Day 42, Post-Op GFA A Taste of Africa Blues: Thursday, October 27th!

It is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (27 Oct 1858-1919)

Hi Ragin'! As I mentioned, a few messages ago, I will be down on Wednesday, November 2nd, for my six week follow-up appointment, on Thursday, November 3rd. Originally, Lady Dar was going to accompany me but has now decided that she will stay home to ride herd over the wild horses, Etta and Duke. She just returned from Vancouver, after being there for eight days, when volunteering for the VWF. At any rate, you had mentioned preparing a meal so if that is still on for Wednesday evening, let me know, and we'll plan accordingly. Not a big deal if it won't work but I'd like to know, one way or another. Trust things have improved on the home front. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Olga Polga, Michaelo et al! Thanks for offering to host, "I've Forgotten How to Bid Since I've Been Away So Long" Woman! Glad Wednesday will finally work for you, Michaelo. Unfortunately, for me, Lady Dar reminded me that I won't be here next Wednesday evening as I'm driving into Vancouver earlier that day. I have my six week follow-up with hip surgeon next day. [She is staying to take care of Etta and Duke so she will play.] Sorry to miss gathering for a number of reasons, particularly as I won't see Cuba Libre Mike until he is back from his Rum and Coke holiday, and probably not connect with Peru-bound Polga until she is back from their trip to Peru.

Anyway, I hope new night will improve attendance and result in even more expensive bridge prizes! Take care of yourselves, travel safely and enjoy wonderful, wonderful holidays! Fondestos and Bon Voyage from Lady Dar. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Etta and Duke helping Lady Dar with my pedicure this morning! They also scrub my back in the shower! 

Hello Bridge Fiends! Trust all goes well with you two! With respect to bridge on the night of the 4th, any chance The Penguin might play in Lady Dar's stead? Let me know as I'm sure I can drum up another player, or more, depending on how many tables you wish to entertain, now that you realize Lady Dar won't be along and you'll have to suffer Me, Myself and I all alone! Looking forward to seeing you folk. Cheers, Patrizzio! [Meant bridge on the evening of the 3rd! Too much fab Okanagan wine too early in the day!!! Cheers, Patrizzio!]

Patrick, Thank you for the note. I spent my day at the job site, working with the plumber to get plumbing fixtures located in the right place and taking woos from the old house to the dump.
 
I saw the notice for the GFA event and thought it would be a fun event. However we were hard st it until 7 tonight. I expect that we will have more time next year to take in events such as this one. Have a good trip yo Van. I hope that your check up goes swimmingly. Is Corinne hosting Bridge without you next Wednesday then?? I plan to be there. I'll pace myself that day so I don't run out of energy. Pam

Hi Plumber Pamela! Pleased that you are riding herd on the trades-folk! Unfortunately, for me, Lady Dar reminded me that I won't be here next Wednesday evening as I'm driving into Vancouver earlier that day. Cora Lee will be staying to take care of Etta and Duke and will play. [When in town she enjoyed festival immensely and had a chance to have many visits with Chloë and other friends, so another reason she feels she doesn't have to return so soon.] However, Olga Polga is hosting so game will be at her place. You might wish to talk to Spumoni and perhaps the three of you could carpool to Summerland. 

We had a wonderful evening this evening. Started here with the Naramatians, Lynne and Peter. Michelle Dunn, Lady Dar's knitting coach, also joined us and we enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine, (One was Peter's home-made Riesling, from his own grapes, and far, far better than the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio which they brought as well. Apparently the "favourite" drop of Lynne's sister and leftover from a recent stay!)

Shatford auditorium was full so that was terrific, of course. Table centre pieces were most attractive and each had a flag of a given African country so that was how we were called to collect our meal. Rita Kabongoya, originally from Uganda, prepared the meal, with the help of the Grandmothers. Food was simply delicious and wine, Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Merlot, 14.5%, almost too palatable!

The Penticton Herald’s James Miller acted as emcee. At the start of the evening, a Canadian doctor, [Frustratingly, I can't recall his name.], who worked in a number of African countries, treating HIV infected patients, provided a most informative, hands-on perspective and showed how the funds raised by GFA and the Stephen Lewis Foundation are making such a critical difference. Loads of fun visiting with friends and making new acquaintances. At the craft sale, we bought four colourful woven baskets, (for Christmas presents for relatives and girlfriends of our grandsons in LA), and I also picked up two silly stuffed monkey dolls for cat toys!
 

