It's a Marvellous Day at the Moose Hut Blues: Saturday, January 26th!

In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take. -Adlai Stevenson, statesman (5 Feb 1900-1965)

Penny Doorbar What a lovely pic! Talk about chip off the old block! Xx Patrick James Dunn Thanks, Duhlink. Here's another snap of the aged block! Cheers to you and Madcap!!!

Hello Aventistas! Pleased to hear you finally made it to the beach! How was Los Ayla? Still remember that terrific young rock band from there. Guess you'll have a few days on your own after Olga Polga leaves. Hike on Monday and then bridge at Ann Brown's place.

Had a fairly rough morning today as El Diablo wanted out at 5:00 am but not Miss Etta so I felt I had to leave the Rumpus Room door open in case she decided to go outside after a munch or two. Of course, Duke was back by just after 6:00 am and so I lumbered out of bed to give them a small dish of pumpkin and then I repaired to bed. Shortly after 7:00 am the Wild Horses started fighting in the bedroom and then Duke started batting things around on the fireplace mantle there. Had had enough so I picked him up and put him outside the front door and then shooed Miss Etta into Rumpus Room, closing door behind, wanting to be left alone at last! Slept until 9:45 am and when I looked into Rumpus Room Etta just yawned, from my hip cushion, but Duke gave me an extremely hurt look from the office chair. "How could you treat us so?

Carol Riera Love the cat stories. I’m with Duke. How could you? Patrick James Dunn Listen, Chooch, you wake up at 5:00 am each work day you are selling real estate and he is sleeping contentedly! Carol Riera Patrick yeah, it kind of bugged me that you were sleeping in til 9:45. I still side with Duke. 🐾😂
Patrick James Dunn You non-retirees are such weasel whiners! Keep the economy going, Chooch, we need our CPP and OA. Sell those houses as I need more malt!!!] At any rate, I busied myself for the coming snowshoe outing to Apex. Chloë said she would be here by 11:00 am but  was after 11:30 am before she arrived. Kittens had settled down by then and changed usual places in our bedroom, Duke on chair, Etta on blanket on bed.

Was quite foggy as we made our way towards Apex, up Green Mountain Road, but well before we reached Shingle Creek Road sky was blue as blue could be and sun was beaming down on us. Very, very busy in the Village, given weather and weekend but we found a spot in the parking lot without having to drive around for but a few minutes. Chloë did up my boot laces after I stepped into the boots themselves, already latched into my snowshoes. Once she was in her own we walked a short distance to the start of the Forestry Service Road and we were on our way.

Road runs parallel, gradually downhill, along Keremeos Creek. People snowmobile here so the going was very easy. Trail remained this way once we crossed Keremeos Creek itself, heading up a fairly long, steepish hill. At least Chloë found it so! Given that she hasn't been to spin classes or doing as much KVR walking of late, she found the climb quite taxing. Nevertheless, she persevered and once we reached the top of this grade we left the logging road to head off into the forest. Nobody had been here recently so the trial was drifted over but one could still discern it. Going became a bit slower here as I needed to break the trail, something I'd never done before on any of the outings with hiking group. The more experienced and competent do that so it was fun to be "breaking new ground" so to speak. Not all that difficult as trail is set and new snow was not all deep, unlike some of the more recent outings I've been on.

Anyway, Chloë really enjoyed this part of the route as the beauty of the snow encrusted trees and the wonderful quiet were nothing short of magical. She took over going ahead after a bit and did very well indeed. Was happy to find that the huge tree trunk I'd encountered when first on this trial had since been chainsawed to make trail passable. On that occasion I had to take a short but steep detour around it as trunk was so low that it was easier, for me, at least, to go around rather than under it.

Wasn't long before we were at the Moose Hut itself and took a short break to enjoy a couple of the delicious corn muffins Chloë had made earlier that morning. Return went well until it was time to start the uphill climb along the logging road. Chloë was quite tired by then and her right hip was starting to bother her so she had to stop every so often to catch her breath. About a kilometre from parking lot she decided to take off her snowshoes and found that by so doing her hip was less of a problem. Back at the car just a few minutes shy of four hours for round-trip so a pretty good outing.  Couldn't have asked for better weather and temperature. Had my lobsters along but never wore them and there was little if any wind for most of the trek.
 

Not much traffic on road  home so I was back at Burns just after 5:00 pm. Chloë wanted to go straight home as we both wanted hot showers. She was also going to spend the evening with Beckster as Kid Chelene was on shift tonight. Etta and Duke were pleased to see me and kept me company in the bathroom as I showered, both on the shelving under different parts of the counter top! Etta is now in the Rumpus Room and Duke is waiting for my lap when I will be watching more Dogs of Berlin! What a grand day. Plan to try the Vista trail out of Snowflake next time. Will have to start charging for guide services! Fondestos to one and all and much Love to my sorely missed Lady Dar. Cheers, Moose Hut Man Patrizzio! Pics: Album includes quite a few snaps that Chloë took. Felines before we left this morning.
 
Hi Snowshoe Shutterbug! Thanks! I'll send along album once I've had a chance to add them to ones I took. Love and Cheers, Dad! Maggie Carr So much fun playing in the snow you two!! You go Patrrizio!

