First Winter Market & Soup Bowl Blues: Saturday, November 10th!

 The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief ... that the forces which move the stars and atoms are contingent upon the preferences of the human heart. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974)

Good morning Patrizzio & Corinne, thank you for the delightful evening. Corinne, you are a gracious hostess, with a beautifully set table and delicious seafood lasagne .... The appies on seaweed are something I will incorporate into my own entertaining of friends & family. And your new kitchen/dining area: wow!
We were very impressed with Clara, (definitely a role model for getting older). And Patrizzio, it was a lively discussion (as always) about our mutual travel adventures and the concept of Proportional Representation. We look forward to seeing you both over the Holiday Season. from the Benches of Naramata, Carol & Tom Hoenisch P.S. Corinne would it be possible to have your recipe for the seafood lasagne, it was fabulous! Lady Di! Send the recipe! Love and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello to The Benches of Naramata, The Summits of Summerland, Slovakia, Vancouver and The Sunshine Girls! As those of you in far flung places will tell, from attached pictures, we had our First Annual European Bike Trip Reunion! Grand evening indeed! Thanks for the lovely flowers, Carol and Tom, and thanks for the scrumptious dessert, Judy and Jim! Lady Dar still has the bouquet on the table and it should last for some time if Duke stops chomping on the petals, when not reading with Rosita! Rosie-the-Riveter, [Lady Dar's very, very difficult, demanding mother, with extravagant tastes, to boot, here, from Winnipeg, for six interminable weeks.], is moaning about the fact that there is no dessert left and she'd like me to drop her off in Summerland for more! She wants to stay for the rest of her time so I'm happy to do so! Thanks as well for the wine from both couples. Very generous indeed.
 

Trust everyone else is well. We look forward to having as many of you visit The Okanagan, sooner, rather than later, to have a full-scale reunion! Fondest from Lady Dar, [Far more pleasant, according to last night' guests, than I made her out to be!], and Grumpy Rosie to one and all. Until next our paths cross stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: Thomasino, Lady Dar will certainly send along her lasagna recipe. Delighted that you liked it and the appetizers so much. Pics: Duke on runner, [waiting for bouquet], and then reading with Rosita. Late last night, with Etta, waiting for noisy guests to leave! Hip Hip Hooray for Katarina! 

thank you so much for the amazing dinner. It was nice to meet your family and we had an awesome time! Loved your house and will be taking your appetizer idea! Very gracious of you both to have us, and we had a wonderful time.  See you soon, hopefully apex!  thanks again so much! Judy Hello Summerlandia!
Lovely to see you both and glad you enjoyed yourselves. We certainly did. I had a note from one of the Sunshine Girls, Patricia, after I sent her the snapolas, and, unfortunately, she still suffers from swollen legs which she attributes to the bike trips. At any rate, she also had a wonderful trip to Utah so obviously soldiering on. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks for the news and pics. I bet you are still biking up a storm. I found the biking a bit too much for me with Katrina so am taking it much easier back on my own turf. I still get swollen legs frequently which began with our bike trips…..I’m hoping to have them back in shape to at least ski this winter. I just returned from Utah. What a land! Wide open spaces with mind blowing canyons to feast your eyes on. You’ve likely been there but if not it’s wonderful. Have a good winter, Patricia Hi Patricia!

Lovely to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your swollen legs but trust they will improve so that you can swoop down the slopes! No, unfortunately, we have not visited Utah, other than to land in the airport at Salt Lake City for a transfer, so hope to make a driving trip to the state at some point. Must away as I need some kindling. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hi Patrick, How are you feeling? Corinne mentioned that you were scheduled for hernia surgery and hip replacement. All going well? I’m sending Reiki and healing energy. Love, Agneta  

Hi Agneta! Thank you for your concern and healing energy! I'm fine as day surgery to repair two small hernias went well. Postponed right shoulder replacement, (not hip surgery), until mid-March, next year, as after my hospitalization in Berlin, for pneumonia, I felt I wouldn't present myself as fit as possible for that operation, originally scheduled for July 26th. Stay well. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Agneta, and Rosita, about to bake muffins! Hello to any of the folks I might know in Guyabitos. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrizzio! Nice to hear from you and all about your latest escapades! Great pics of Carol and Tom too, and of course you! Just got in from a bike ride to the Legion for Remembrance Day ceremonies! Still good biking weather down here! No snow anywhere in sight so won’t be switching to skis anytime soon! How about everyone else? Still biking? Cheers Merrily 
 

Hello Patrizzio, Happy to hear that you had a successful reunion. I was hoping to travel to your part of the woods but didn’t quite make it. You’ll have to come visit here on the Sunshine coast sometime and we can have a reunion at this end of the universe. Have been very busy doing lots of hiking and some cycling. Just returned from a day of hiking up Mt Elphinstone, which is 3400’ of elevation gain and a good workout. Hope you have a good winter and hope to see you sometime. Really have fond memories of our trip and enjoyed your energy and conversations. Lorraine

Hi Laura Ashley and Sweet Lorraine! Lovely to hear from you both and know that you, Merrily, are biking to the Legion, [Not for beer, I hope!], and that you, Lorraine, are scaling Mount Elphinstone! Bravo! Onward! Upward! For my part, after I'd spent much of the morning and early afternoon answering emails and splitting kindling, I suited up and headed out just before 2:00 pm. It was another brisk, bright day, the wind fairly strong out of the North at around 17 kph, although no whitecaps on the lake as I rode along Lakeshore. 
 

Decided I'd spend my time dipsy-doodling on my tried and true route along Riverside and then various loops within loops on Power, Dynes and Burnaby before finishing off around SOEC, using Westminster, Creston and Vernon for the distance I wanted before heading home. Was pleasantly warm for the entire ride so no complaints about the temperature, [7.2º C/45º F], as my fingers were well insulated in my "intermediate" coolish weather gloves. Streets were pretty quiet for most of the outing although traffic picked up after 4:00 pm but I was back home by 4:45 pm and didn't even need my LED light although I had taken off my sunnies an hour earlier as sun had gone behind the hills by then and many of the streets were in deep shadow. Weather looks promising into next week so hoping to head to Naramata and OK Falls for coming rides. Map and Stats for ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3155426430#.W-j_vOi5tec.email  

Both Lady Dar and I would love to visit your neck of the universe but I think such a trip won't happen until the coming of Spring, given what else is going on in our lives. At any rate, I'll keep in touch and look forward to a riotous reunion with The Sunshine Goils! Until next our paths cross, stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio!
PS: Which email address do you prefer Sweet Lorraine?

Free Solo:https://youtu.be/urRVZ4SW7WU Hi Adrenalin Junkie!! Wow! What an achievement! Hard to watch although, rationally, I suspected he made ascent! Back in 2004, at the end of September, we planned to go over Tioga Pass into Death Valley but road was closed due to a snow storm. On way out of Yosemite we drove past El Capitan and I was awed by it just looking up, never mind scaling the face! Until next our paths cross in he High Sierras, or elsewhere, stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio!