Chloë, The Connector and The Speed Demon Blues: Friday, May 3rd!

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) 

I have 3 whites in fridge and 2 reds in kitchen already. Think we are ok.
See you soon. 3 pm at Branko's. Coralee Hi Lady Darjeeling, even though you seem to have reverted to "Cora Lee"! Is this due to being back in Vancouver? I'm ready to go so just waiting for Chloë. Duke is a bit worried as he probably knows I'm leaving with the bags at front door! 

I'm bringing the plug-in cooler as I thought we might stop at Costco on way home. No big deal if we don't. I'll probably give you a call as I think I'd like to leave Ragin's place at 2:45 pm as I think Sylvia and Tom will be home by 3:00 pm, [They are having lunch with Anne Piternick at Tapestry.], and I'd like to have a brief visit with them. We will stop at Harbour Terrace first as Sarge asked me to move Flamin's car from Marie Claude's spot as she needs space on Sunday morning. Then Chloë will drop me at Branko's place. Best wishes to Elaine. Love, Patrizzio! 2:45 is fine. C 10/4! Hi Stompin'!
Wonderful to see you, Sylvia and Lois! Please pass along snaps as I don't have addresses for The Sisterhood! Would be delighted if you could visit. Come one, come all! Let me know and I'll arrange a gig at The Dream Café, here in town. We are to see Michael Kaeshammer there this coming July so I'm sure The Stackettes will be a bigger draw than him! Until then, stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Alumna and Emeritii! 

Hi Ragin'! I'm ready to go so just waiting for Chloë who said she would be here by 8:00 am. She just phoned and it is now 8:30 am! Driving via the Coquihalla. Chloë will drop me at your place and I'll call, beforehand, to let you know when to fire up machina! Cheers, Il Conduttore/ Patrizzio! did you know that swimming pools are a lot more fun if you fill them up with water? Branko

Reminder: Pat, I need you to move Michele's car into my spot G4, Thanks Wayne, Doing now, Lady Dar Hi Patrick! For some reason I just saw this email now! I do not understand that as I used the iPad every day. Thanks for all the news and great pics. Good to hear you are well. Portugal was quite lovely. The Douro tour was a real highlight, such beauty, and the port was good too, as were the wines in the Alentejo region. If you plan to go there, let me know.
Cheers, Bruni

Hello Dangereuse and The Wild One! Lovely to see you, if only briefly. Trust you enjoyed your dinner after I left! Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling, just off to do the downward-facing feline! All the best, to you both. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: The Tipplers!
Hello Two Full Tablers! Thanks so much to Elaine, for being such a marvellous, marvellous host! Hip Hip Hooray! Thank you, from all the Pushy Freeloaders, for the wonderful appetizers and much of the dinner, especially the dessert! Wow! Thanks, as well, of course, to everyone else who contributed such delicious dishes and hootch. Bridge prizes were some of the best ever distributed so an additional bonus! Bayswater has set the bar very, very high so future gatherings have much to live up to! Speaking of which, I trust the Vancouverites will now have an incentive to start playing regularly. Lovely to see everyone and come and visit and stay and play and drink wine in the Okanagan! Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling to one and all. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Table One and Table Two!

Hi Patrick, Thank you for your email. I’m sorry to hear that you had an accident and injured. At the same time, I’m reassured to know you recovered. Although I felt like the number of your post on Facebook was decreasing, I had no idea that happened.
 

At the end of last year, I returned to Japan after designated two years’ stay in the US, now I live and work in Tokyo. As you might know, the emperor of Japan had a succession this past May 1st, we Japanese are now having 10 consecutive days’ holidays and my family chose to visit my parents’ house in Fukuoka, east part of Japan. Unfortunately, we could not meet last year, but I believe we can meet in the near future. Thank you again for your email and please send best regards to Corrine as well. Best, Nobiwan  Hi again, Nobiwan! Thank you for the recent, lovely, lovely pictures of your gorgeous daughters! I'm sure you are very proud parents, indeed! 
 

[A picture of my older daughter having fun with trampoline.] I knew about the Emperor's succession, and related holidays, both from the news, and from another former boarder, Toshiko Takagaki, [also on Facebook], who actually visited me in Penticton, this past February, also living and working in Tokyo. We stayed with Toshi, and her mother, in Osaka, when we first visited Japan, in May, 2012. Interestingly enough, this weekend we are staying with a close friend, Elaine, [She lives on Bayswater, only a few blocks from Hotel Kits, our old neighbourhood!], who will be visiting Japan, along with two of her good friends, Suzanne and Liz, this coming October. Elaine will be meeting some of her Japanese relatives, people she has never met before, so she is looking forward to this reunion, as you can well imagine.

I trust you enjoyed a wonderful visit with your parents in their home in Fukuoka. I am not sure how close we would have come to this city when we travelled to Nagasaki in 2012. Perhaps next time we are in Japan to meet with you and your family! Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling, aka Corinne! All the best, to you, Nobiwan, and your family. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Bridge with Elaine and her travelling companions, Suzanne and Liz. Lady Dar in our front yard with Etta supervising!

[This is the daughter born in the US last year.] Hello Two Full Tablers! Thanks so much to Elaine, for being such a marvellous, marvellous host! Hip Hip Hooray! Thank you, from all the Pushy Freeloaders, for the wonderful appetizers and much of the dinner, especially the dessert! Wow! Thanks, as well, of course, to everyone else who contributed such delicious dishes and hootch. 
 
Bridge prizes were some of the best ever distributed so an additional bonus! Bayswater has set the bar very, very high so future gatherings have much to live up to! Speaking of which, I trust the Vancouverites will now have an incentive to start playing regularly. Lovely to see everyone and come and visit and stay and play and drink wine in the Okanagan! Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling to one and all. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Table One and Table Two!

Bicycle Ride Sunday May 5: Some of you expressed interest in a bicycle ride while on yesterday’s hike with Peter….so I am using the same email list to tell you all about it. We will meet at Summerland IGA 900 am as usual…..folks from Penticton can carpool from HH at 830-840 ish as it takes a bit more time to carpool with bikes on board. I plan to haul my bike to our starting point near Summerland Train Station as I am not big on street riding and I will have room for two more bikes on my bike rack.

It will be an easy, mostly flat ride along the Trans Canada Trail from near Summerland Train Station west to Faulder where we will hop onto KVR trail going west as far as at least the rock slide approx 12-15 kms out from starting point. An option is to go across the rock slide and ride a bit further and we will decide on that when we get there depending on time and what people would like to do. Bring snacks/lunch for a stop along Trout Creek as I think the weather will be decent on Sunday. I will bring along an air pump and spare tube but I don’t think we will run into puncture vine like we did along Blacksage road last year. No need to send a reply (unless you have a question)  just show up if you can make it on Sunday. Cheers…..Kilian