Grassland, Art and Politics of Cannabis Blues: Friday, March 24th!

Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016)

Lady Dar was off to PGH, at 7:40 am, for her regular volunteer shift, from 8:00 am-12:00 noon, so it is just me and the rascal cats for most of the day as Info Desk Woman is playing Mah Jong in the early afternoon. Such is the life of a Single Parent Pet Owner! 

Happy birthday, David Suzuki! The world is a better place with you in it.

The environmentalist turned 81 today!

Dear Patrizzzzzzzioooo, I know exactly how you are, because I just cannot walk around all the email stories you send us! Good for you and glad to hear you are alive and kicking. Do Jos and me a favor please and send us your photo series again of our fun Jazz night at Zias. For some odd reason I cannot find them anymore. Thank you! Cheers, Aart & Jossefos

Buongiorno Aarturo! Glad you are stalking me, if only virtually! Thought of you both on Monday when I made my first ride, of the season, to Summeria, to Crescent Beach. This evening we re going to attend the #Grassland Exhibition Opening at the Penticton Art Gallery. It starts at 7:00 pm and we'd be delighted if you are free and would like to join us. Cash bar but otherwise no charge. I know it is rather short notice but better late than never! If Josinta is playing Maj Jong, as is Lady Dar, why not arrange to come for dinner beforehand, and we can catch-up, Face à Face, other than virtually! Anyway, let us know and we'll plan accordingly! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Computer Guru! Certainly appreciate your comments on my "computer situation", even if you continue to chastise me for my image file size! In fact, I ended up talking to Tracey Douglas, at UBC Library Systems, on Tuesday, and she told me that Silverlight is not really supported by latest version of Firefox. However, she very kindly supplied me with the following link to Firefox ESR 52:

<https://support.mozilla.org/t5/Firefox/silverlight/td-p/1372680>

the "patch" which will be the stop-gap measure until various browser developers build in, to their own products, the necessary plug-ins without having recourse to such third-party solutions as Silverlight. This according to Tracey, coming soon, if I understood correctly. Not something to do with "choked" mail or allotted space, (Plenty of room left and I monitor it regularly!), it would seem. That being said, I would certainly appreciate a tutorial on MacMail 101 and configurazzzzzzzzine help!

 

How was your ride along the ABC? Gather you won't be cycling for next week or so, given rain Vancouver is having. Must away as I needs attend to list of chores left by Her Most Royal Imperiousness, She Who Must Be Obeyed, before she flounced out the door! Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: For Juno, from her cousins! Cushion Boy yesterday afternoon! Miss Etta foraging tonight's dinner, (ours), in kitchen this morning! Duke actually picked it up, off the counter, and dropped it on the floor! They make a great tag-team!

Hi Patrick, Thanks for the photos! I'm glad to hear you had a great visit. I can't believe Duke is sleeping in the sink - what a goofball! Leah Hi Leah! Glad you enjoyed the snaps. In fact, Duke doesn't actually sleep in the sink but rather waits for me to finish brushing my teeth, waiting for me to floss. As soon as I take a length out of the holder he tries to bat the floss way and I have to stand well back from the counter or risk being clawed in the lips! Once I've finished I play with him and he goes wild chasing it on the small rug we have in bathroom. He has learned to grasp it in his mouth but simply cannot fathom why it keeps slipping away. He never gives up, however, so he has me howling with laughter at his never-ending efforts!

[Hello PAG Folk! Just a quick note to thank you all for the wonderful opening/reception of Grassland. All the best. Cheers, Patrizzio!] 
 
We also play "soccer", most often in the morning, when I'm making the bed. I use a crumpled paper ball and throw it from our bedroom out into the living room. He races after it, picks it up in his mouth and then gallops back to the bed, dropping it near my outstretched hand. I call him "puppy" as he really is an incredible retriever. I proceed to tell him what a clever boy he is, rub his tummy and process starts all over again. He'd play "fetch" all day if I would! All the best. Cheers, Patrizzio!