Really very satisfying to see the considerable support, for a wide variety of causes, the community here in Penticton is committed to. Wasn't a late evening and we were back home by shortly after 8:10 pm so I had time to put in another session on stationary bike while we watched a recorded episode of Elementary. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: GFA dinner.

Hello My Darling Kathryn! Trust you are well and all your nerve endings are back to normal! Gather another extremely successful year!!! Hip Hip Hooray! Bravo!!! Onward!!! When in Vancouver, next week, I thought I might pop by to say hello to some of the staff. Will you still be there next week, as you are, [Please don't tell anyone!], my favourite! Cora Lee asked me to send her best wishes to you and rest of Festival Gang. Cheers, Patrizzio!

I have been meaning to email and see how you are doing with the rehab Patrick…..I trust you are doing well given the serious replacement surgery. Any ideas when you might be out hiking/snowshoeing this winter? I expect it will be some time before that happens. I am not on Facebook and not big on checking and doing emails so I envy your writing skills which seem to flow so easily! I am back home and quite busy with ski patrol administration and training until after Nov 5/6 weekend. I will try to hook up with you after that date maybe for a morning coffee in Penticton if that works for you OK?  Cheers, Kilian

Hello St Bernard Ski Patrol Man! Glad to here you are back and busy on the slopes. How is snow at Apex? Another good year? We missed you at the wonderful birthday breakfast for King Ottakar at Debbie's Diner. Great gathering, as always. Even more fun that hiking or snowshoeing! Unfortunately, for me, won't even think about hiking until next spring when things dry out. Too, too easy to fall, no matter how careful one tries to be, and risk something awful in terms of new hip. Look forward to seeing you, St Kilian, after the weekend of November 5th/6th. Be delighted if you could come for a coffee, or something stronger, and a bite! I'll be here, churning away on the stationary bike! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks for all the info Patrick, We had to miss it, and so glad now to have the last update from our good friend and local critic. Thanks for the lovely pictures from our latest events. Off on our hike, enjoy the grandmother's" today. Jos

[We are drinking this bottle right now!!!! XXXX LOVE YOUR DAUGHTERS ❤️😘]

Hello My Darling Daughters, (Chloë and: Krissy?), et al! Great taste in wine! Where were you? Restaurant or at someone's place? Trust you are well and all your nerve endings are back to normal now that you are back at Aunt Leah's!
Just before leaving to run some errands, Cora Lee asked me to send her best wishes to the family for which she has not time. And she wonders why nobody sends her messages! Love and Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio/Favourite Son-in-Law! Hi Reverse Bucket List Man! I was nervous simply looking at those pictures! Wow! Wow! Wow! Cheers, Patrizzio, churning away on the stationary bike! 

Patriçio, I am still on, and more so, I have a couple of slabs of fish resting comfortably in my freezer, yearning for the oven. Would you prefer Sockeye or Rainbow Trout? Peripherals tba. As for “things", hope is on the horizon, either a resolution, or I cash my chips (what’s left) and move to Croatia. Or maybe Penticton. I hear there are bridge games there. I will revive Paul Newman’s role as “The Hustler” (of Bridge, rather than pool).

And, I just bought a set of trekking poles for hiking in the wilderness. Please see the attached wilderness warning w.r.t. bears. Read the notice carefully. So see you Nov 3rd! Let me know if you are bringing your girlfriend. cheers//bjp PS: Speaking of writing (VWF), let’s not forget the value of reading to children. Here is an excellent example of a gentle and meaningful rendition of the 3 Little Pigs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4IrfObVzJo

Hi Ragin! I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Walken's re-telling of the The Three Little Pigs! Furthermore, your bear warning is priceless so I plan to forward it to hiking group! I'm more than happy with either of suggested fish. Sounds wonderful. I'll be alone as Cora Lee will be staying home to take care of Etta and Duke and my girlfriend has to work! I'll bring some hootch but let me know if I can contribute something else. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Sarge! Just wondering if you will be around next Wednesday afternoon, November 2nd. I hope to be in town around 2:00 pm. If so, I'll pop around to say hello and catch up. Don't think I can get into building unless Lady Dar brought a fob back, as well as key to JT's place. I will be around. Let's talk on Tuesday.