Patrick James Dunn Wonderful outing indeed! How are you doing, Maggie? Maggie Carr Well trying anyway. Yin Yoga & stationary recumbent bike 30 mins 4-5 x a week. Hoping soon to amp it up to 2x a day. I get out with friends lots for coffee/brekkie or lunch & feed my consignment shopping habit too, which my budget loves! It’s a typical island winter here with lots of grey & rain but so far, touch wood (easy to do, lol!!) no snow like last winter! Spring isn’t far off with crocuses & daffodils already beginning to burst through the ground. I’m not able to do much walking as still have the fallen foot problem but brace & orthotics help. Sad to say, gone are the days of pretty shoes. It’s mainly supportive runners with every outfit, occasionally boots!! Frank is back to pickleball & busy as Strata Maintenance Director!! And I thought he was busy when he was President the year before. It’s like a job!

Hello Recumbent Bike Woman! Onward! Loads of friends here who are pickleball fanatics as well. Had an interesting link from Jake Snyder, [United/UW grad, in Mexico for most of winter], so thought you might enjoy seeing video. I recognized many people, both profs and students, so quite a time trip!

Dear Class of 1968 and/or Resident Alumnus, Here’s the link to the Change and Challenge film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3dQfF_bRpUQ, the short movie that was shown before we set out on the Campus Tour. Stay well. Fondestos, Patrizzio! Thx for this, P! Talk about a trip down memory lane. I recognized a few students & profs even though I graduated in 1967. Boy, has life ever progressed since this film!!! Maggie

Hi Patrice, I appreciate the life coaching re house selling, downsizing etc. . At this point I still want to have a foothold in town, have a viable shop to either create metal art/furniture or facilitate some film work. Recently I have had some work for some props people I have gotten to know (a former co worker referred them to me) which is highly viable given I am able to charge them a flat day rate but knock the jobs off sometimes in a few hours or better still while I am working on another project. This works into my work less enjoy life program nicely and hopefully will garner more work by word of mouth.

The place I showed you is technically not much larger all though it does have a couple more small bedrooms. We have not really had a dedicated office area and our laptops languish on the kitchen table having to move them when we all want to sit down for dinner etc. This place would have room for a dedicated office and guest quarters as well as place to keep my two cars which currently reside on the westside and rarely get to use them as a result. I agree with you that a less cluttered life and more travel is a great thing and this scenario is not that per se but some benefits to it are having some more elbow room, a ready made shop and ample room for other things where I have squeezed every last square inch out of this place and it has still been a bit cramped. I am thinking this is more of a transitional phase as I still want to be in town to see my Mom and keep contact with the film world for a while yet. It would also be nice to enjoy tinkering with and driving the vintage vehicles for a while.

If we find a place of this size is too much we will either just rent it out to students or perhaps Colleen’s sister or the boys and we can have a place in town and go back and forth. Although I do love the Okanagan and would love nothing more than to be closer to you guys to be able to spend more time it is just a bit of a stretch right now. Maybe in a few more years it will become a more viable scenario. Until then I /we will try and get up there more than we have been. Nothing is carved in stone at this point and not quite sure where this will go, we did retain a real estate agent who was recommended to us by Craig Muskeyn who you may remember is married to Sharon from VPL and who worked in business
 

In a bizzare set of coincidences, it turns out that the owners of the place we were interested in in Coquitlam have a place in the Sunshine Valley and two boys! They also posted a picture of their two sons down at the river by our cabin as they were in the Valley the day we looked at their place!. On top of that it turns out that the real estate agent happens to Jesse’s best friend Liam’s uncle, Dan McCArthy . Liam’s father Bill is an incredibly wealthy real estate developer (we hear 400 mil. Or so) and he made the single largest donation to the Vancouver children’s hospital so a philanthropist as well. You would never guess by meeting Liam that he comes from this family as he is so down to earth, kind of unkempt, rarely knows where his cell phone is and drives kind of a crappy car and works at a shoe store. We love him and is salt of the earth.

Loved the pictures of the hike and the Moon and so wonderful an experience it must have been. As for me I was too tired to stay up and watch it but sounds like it was an amazing sight. Must away as I am getting ready to head out to the cabin with three of my oldest friends, Chris, Rob and Glen for an overnight outing probably involving alcohol and marijuana and some good food and fun. This is kind of a birthday party which falls on next Tuesday. You are welcome to come and would love to see you if you happen to be in the area! Take care for now and will keep you posted on the real estate front. Cheers, Al 

Hello Sunshine Valley Animal House Party Goers! Enjoyed your outline of current real estate situation/needs, as well as coincidental connections. Always most interesting to discover overlapping lives. I certainly did not expect you to act on any of my observations but felt it important to relate my opinion, as a close friend, and Small Project Freeloader. [Just in from moving a bit of firewood so I expect the wood rack for front patio is winging its way, via UPS, as I scribe!]

Enjoy your Boys Weekend and don't do anything truly silly as you aren't as young as you used to be when balloons filled with dangerous gases were in vogue! Travel safely. Stay well. Happiest of Happy Birthdays, Big Al, in advance. Hip Hip Hooray! For He's a Jolly Good Fellow! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Fondestos and Cheers,  Patrizzio!

When drag queens lead children’s story time, ‘a lot of hugs’ — and controversy — follow - The Washington Post To my liberrian friends:
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/when-drag-queens-lead-childrens-story-time-lots-of-hugs--and-controversy--follow/2019/01/25/a47ab49c-2002-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html> -Ross 

Oh my, this is pushing it a bit.  Possibly for some neighbourhood libraries in big cities, but it is hard to imagine around here. I'm so square! Jane Thanks for the interesting article. How are you and Julia doing? Best Corinne Hello West Coast Washington Post Stringer, et al! For a Library School dropout and a Dedicated Follower of Mammon you certainly keep us retirees informed! What a great development. I think The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert should be on the program as well, perhaps for young adults! Fondestos to one and all. Cheers,  Patrizzio!