It has been a while since we had breakfast together. So, here are the details: Date: Wednesday, March 29th Time: 0800 Place: Shades on Main, 1909 main Street, Penticton We can accommodate a maximum of 30 people. So, please email me soon and let me know if you are planning to attend, and how many. Once I hit 30 names, I am afraid I will have no choice but to close the list. Cheers, Jim Hi James! I'd like to attend but since I've not been hiking, of late, please consider those active members before me. That being said, I do hope there will be room. Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrick—I’m exhausted just reading about head-winds, etc. … and maybe from a particularly energetic spin class this a.m. I was next to a young woman who was a stranger to me (although, apparently, she knows the instructor very well and comes often to the p.m. classes) and a bit of a fanatic. She’s in training for some Gran Fondo-type ride in Alberta later this spring. She managed in a little over an hour to put 29.5 km on her bike and to burn nearly 400 Calories. The latter stat is not too too out of reach (even for me) but the distance travelled was! If I make 18 km in the approximately 55 minutes that we’re actually spinning, that’s a really good ride for me.
 

I’m on my own for today and up till supper tomorrow as Peter is in Williams Lake via Vancouver doing whatever it is he does! I’m supposed to be gathering info for the accountant for our tax returns. If I thought we were getting a refund I’d be more enthusiastic. However, I expect we’ll end up owing a bunch as Petey had more work last year than I’d anticipated when I was setting up the tax payments. Oh well … you don’t have to pay a lot of taxes if you don’t have a lot of income, eh?

What are your travel and/or visitor commitments over the next few weeks? We’d like to get together to catch up—chez nous or out somewhere? Our calendar looks to be open next week. P’s next trip is to Nova Scotia, leaving on April 2 and returning April 4 or 5. We’re both around for the rest of that week, and then I am going to the Island and Vancouver the next week. Hope there’s a time in there we can connect. Cheers to you both, and hugs. Lynnie

Hi Exhausto Energetic Spin Class Woman! In fact, I'm impressed with your workout pace! My "target"base rate is 20 kph, (often not achieved, depending on dratted head wind, of course), and your own is roughly the same. Onward! Fight! I'm hoping to take a look at our taxes this weekend, especially since you mentioned your own endeavours in this respect.  

We'd love to see you both. Lady Dar is just back from her regular volunteer shift at  PGH and she suggested you come for dinner on Sunday if you are free. If not, then any night, from Thursday on, next week, would be fine. Let us know and we'll plan accordingly. Chat soon. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks again for hosting us. It was a nice little getaway for both of us. I will write down the book suggestions, as we are always on the look out for something new and different. Our book club has already done Captain Corelli's Mandolin and enjoyed the read and discussion that followed. Your cats are adorable. I can't wait for Rick to meet them. They were very charming little creatures. Your cats are adorable. I can't wait for Rick to meet them. They were very charming little creatures.

Hi Little White! As soon as I read your message about our kittens I realized that I had not included the two snaps I meant to attach to earlier message to Leah, et al! As well, here are a couple of other titles. Cheers, Patrizzio!


Pics: Earlier this morning Duke dropped a partially chewed rubber band at my feet as I was at my computer. He simply loves them and had taken this one from drain board where I'd left it to dry! I think he's planning to make a slingshot so that he can pick off the Quail when in flight! Clever, clever boy! Siblings at rest: With light rain today, they tend to curl up together on couch in Rumpus Room for first sleep of the day. Etta gave Duke a good wash before their nap! Such an attentive sister! 

Hi Anne and Kurt! Trust everyone is well by now! I somehow managed to misplace your Christmas letter and just re-read it when sorting through my accumulated messages. Condolences on the death of your father, Anne. Also distressed to learn that you had been afflicted with Chickungunya. Don't think I'd heard of this before. Sounded very nasty so I trust you have fully recovered. Congratulations on your retirement and on Kurt's soon to realized freedom from work! Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. All the very best. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello POB's, (Print Oriented Babes)! These two titles just in from Dame Judith. I'd like to read both. We can decide at next gathering, along with any other suggestions that might be put forward. Lady Dar bumped into Jake and he claims he is far too, too busy to join our group, so Robertito, we need your manly presence! Michelle will be away for next meeting but she is a "contenda"! Cheers, Patrizzio! For the feline lovers and book readers everywhere:

Equation for calculating bliss:

      C   S
B = - + -
      L   T

Where C=cat, L=lap, S=strong light, and T=tome.