I-5 to The Stage Stop Inn Blues: Thursday, December 28th!

I will not play at tug o' war. / I'd rather play at hug o' war, / Where everyone hugs instead of tugs. -Shel Silverstein, writer (1930-1999)

Patrick James Dunn Healthy New Year to Famiglia Sutherland from Williams, California! Just back from dinner with a 2014 Coffaro Petit Verdot as corkage at Granzella's, now working on another Coffaro, 2015 Zinfandel. Will stop by winery tomorrow, to collect more hoothc and then into Berkeley to stay with Nancita and Cactus, before making for Tinsel Town! Cheers! Healthy New Year to Famiglia Sunshine Valley Fondestos to our favourite dual cabin owners! This morning in Portland with Marilyn, [The real one!], and Mike. Cheers! 

Hi Guys, Hope you had a safe and more comfortable drive today (as opposed to yesterday). I checked our airline info. for Hawaii. We leave crack of dawn on Feb 27. You are welcome to stay here Feb 24, but I would like to be free to get my ducks in a row and everything taken care of without house guests the nights of the 25th and 26th. We will be back on March 8th if you'd like to stop in Oregon after we get home. I hope that works for you. Enjoy your trip. As Patrick says, Fondestos Marilyn Hi Marilyn Just arrived in Williams. Lots of traffic but roads good. Thanks for the heads up re dates. Will let you know what’s up in later in Feb. Thanks so much for your wonderful meals. Hugs Corinne Hello Digitale and Fingare! Let me echo Lady Dar's thanks for your fabulous, fabulous hospitality and genuine friendship. Just back from dinner, with a 2014 Coffaro Petit Verdot as corkage, at Granzella's, now working on another Coffaro, 2015 Zinfandel, in our motel room, The Stage Stop Inn, luxury, sheer luxury! Take care of each other until we see you next. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Arrivederci Burns Street! High Life on Skyline! Motel Blues!

Hi Linda and Zircon! Trust you are both well! Lovely to see you on Christmas Day, Linda. Healthy New Year to you both, Cheers, Patrizzio!

HI Patrick: Many thanks for the email and great pictures. Yes the only grizzly bear(s) left in California is the one on the state flag! I hope Canada can do better, which I guess has been most of my career. Your schedule sounds full as always and it was good that you included a picture of you relaxing with a book and a cat…..if I hadn’t seen this I would have assumed that you never relaxed. Your life sounds very busy and like the old rocker from Winnipeg (Neil Young) said…” It’s better to burn out than rust”. 

I will certainly try to get down your way sometime in 2018 and it would be great to visit and catch up on life etc. I will make sure I call first as you may be in some other place on the globe. I have been doing some international bear work in both Norway and Sweden and I have been asked to go Mongolia (Gobi Desert) this spring where there are only 23 Gobi bears left on the planet. However the spring is my busy capture season here and it is a juggling act to get everything done each year.

After leaving Winnipeg in 1980 I got a job working on polar bears in the arctic (and many other species) and I spent 15 years moving around the NWT and seeing parts of our country that are truly amazing. It was a good time but a job for a young single person. I moved down to Alberta (the tropics) in 1993 and have lived in Hinton since that time. First I worked for a forest company which I hated and then found a job back working on grizzly bears and have managed to stick with this and I hope I can hang on until I retire in 2020.
 

My mom is still in Winnipeg but doing poorly at age 93 she has poor hearing, no mobility, poor eyesight and is in a care home. Overall she is lonely and is done with life which I can see. I don’t want to end up in that situation so I, like you, will try to keep active and busy and live life to the fullest each day. I have attached a few photos for you and best wishes to you and Corrine for 2018 and safe travels. Best personal regards Gord Hi Goils! This from a "young" friend I used to play handball with in Winnipeg in the early '70's! Good choice of a card Patrick. We wish you safe travels and warm weather which is not in abundance anywhere in BC! We are at -12 with lots of wind - burrrrrr. Happy New Year to you and Corinne wherever you are on the night of the 31st.
Dawn and Gerry

Hi Pat, Corinne, just a quick email to say happy holidays and hope you both are doing well and are enjoying the season. I am always thankful for have met you both and for the influence you have had on my life, which is infinitely worth more than all of Pat's whiskey I've had over the years. You're amazing and generous people and I see you both as people I can turn to when I don't know which turn to make in life (despite Pat's claims that he does not give "advice")
Take care, hope to see you soon and have a great new year's!! Love, VL

Hi Victor, thanks for the lovely message. We are on our way to LA. Driving down to see Ayn and the boys for New Years and then flying to Costa Rica for a month. Will be home sometime in late February. We had a quiet Christmas with Chloe and one other guest. Chloe has moved to Penticton and has a job as a strata manager. She is looking after the house and cats while we travel.
What are you up to?? Hugs Corinne Hello Swedish Twins! Trust you are both well. Unlike Victorious, but probably Patrizzio, The Younger and More Handsome, I assume, Chloë, is in fact, freezing to death in Penticton, or so she claims in her messages! (How are you and Jo doing, Patrizzio The Younger? Have you set up dinners with him when I visit in June?) Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Until next our paths cross, all the best, dear, dear friends. Take care of yourselves. Cheers, Patrizzio The Older and Wiser and Non-Dispenser of Advice!

Hello Patrick and Corrin: Thank you so much for the lovely card. We've got quite a bit of snow here now. Hope you are enjoying some warmer weather down south. All the Very Best for 2018. Cheers and Hugs from Von Bingen Hi Von Bingen! Trust you are as well as can be expected, given the fact that you live in The Arctic! Thanks for the good wishes. Really having a fabulous time. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Von Bingen Take care of yourself and we'll look forward to seeing you when back! Cheers, Patrizzio! We wish you the best for next year as well. Terry and Mary Thank you for your Christmas ecard !! I was away for 5 days in Palm Springs so missed seeing it until today! All the Best to you and your family Patrizzio! Hello DMCI People! We'll be in Palm Desert day after we return to Tinsel Town, Joan. Thanks for best wishes.Fondestos from her, to you both! Cheers, Patrizzio