Friday 10 October 2014

Float Plane Blues: Friday, October 10th!

We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)  


Charlie's Country

"The magnificent David Gulpilil (Walkabout, Ten Canoes) quietly dominates Rolf de Heer’s heartfelt and uncompromising portrait of contemporary Aboriginal life. Gulpilil drew on his own troubles while co-writing the story of down-on-his-luck Charlie, so besieged by family members that he moves out of his own house to live in a makeshift tin shelter. As Charlie attempts to draw on his Aboriginal traditions to restart his life, the harsh realities of misconceived government directives make it increasingly impossible for him…

[Chloe Alexis Dunn shared Aunt Leah's Independent Lifeskills Society's photo.
How cool is this!!! Gotta love Trevor!! Woot Woot!!!!

Thank you Trevor Linden Foundation for teaming up with us, in our efforts to keep homeless youth off the streets. You generous donation will be used to develop skills and give hope to foster youth across Metro Vancouver.
The third film collaboration between Rolf de Heer and David Gulpilil is a majestic work, destined to be thought of in years to come as a gift to the nation… The film’s rich humour gives way to an increasingly nightmarish political reality. The federal government’s ’intervention’ is making life impossible. The police won’t let him shoot buffalo because he hasn’t paid the $60 hunter’s licence; they even impound his spear when he tries to hunt the traditional way. It’s a dangerous weapon. He goes bush to find food but his lungs pack up. In hospital in Darwin, he reflects on how far he is from home… Gulpili’s extraordinary grace and physical ease is still there, as it was in his first screen role 43 years ago in Nic Roeg’s Walkabout. But his face is now ravaged by time and history, and some of the close-ups here are terribly haunting. He shows us anger, resignation, defiance and sorrow at the same time, without a word…"—Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald

Ilya Brotzky is a 26-year-old Cornell graduate who founded tickett.co, a microfunding platform that allows anyone to directly donate to a member of their community. For this campaign, which lives on Tilt.com, Ilya partnered with Mark Brand Inc., creators of the Save on Meats token program that has fed over 27,000 people.  Ilya Brotzky likes this.
Patrick James Dunn Great work from an Islay Inn neighbour!
Dear Pertinacious Pat:

1. There is no more irritating fellow than the man who tries to settle an argument by quoting Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (1902-2001)


2. No matter how you slice it, a snide remark is a snide remark (I’ll leave it to Mortimer J. Adler to explain the difference between a snide remark and a joke)
 

3. Never too late to read Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I’m not quite sure but I believe there’s a whole chapter on How to Lose Friends by Making Snide Remarks--Kurt

Dear Dogged Kurt! Immensely pleased to see that The Outrage Scale has dropped from "insult" to "snide remark". Be a bit much, I am loath to admit, to expect a salty dog, such as yourself, to accept the fact that all your virulent kerfuffle was over a trifling joke. I spit on Dale and his Machiavellian ways. With friends like you, who needs enemies? Try Samuel Beckett, he's far more interesting. Waiting for Godot, Resolutely Unapologetic Patrizzio!

Dear Resolutely Unapologetic P: The connection between Descartes and Beckett: « Je pense, donc je suis. » --René Descartes “ If he thinks like Pozzo; talks like Pozzo and acts like Pozzo: he MUST be Pozzo!” --Lucky 

Kurt and Pat. With respect, please exclude me from this thread. Thanks Dermot

My apologies, Dermot, and others. Consider it done from my end. --Kurt

THANK GOD! It's humour and novelty ran it's course a few decades ago when both Pat and Kurt were still grade school VL
Hello Vittorino! Yes, Grade School, indeed, and Kurt was the schoolyard bully then, as well! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Dear Belatedly Apologetic Kurt! Had you directed your initial, unwarranted, misplaced outrage to me alone rather than including the NRBC you wouldn't have had to "un-thread" the on-going brow-beating you feel I deserve.

I think I follow the link from Descartes to Beckett but if your intended slight is to compare me to Beckett's character, "a pompous, sometimes foppish, aristocrat, cruelly using and exploiting those around him", I take umbrage at this snide remark, far preferring the mantle of Andrea Pozzo, "the Italian Jesuit Brother, Baroque painter and architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician best known for his frescoes using illusionistic technique called quadratura, in which architecture and fancy are intermixed. His masterpiece is the nave ceiling of the Church of Sant'Ignazio in Rome. Through his techniques, he has become one of the most remarkable figures of the Baroque period. He is also noted for the architectural plans of the Ljubljana Cathedral (1700), inspired by the designs of the Jesuit churches Il Gesù and S. Ignazio in Rome."