Hi Sarge! I'll be in touch next Tuesday evening.
Cheers, Patrizzio! Talk to you then. Hi again, Sarge! 10 4! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Dear Friends & Family, Finally below is the Flickr link to our Indonesian Photo Journey to Flores, the Komodo Islands and Bali in April this year. Late, but we could only seriously delve into the photos after the wedding at our house on August 20!
 

Our Indonesia trip was more than a typical tourist vacation. Since my parents lost their hearts there from 1945-1950 (they lived mainly on Bali), we felt that one of the key objectives was to see what is left of the Indonesia they experienced. Some of you know that my dad published a photo atlas with Dr. Goris, "Bali Atlas Kebudajaan, cults & customs", on commission of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch government, for which he had the freedom to photograph what ever he deemed important. This work gives us a profound insight in what life was like in those days. My dad was there in a position to help Indonesia transition to independence, but he also happened to be an excellent photographer. 
 

Of course since then there has been tremendous change. You can, however, still experience Balinese culture with authentic Hindu customs and ceremonies in Central to North West & East Bali. The South-coast is quite a tourist circus with very little, if anything, left of Indonesian culture. Flores on the other hand is very different and virtually unspoiled by tourism. While Bali is almost entirely Hindu, Flores, some 800km East of Bali, is almost entirely Roman Catholic, a carry over from the Portugese occupation before the Dutch took over in 1854. Despite their Catholic religion they are still practicing their traditional rituals & ceremonies.
 

The Komodo islands are famous for the Komodo Dragons, a very large (up to 3m) carnivorous and poisonous lizard, dangerous for large animals and humans alike. They attack mainly deer and buffalo, but only after their poison slowly kills the animals they return and feast on them. They can smell their prey from up to 5 miles away!

On Bali we had a full itinerary. Also, we were hoping to trace some of the footsteps of my parents. All people they knew there have passed away, however, maybe hard to believe, we have had a few unique, if not emotional, encounters with Balinese that still knew about my father, before and after his departure from Indonesia in 1950.

My parents were close friends with several Balinese people as well as the famous Western artists Rudolf Bonnet (1895-1978) and Theo Meier (1908-82), who fell in love with the island and permanently moved there. They, as well as Walter Spies, another famous artist who died tragically in 1942, spent most of their days in Ubud and North Bali. It was important for us to better understand their incredible art, reflecting their deep love for the culture, the mystic landscapes, but above all the beautiful Balinese people. There is little doubt that they have had a profound influence on Indonesian artists and their work. Bottom line, another "journey" to remember! Here is the link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99264714@N02/albums/72157674127542652 

This will open the Album Overview. Click on the first photo (or any other) to get a bigger picture, you can then browse through all of them with the arrows. When you flip through the photos, you may see some pages with a harmless advertisement, that you can simply flip through. This is the way (the free version of) Flickr makes money. However, if you go into "Full Screen Mode" by clicking on the 2 opposite arrows at the top right of the screen, you DO NOT GET THESE ADVERTISEMENTS. Press "Escape" to get out of "Full Screen Mode". If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Enjoy! Aart & Jos Dronkers  

Dearest Josinta and Aarturo! I finally had an opportunity to take a look at the simply incredible album of your Indonesian Photo Journey to Flores, the Komodo Islands and Bali! It literally took my breath away and I must needs revisit it many times to be able to absorb the stunning photographs in all their remarkable beauty and grandeur. The best thing about it is that I'll never have to travel anywhere where you two have been, (Hurry up and go to Patagonia, already!), as I feel I have been walking in your footsteps, swimming in the same myriad waters, eating local food and getting to know the Balinese individuals you met. Thank you for this truly remarkable insight to such a glorious, magical culture and its overpowering landscape. Cheers, National Geographic Couch Explorer Patrizzio!

Patrick, Nice photography. We also enjoyed the evening. Thanks to Corinne for including us. Peter Hello Naramatia! Delighted you both could join us! Cheers!
 
Hello OF'ies, We had a nice hike up to the summit of Mt Laidlaw, a bit shorter than we thought and beginning with a trek on a forestry road ... BUT, a beautiful hike with good weather: Lots of shade and plenty views (provided you are not fogged in!). See photo attached of the brave ones ...

Next Thursday we will go up Parker SW under the expert guidance of our own Tony Cottrell. We will meet at HH at 9:00AM, Summerlanders can meet at 8:40AM at the IGA in Summerland, then make their way to the HH in Penticton.
Mark your calendar! Hope to see you there, Cheers, Aart