Lens on Lent Blues: Tuesday, April 2nd!

The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men. -Emile Zola (2 Apr 1840-1902

Tummler, we hope the one armed bandit is continuing to recover better than expected.As you well know, pure malt therapy is well known as a cure-all. Spring is coming on here at Ukiyo. The flowers are busting out. I am in the Valley garden putting in seeds. A heads up: Amira, affectionately known as Bubb Chicken, will be teaching in your area next week. I suggested she be in touch with you. Send me some reading recommendations when you are so inclined. I need some new direction. Have you read Happiness by Aminatta Forna?
 

We are still awaiting your confirmation of dates for your visit to the north island. By the by, the Budino Brothers: Italo-cemente has a branch office here. We can do a 'tasting'. Fond regards to you and C, W&CJ Tummler Reserve Maltage

Hi Giggenheimer and Calamity! Pleased to learn Spring is bustin' out all over! Similar signs here at Burns Street. The garlic we planted last October/November has its lovely green shoots pushing up. Lady Darjeeling was out yesterday cleaning up the front garden, supervised by Etta and Duke, and drew them to my attention. 

Thanks for your good wishes on the recovery front. Must say that each day the shoulder seems a tad more flexible. Nevertheless, I keep my arm in the sling except when I perform my tri-daily exercise routine, or when brushing and flossing. Up to 90 minutes on the stationary bike so I'm cutting through numerous Netflix series. At the moment we are watching Delhi Crime and find it fascinating, inasmuch as we spent almost a week there on our trip to India in 2015. Not that we even scratched the surface of this chaotic city but it is still fascinating to be re-immersed in such a culture. Think Traitors will be next: Near the end of World War II’s European theater, Feef Symonds (Emma Appleton) is being trained as a spy by American officer Peter McCormick (Matt Lauria), getting her ready to go into the field along with her fellow Brits. But with the end of the war, she’ll be applying for a boring civil service job an Peter will be going back to his family in Iowa. Which is inconvenient for Feef, since the two of them have been having an affair. Mixed reviews, I gather, but we both like this period and the "spy game"!

On the print oriented front, I just finished Educated, by Tara Westover. We will discuss this at book-club on Thursday. I read it on Lady Darjeeling's Kobo mounted on her iPad. Must say I did enjoy the experience as I believe it is only the second work I've read in this medium. Tale itself is more than remarkable, almost incredible, in fact. Provides a fascinating insight into abuse within the family and the terrible grip it comes to have over those so afflicted. Before that polished off Ian Rankin's latest, In a House of Lies, one of our favorite mystery writers.

Haven't yet read either Esi Edugyan's Washington Black or John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies. Both works, along with Kate Atkinson's Started Early, Took My Dog, are beside my bed. Devoured Transcription by her. Will now have to add Happiness so thanks for the tip. This past Sunday I listened to Writers and Company and Eleanor's fascinating onstage interview with theauthor and journalist, Aatish Taseer, who talked about his Indian-Pakistani heritage, the impact of modernity on India today, and his new book, The Twice-Born, which explores the city of Benares, the spiritual capital of Hinduism. I simply quiver at his intellect and articulateness. How do we Canadians deserve such programming when we contribute to such a high percentage of global pollution, according to someone on The Current this morning? Enjoyed a busy weekend.

This evening we are off to see another in the Lens on Lent film series: Wadjda is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-length film made by a female Saudi director. Based in the 2000s, Wadjda, a 10-year-old unyielding and ardent Saudi girl living in the capital Riyadh, dreams of owning a green bicycle that she passes in a store every day on her way to school. She wants to race against her friend Abdullah, a boy from the neighborhood, but riding bikes is frowned upon for girls and Wadjda's mother refuses to buy one for her daughter.

Lady Darjeeling just left with my "cousin", Michelle Dunn, for luncheon and I must away as I want to ride and finish off last two episodes of Mar de Plastico. Before I go, however, I've been meaning to ask if you might recall having put a number of kitchen utensils, a white spatula, as well as a red one, and a long, thin Japanese knife, somewhere other than in the receptacles on the counter? For the life of us we cannot find them and thought you might've put them somewhere, after doing dishes, not really knowing where we place them. Strangest thing and I suppose we'll have to interrogate the felines next! 
 

Any idea when Bubb Chicken will be on the scene? She is welcome to stay if she would like. Just let us know and we'll plan accordingly. Sorry to be indecisive about visiting dates but still juggling too, too many balls, at the moment, to know when a visit to the North Island might be possible. Fund Estos from the Luncheoneer to you both and Cheers, Tummler, of the Go Green Garlic Farm! PS: Ski will be visiting Vancouver in June and plans to fly up for a visit, June 23rd-25th. She broke one of her legs seven weeks ago and became a grandmother, [her son], on March 26th. Same old Ski! Pics: PAG; Sam, Kayla and Benson; Geoff and Ben; felines and garlic!

Hi Proud, Proud, Proud Cape Breton Grandparents! Congratulations indeed to you, Ski, and the Great Ronaldo. Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Congratulations also to Kayla and Sam, of course. However, Lady Darjeeling and I raise you one as we became great-grandparents on February 22. Olivia Rose was born to Samantha and Alejandro, our youngest grandson. Lady door I was able to visit with them, in Tinsel Town, for a week after leaving Mexico at the end February, while I was shoveling snow! Where are the new parents living? Life on the runway isn't all that easy I guess. Still one needs to follow one's passion and I admire Maggie for so doing. How is Dinao?

