming? Lady Darjeeling, near the restaurant, just before dinner last night. Cheers!

Back home to watch an episode of The Night Manager while we sipped a more than delicious 2013 Elephant Island Cassis, 16%. Haven't had any for a year or two and I was immediately reminded, after the first taste, how delightful it is. Not too sweet and heavy but rather quite light and refreshing. Unfortunately, it tasted so much like more that we managed to polish off the entire bottle. Fortunately, only 375 ml, Dear Reader! Must say that

the 2012 Adega Quarteto, 14.1%, we had with dinner was quite a find. Had not even heard of the winery, out of Osoyoos, not far from Spirit Ridge, before. The Quarteto Tinto is a blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 2 ½ % each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Quite a rich, bold, concentrated drop tasting of black currant and black cherry, with aromas of spice and flavour of chocolate. A winery which is must to visit when next Freeloading off Flamin' and Sarge! As mentioned above, strolled down to the Farmer's Market today, around 10:00 am and had a a grand time, bumping into friends, (Jake, The Flin Flon Kid; Perpetual Motion Mary Lee and Naramata Pamela. [She is finally back from Calgary herself and will be joining us on Tuesday.]), as well as chatting with some of the vendors we've started to know over the course of this and last year's markets. 

Back patio was empty a year ago. Now it is filled with wine-tippling knitters! [Michelle Dunn from Lady Dar's Flatlander walking group.] Menu, Front Street Brassiere where we celebrated 1st Anniversary of living in Penticton. Lady Dar near restaurant, fab wine we enjoyed with an equally fabulous, fabulous dinner. Bistro style we shared a House Caesar Salad, Duck Confit, Ossobuco and a Cheesecake for dessert.