Me Jane Giggster Blues: Wednesday, November 12th!

Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (1840-1917)

Language is the archives of history. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

Dear Sub-Zero Naramatians! Is Naramata a colony of Mars? Seems Martians would be right at home with similar temperatures to ones at home. I suppose all those sightings of Le Cigare Volante were true rather than being the DT ravings of Upper Bench plonk drinkers. Is your Regional District considering similar legislation to the French: "Bonny Doon's Le Cigare Volant (the Flying Cigar) named after the 1954 law in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC prohibiting flying saucers from traveling over the region's vineyards."Are you now making Ice Wine? Weather report, (Earlier this morning, on CBC, read by the ghost of Jian Ghomeshi, so it must be true!), says Okanagan is in the grip of another Polar Vortex. I assume, if you are not cryogenically preserved by then, you will be attending Kevin's malt tasting on the 25th. Perhaps I should cycle up, just in case, the better to protect our investment, lest The Iceman not Cometh! Anyway, certainly enjoyed all the snaps of latest harvest. Must be great to have such a knockout for a supervisor. Wouldn't mind having her breathing down my neck!!!

Must apologize for not being in touch sooner. Again, my standard rationalization: No excuses but plenty of reasons! Roger The Dodger, Flamin's' brother, back in Dartmouth, posted the picture I have attached, on Facebook.
Flamin' and Sarge are in Maui with The Millionaires, as I scribe. They left last Friday, before I was back at The Islay Inn so I didn't see them to wish them Bon Voyage, and will be there for two weeks, The Millionaires for six weeks! I think they both needed the rest, ironically, Flamin' more so than Sarge.


Trust you folk are sitting in front of your gorgeous fireplace, snuggling and sipping mulled wine. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Darrow medal; Le Cigare Volant.

Dear Bletchley Park Cryptographer! You should probably work for MI5 as your message is "As clear as mud but it covered the ground/And the confusion made me head go round!", as Harry Belafonte would sing at Carnegie Hall! Ferry might be cancelled again but "should be good for a visit to the Islay Inn tonight." In the event of high winds and low tides I assume you might be using the more than handy-dandy, one-size-fits-all Doppelganger-Snorkell-Fluggenheimers to cross the Salish Sea. Is this correct or have you imbibed far too, too much porch climber to know what you are saying? In any event we will be waiting, with rations of rum, for the sea swept survivors, which you can knock back on the patio. This way you can turn around almost immediately and tuck yourselves into a working girl's bed in plenty of time to catch much needed rest after what I am sure was an exhausting long weekend!

Michele Darrow-Sutherland

Evening sunset at Wailea !! Fantastic evening !

• 

  Patrick James Dunn Where are the drinks with tiny umbrellas?

With respect to the NRBC, I think it better to postpone until January. At least this way, it will give the non-readers more time not to finish the book as well as plan.  Pre-Christmas is always fraught with busy schedules.

Look forward to meeting Me-Jane unless she really is a figment of your fevered imagination! In the event that you do manage to visit, with her, I have already compiled a questionnaire, in a pre-addressed, self-stamped envelope, which La tua donna in carriera can take away and complete at her leisure! At any rate, I think I will like Jane quite a bit as I often find myself in "Circumstances Well Beyond My Control!" Cheers, Il Conduttore! Pic: Glasgow with one of the three Swedish Masseuses!

Dear Bard of Islay, Regret to say, Ms Jane is unwell. I may have worked her too hard on the farm. She has s cold coming on. Can you or your long suffering parter, Ms. C. decode that message? Could we try again tomorrow? Is that cryptic enough? W

 
Hello Cruel Absentee Landlord! You should certainly know by now that using The Sisterhood as serfs is nothing but a frustraneous exercise in forced labour. Better to get mule deer to till your garden soil. Sorry to hear that Jane is under the weather. Rub her chest with Vicks VapoRub and then have her guzzle two litres of hot porch climber and she'll be right as rain. If not, have her take two aspirin and call Glasgow in the morning! (THIS IS NOT CODE! THIS IS THE LAST RESORT!!)
 

[Patrick James Dunn Simply wonderful! Thanks for passing these images along! Still hope for POB's, Print Oriented Bastards!] 

