Gibsons and the 65th Birthday Bash Blues: Saturday, May 4th!

 Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) 

Thx Patrick how come you knew my birthday was today? We have Kelsey, Aaron and Gwen staying as Aaron and Kelsey doing a 50 km trail run in Vernon tomorrow. Can't imagine us all being together again for my birthday so it's a nice treat them all being here for. Jack Rabbit Slims! Thanks for the B-Day wishes! Hugs, O Susannah! Thanks for the card. It’s ingenious (like you). Hope to see you both at Spirit Ridge later this year, Joe 
 
Thank-you so much for the lovely books!! I’m excited to be able to have some lovely reading evenings with lady Elowen! Sorry I missed you guys today but hoping to come up this summer for a visit. Much love to you both xxxxx Krissy & Elowen xxxxx Hello Krissy and Proud Grandparents! Delighted you liked the books. We too are sorry that we weren't' able to see you and your beautiful daughter. However, do look forward to a visit with everyone later this summer. Terrific to see both your Mom and Dad, if only fairly briefly. Enjoyed a wonderful time at Colin's party, as well as with various friends in Vancouver. 
 

Thanks for the wonderful celebration! ✌️❤️✊️ Dear all, Well, the fairy dust has settled from a couple of days of celebration, visiting, conversing, eating, drinking, and connecting and reconnecting. I wish to thank all of you for contributing to my surprise birthday gathering and celebration in Gibsons, at Tapworks. Gail and Maya did an extraordinary feat in organizing this celebration, and in maintaining the secret! I was shocked when I arrived to a balcony of familiar folks singing “Happy Birthday”! I thought, “What the hell is my Mother doing up there?!!” Again, thank you for making the time to schedule in this event, as I know some of you travelled a fair distance to participate. Thanks too to those of you who telephoned me, cc’d below.  

Again, many thanks! I appreciated your presence and your kind words, your gifts, and sharing various libations together and delicious salad and pizza at Tapworks, and Pacific salmon, potato salad, pasta salad, many other dishes back at our home, over two days. Oh, also, three cakes!! As I mentioned at Tapworks, I believe I am blessed and privileged to know, and have, so many conscientious, considerate, caring, thoughtful and intriguing friends and family. I especially wish to acknowledge the thought and the labour that Gail and Maya put into this event. I am truly grateful! I wish all of you peace and love, and hope you’ll return for my 70th! Fight the power (with compassion), love Colin
 

Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling. All the best, to you Sunshine Four. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Hotel Kits, our first house, in Kits, from Nobiwan, former Japanese boarder, visiting Vancouver this past summer. Unfortunately we were not able to connect as I was Europe. 

Adrian Sanders shared 13 photos of Dad's Retirement Gathering:


Dear Patrick Hope you receive this email before we depart for home. We have been enjoying our travels very much. It has been extremely interesting in Delhi. You have to get used to travelling by hired car or Tuk Tuk. No hop on hop off buses --they have buses but John thinks you would be crazy to take buses especially given the reasonable cab, uber and tuk tuk prices. He insists it is the best way to get around and only way to see the sights securely.

Our hotel is wonderful and thank heavens for air conditioning and a lovely pool. The food at the hotel is great and we have thoroughly enjoyed the great breakfasts and garden view and view of the colored fountains at night from our 10th story room. Would definitely recommend this hotel as it has been excellent and the service superb. Delhi has lush lush vegetation and the area we are in is the embassy and government area so it is very posh. Still going for a walk can be difficult because crossing the streets is so dangerous and we are looking in the wrong direction plus we are such foreigners. 
 

Visit to the Taj Mahal was fascinating. The farms around Agra are very very poor and no mechanization--crops cut by hand and haystacks are like miniature Muslim domes--but all done by hand. The level of existence of the poor farmers and destitute city folk is difficult to see--but they are richer than many of the people in Dhaka. Bangladesh is such a poor country yet the people were so nice and generous. Really makes you wonder about things in life. Love one of Gandhi's quotes which was in the Gandhi Park "Selfishness keeps us worrying forever." 
 
We had a great time in Lodi Park yesterday--it is a huge park and it was so restful and peaceful. We just sat on a bench in the shade. We went to the Khan Market today and it was great--super bookstore there and other little shops. Off to the National Museum today. I wanted to go to the Children's Trust but Colin doesn't want to go--there is a children's library there and also a doll museum. Anyways can't always agree on what to see. Saw from the outside a Delhi Public Library and at the market there was a Children's Book Store--didn't go to it as I would have had to climb some really steep stairs.
 

Anyways look forward to seeing you at some point upon our return. I still have trouble with stairs and it has been a nuisance because all the temples have stairs. Alas . . . Lots of hugs sent your way Jo-Anne and Colin

Travel woes: Saw many interesting - and reasonable - single malts in Delhi airport.  Couldn't get any.  Have to chance planes in HK.  Means going through security again. Alas. Alas.😢 Colin Hong Kong Just switching planes here, but did hit the duty free.  You'll have to come by to sample some time. Colin

 

Hello Jewel in the Crown People! Glad you were able to score some hootch, Colin. Looks most potable! Trust you are reintegrating yourselves back into the life of Dunbar! Thanks for the interesting details of some of your experiences in Dehli. Brought back fond memories when we were there with Lynne and Peter, in 2015. Only three weeks before we lose them to Victoria. Will have them for a farewell dinner next week as it seems remainder of their time is already booked with one thing or another. Trust you are reintegrating yourselves back into the life of Dunbar! Thanks for the interesting details of some of your experiences in Dehli. Brought back fond memories when we were there with Lynne and Peter, in 2015. Only three weeks before we lose them to Victoria. Will have them for a farewell dinner next week as it seems remainder of their time is already booked with one thing or another.  