Lady Darjeeling just returned, with my "cousin", Michelle Dunn, after luncheon, at Gusto Ferrari, a new spot in town. Very impressed with food and ambience so I'd like to try it out myself. Must away as I want to ride and finish off last two episodes of Mar de Plastico, police series set in southern Spain. Cheers, Patrizzio of the Go Green Garlic Farm!Pics: Olivia Rose Hi Janet! Trust you're well. Thought you might enjoy seeing these pictures. Rhoda is planning a visit in June, the 23rd to 25th. I told her about my shoulder replacement, hence her comment. Their middle daughter, Maggie, had quite a spread in The Globe and Mail a couple of weekends ago. We are currently watching Delhi Crime on Netflix. Do you know the series? Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling, to you, Janet. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Model of scow schooner Alma

Photo: Christine Davis

Tummler, thanks re: Amira. Her employer has provided AirB&B accommodations. She will give you a heads up if she can come by for a visit. Congrats on the electric car purchase. Good on you. Great you have garlic coming up. We find it to be a satisfying crop. We grow about 400 every year. We have the same issue with music at clubs and restos - why so loud? Are we just old farts? Not sure about the spatulas but the Japanese may be stuck in the wall in the bedroom. I was practicing my throwing in the night.
Thanks for the book suggestions. I have read most of Rankin - so I will snag his latest. I read a lot of books on our big trip on the Kindle. I much prefer a hard copy but the Kindle is great for for travel and for night time reading. You can turn down the brightness and read in the dark without disturbing your partner. No pressure on the Ukiyo visit dates. I am hoping we can have a ride on the island when you come. Not sure when that will be possible for you. Fond regards to all, W&CJ
 

Hi Knife Throwing, Garlic Growing, Kindle Reading, Sensitive Eardrum Person!  

Thanks for the tip on the Japanese throwing knife as it only took me an hour to pry it from the wall in the bedroom. Cannot begin to imagine how much rage was behind the throw! Was it the cheap porch cleaner? Found the rest of the implementi on the top rack of the dishwasher. Can only assume that Calamity Jane  put them there as she wanted more time to clean her pistolas! At any rate, all is well with the world and we are able to make scrambled eggs without scratching our ceramic coated frying pans

Be great if we can have a visit with Samara, or her look-alike Amira! On the garlic front I can hardly wait for the scapes to be ready for harvest. I use them in almost everything, from aforementioned omelettes to topping for ice cream! I'd love to ride on Greater Galliano. I think you have mentioned that a road bike could be used but we'll confirm that well in advance. Must say that I'm chafing at the bit at the moment as the roads are more than ready for riding, not to mention the glorious weather. Still, I'm happy enough, relatively speaking, to ride a stationary and watch Netflix. I'm almost finished Marvin the Glass-Steagall, also known as Mar de plástico, so plan to start Bitter Daisies,
which revolves around a protagonist entering a community that has chosen to become so comfortable that even the laws have changed within the police department. Apparently, Season 1 reminded one reviewer of Three Billboards, especially at the start, as the lead character Rosa Vargas (María Mera) enters the town to look into a missing person’s case.

Chloë is coming for dinner tomorrow evening so I think she and I will watch Season Three of Fargo while Lady Darjeeling is preparing dinner, as she hasn't watched any yet. Thursday is book club, Friday, Lynne Lighthall's 75th birthday, at the Front Street Brasserie, so very much looking forward to having the most expensive wine/items on the menu since Peter is paying! Attack of the Freeloaders! Saturday we have been invited to an open house by 
Lady Dar's yoga teacher. I'm wondering how I'll be able to perform Downward Facing Feline with my arm in a sling. We'll certainly need Sunday as a day of rest. 

On Monday we've made an appointment with the dealership to go over numerous aspects of running our 747 dashboard. What we really need is a seven-year-old to help us understand all the features! So far, it's been trial and error and we've managed, barely, to drive around town. At any rate, I'm compiling a list of questions. Per esempio, how does one set up a preferred list of radio stations, deleting presets which must have been programmed by some rap loving drug dealer at the Hyundai factory, or a Marlboro smoking country-western fan with sawdust on the floor of her heart! Oh CBC where art thou? My kingdom for an Eleanor or a Terry! Fondestos and Bestestos from the Flatlander Lunchoneer to you both. Stay well. Tears, also known as, Cheers, Garlic Scape Tummler and soon-to-be Solar Farm Magnate, also known as Daddy Heliobucks!

Hi Old Farts, Let’s go and see if there are many flowers on Parker Mountain yet! We will -meet at 0900 at Home Hardware north parking lot in Penticton (0840 at IGA parking lot in Summerland) -carpool and drive to the parking area just outside the White Lake observatory entrance -ramble the slopes on the southeast side of Parker Mountain. I’d like to tell you it will be somewhat tame, but that gets me into trouble sometimes. -return to the vehicles, and find a spot for coffee and debriefing. Interested? Let me know if you’d like to join us. Cheers, Jim

OF TEST for Tony Cottrell: Hi Fartograms, Since I will not be able to organize the Monday hikes for a while, Tony will take over and send out the emails. This email is send with Cc's so that all he needs to do is "reply to all" to reach all you beloved Fartograms! I normally send out notes with Bcc's, but for that "reply to all" does not work. No need to do anything, Tony will get this and can use it for Monday hikes. Cheers, Aart, the Mountain Bard