Tomorrow would be fine but we are off to hear Alan Doyle at Waterfront at 7:30 pm so probably need to leave by 7:00 pm to obtain decent seats. If Jane is feeling well enough, pop by after school, unless still bed-ridden, or you could, if you wish, drop by during the day. Are you up for a ride? Perhaps we could do that. Let me know and we'll plan accordingly. We'll be in all evening so you can call if you are not too, too busy mopping fevered foreheads and feeding mouthfuls of chicken soup. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Dear Elly Electric and Hatless Antonio! Terribly sorry to hear the sad saga of the disappearing hats and the faulty infrastructure wiring! Must apologize for not being in touch sooner. Again, my standard rationalization: No excuses but plenty of reasons! Had barely divested ourselves of the Brisbanites when VWF started and social merry-go-round has never stopped since then. Not complaining, mind! 

Must way as I have numerous errandos to run and want to take my Brodie, errand bike, for a ride out to UBC, before discharging my domestic duties. Yes, it does seem like aeons since all our favourite Queenslanders were here. Keep in touch as we might need to borrow some of your unused superannuation!!! (Not Joking!) Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Laura! Trust you are well. Must apologize for not being in touch sooner. Is Henning still around? Any chance we could arrange a meeting? Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Pat & Corinne, do u want to meet w us (Yda, Arni, Henning & I) for Dim Sum at Floata at 11am Nov 23/ Sun)? Laura:) Hi Laura: Date and time are fine with us. Is this the restaurant at 400-180 Keefer Street? Please confirm. Look forward to seeing everyone. Cheers, Patrizzio! Chloe: You are welcome to join us if interested/available! When is this? Sunday, November 23rd, 11:00 am, at Floata. Cheers, Dad! will be in Toronto but have fun! Hi Jet Setter! I forgot it was that weekend! You have fun. I hope you are feeling better. Your Mother mentioned you felt you were catching a cold. Drink plenty of hot rum with lemon! Love, Dad!

Can you please give me the following peoples info: Thanks D Hi Pushy Tree Lot Woman! Hope this helps! Love and Cheers, Dad!

Dear Cornish Patient! Troubled to learn that you have been afflicted with such a horrible bug but heartened to know you seem well on the mend. Not surprised that you succumbed as I'm sure with all the things happening around the sale of Sydney House and the decisions over the new build in Truro, your poor immune system must have been working overtime. At any rate, do take care of yourself. Glad that your doctor is reluctant to dispense antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Have heard that profession is really just learning, or admitting, how many clinical diseases from asthma to obesity to Crohn's to autism can be traced to overuse/lack of resistance, etc. Another disturbing finding is that Caesarean births, at least in North America, can be traced to these same, and other diseases. It seems that when a child is born, naturally, the mother passes along all the "good" bacteria in her system, to the newborn's skin and other mucous membranes, thus providing immunities to many diseases. This process is circumvented with Caesarean births, for the most part, at least. I plan to hang out my shingle tomorrow, changing The Island Inn sign to Doctor Dunn, Internist Specializing in Malt Therapy!

Your new/old place sounds delightful if a lot of work. Don't overtax yourself trying to do everything right away. I'm sure I'm not the only one telling you this. Enjoy your cruise to Bruges. From the sound of it you will be busy with visitors and travelling from now until right into 2015!

Still don't have my Trek back so I went over to the gym this afternoon and did two hours on the elliptical at FCCC across the way. Quite like this machine and I think it fits nicely with cycling as it mirrors the same muscle groups I use, more or less, when I stand up in the saddle climbing hills. Cora Lee was along as well. She uses the stationary bike to warm up on and then uses the gym, upstairs, to use light weights and do other stretching exercises. We are quite fortunate to have such a well equipped gym but five minutes, if that, away.

Home to shower and change and then we enjoyed a wonderful stir fry, courtesy of Cora Lee, with bison sausages, while we watched two episodes of Endeavour, the young Morse. Quite exciting as last episode is a real cliffhanger with Morse actually in The Clink and Thursday in hospital, perhaps dying on the operating table. Have you watched this series? We both hope there will be more episodes even though we know Morse must eventually prevail. Not sure about Thursday, that being said.

Well, time for bed and book. Fondestos from Coriandre to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Some of the wineries we visited: Martinelli and Hop Kiln in Sonoma; new motto for our book club; last three are in Calaveras County, home of Mark Twain's Jumping Frog story. Actually stayed at a motel there, in Angel's Camp, of the same name, with Flash. Met Ania and Gerry when waiting to check in at the Registration Desk. Invited them back to our room for a bottle of Latcham Barbera and we went out to diner, at a diner, in town, afterwards! Good time was had by all and we became good friends, until 2012!