With respect to Vitorious's comment, I replied: "Hello Vittorino! Yes, Grade School, indeed, and Kurt was the schoolyard bully then, as well!" I remain, Dear Sir, Your Humble, Yet Even More Unabashedly Unapologetic Patrizzio!

Before dinner yesterday we booked a seaplane, to Victoria, for C/G, for Friday, at 8:45 am, for day. I dropped them off near the Convention Centre as it is above the float plane terminal at Coal Harbour. Was to collect them at 5:45 pm that afternoon as we were having friends from Melbourne, Kathleen and Steve, as well as Clan Sutherland for dinner. Since it was such a glorious day I decided to take advantage of weather and go for a lengthy bike ride. Once back home I suited up and headed out. Initially I'd thought I'd ride to Horseshoe Bay but when I rounded Science World I noticed some fairly angry clouds over the North Shore mountains so decided I'd stick a bit closer to home in case it started to rain, just contenting myself with loops of Stanley Park. The hill climb towards Lions Gate is a good one and I'd not done this circuit for a bit so that was my new plan.

Anyway, at the foot of Hornby, where one catches the Aquabus, who should be there but Claire and Greg! Victoria was "socked" in so their flight was cancelled. They had re-booked for Saturday and intended to spend day exploring Flase Creek and environs, with a day-pass on Aquabus. After we chatted for a bit I headed off to continue my ride. Did seven loops and enjoyed it very much. Not overly many people about as it was quite blustery with threat of rain in the offing. In fact, on my sixth loop it started to spit heavily and I thought I might have to make for home but showers didn't materialize until I had finished my last round and was making for home.

Once I rounded Science World, wind was at my back and I hardly noticed the reasonably steady, light rain. At any rate, I managed to be back before it really started to pour so I was quite pleased to have escaped a drenching. AS well, it was the longest ride I'd managed since starting to volunteer for VIFF a few weeks ago. Stats for ride:


http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/609698445#.VDhaTN4u9Cw.email
  • Tim Kelly PJD you are amazing
  • Patrick James Dunn Isn't much you cannot do, Tiptoe, when one's camel pack is filled with Warrabilla Durif, 16%! Cheers from Cora Lee as well!
Claire and Greg arrived about an hour after I was home. I wanted to make a quick trip downtown to pick up a case of wine, (2012 Paul Mas Viognier, $11.90, regularly about $16 here, so a pretty good deal. We'd visited the winery last year in Montagnac, about half an hour from where I'd rented a house in Neffiés.), so Greg came along. As it turned out, wine was a Syrah with 5% Viognier! Nonetheless, still a great buy, although not nearly as "meaty" as their 2011 GSM, 14%, $16, sadly not available in any Lower Mainland stores!

Back home to help Cora Lee get ready dinner for for eleven: Claire/Greg, (Brisbane); kathleen/Steve, (Melbourne); Flamin'/Sarge and their friends, Heather/Bob, (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia); Chloë and her parents. People started arriving around 6:00 pm and we had some tasty cheeses with crackers and all sorts of wine. Everyone visited with everyone and Sarge helped Cora Lee bbq salmon while she was putting finishing touches to roast potatoe dish and fresh aspargus she was serving. I made a large Greek salad with both Feta and fried Haloumi.

Meal was wonderful and we had loads of fun continuing to chat/visit over the course of dinner. After everyone had a chance for seconds, or even thirds, I suggested we each describe the earliest childhood memory we could remember. Initially, met with much opposition but once a few people spoke it was simply amazing to hear what folks had remembered. SOme people didn't even want to stop a one memory! Aside from anything else, it was hilarious to hear certain spouses say to one another: "You never told me that!"  Great good fun indeed.

For dessert, Coriandre had made some fresh apple sauce, using the wonderful apples Peter had brought from Naramata last week. Topped with ice cream it was terribly delicious, as you might imagine. Party broke up around 10:00 as everyone had a busy day. Claire and Greg were off to Victoria while F/S, H/B were driving to Seattle for weekend, to attend a Seahawks game on Sunday. K/S are only here until next Wednesday so they have numerous relatives to visit, other friends to socialize with before they are flying home. Thanking everyone for lovely wine contributions, we bade our guests goodnight.

Cora Lee watched an episode of Breaking Bad, (I did dishes while she watched as I am ahead of her by almost five episodes!), and then we both went to bed as it had been a long full day.


Yes, Harvest is over officially today. We should be recovered by the time you get here. You now say the 27th? I thought you were coming in for two days on the 29th and 30th? That would work best for us. Are you saying you may be a day earlier? If so the 28th and 29th would work also. I need a drink tonight :-), after a trying Harvest............Dave



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