Spent a very busy weekend in Vancouver/Gibsons and very pleased to have seen and visited with so many good friends, both in town, [Saw Sylvia Crooks, Lois Bewley and Tom Shorthouse on Friday afternoon, (They had lunch with Anne Pitternick, at her place in Tapestry, in Wesbrook Village.), as well as Bill, squash friend, and his wife, Denise, just a block or so from where we stayed with Elaine Keating, on Bayswater and 7th.], and on the Sunshine Coast, in Gibsons, at a surprise 65th/retirement bash for Colin, Maya's father. She is a childhood friend of Chloë's and I first me her grandfather, Rocky, when I was a grad student in English, at U of Manitoba, in the early 70's. Colin is his eldest son.

Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling. All the best, to you, Marps and Single Malt Man! Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Hotel Kits, from Nobiwan. Funnily enough, have been in touch, over last little while, with, Nobuhito Nakamura, a former ESL home-stay student, [I call him Nobiwan!], who was visiting Vancouver this past summer. Unfortunately, we were not able to connect as I was in Europe.; Stompin' Tom, et al; Bridge with Elaine.  After we congratulated Colin on his retirement/65th birthday by singing and with the cutting and eating of one of his three cakes, we repaired downstairs to have a brief visit with Gayle and Derek. 

Since Chloë was fighting a cold she didn't want to pass it on to Elowen so her grandparents came to Tapworks and we spent about an hour together, catching up. They are both well but extremely busy, helping out Krisyy with Elowen. All going well, everyone hopes to make a visit to Penticton, probably in early June, before they head back to Cornwall. 

Back upstairs to continue visiting with more friends and acquaintances. Met John Mackie, originally from Winnipeg, who was journalist at The Winnipeg Free Press before he moved to Vancouver, in 1978, I believe, to work for the Sun. 

He met Colin and his brothers covering the "music scene", [The Fuse being one of the local bands], when he still lived in The Peg. After the party at Tapworks wound down those guests and family still there were invited back to Gail's/Colin's home for a bite to eat. As we had never seen their place before, Lady Dar was keen to go. They certainly have a wonderful situation, right on a deep, heavily treed ravine which leads right to the ocean, although the trial is quite overgrown. House itself is very comfortably appointed with a number of decks to take advantage of the surrounding forest. Colin's office is lined, floor-to-ceiling, with his books, reminding me of Rocky's office on Harrow.

As we were planning to catch the 8:55 pm ferry back to Horseshoe Bay, Joe very kindly offered to drive us to the terminal. [He had collected us when we arrived and took us to Tapworks before Colin arrived.] Dave, Maya's first husband, and the father of Declan, joined us. He had his car in Horseshoe Bay and offered to drive us back to Bayswater. 

 

Chloë had collected us from Elaine's this morning and left her car in the parking lot at ferry terminal, so we didn't have a vehicle of our own to use to get back into city. Originally, had planned to take a bus. It was cheaper and more convenient to take ferry as walk-on passengers and Maya had arranged for guests to be collected by friends and family who lived in Gibsons. After we bade farewell to Clan Sanders, et al, we were at the terminal just as ferry was unloading. Thanked Joe for all his driving and were soon sitting down. Not very crowded so plenty of space. Had a most enjoyable time catching up with Dave as we really have not seen him for a number of years, probably well before we left Harbour Terrace. 

 

At any rate, he is doing well and continues to have a very good relationship with Declan. I was fascinated to hear about his working life on a couple of jobs, one in Saskatoon, and another in northern Alberta, doing industrial electrical work. Before we knew it were were docking in Horseshoe Bay and soon speeding along the highway. Very little traffic at that time night, [As opposed to grid-lock on Saturday morning. We missed the 11:55 am ferry due to an accident on the Lions Gate and hardly moved on Denman!], so we arrived at Elaine's house just after 11:00 am, I believe. 

Thanking Dave, and inviting him to visit, we said goodnight and went insdie to find our hostess, along with Liz and Doug watching The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. We'd seen both seasons and as we were quite tired after long day, bade everyone goodnight. I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow! For her part, Lady Dar read, although she had a nap on the ferry, while Dave and I chatted!

Hello Clan Sanders, et al!

Thank you, one and all, for the simply exceptional gathering to celebrate both a significant retirement and a monumental birthday. Hip Hooray to Colin! For He's a Jolly Good Fellow! Hip Hip Hooray! For facilitating such a glorious gathering, thanks aplenty to both Gail and Maya, it goes without saying, who were, (among others, I'm sure), the tireless, behind the scenes organizers. Bravo, indeed! Thanks as well, to all those who acted as chauffeurs, especially to Blackberry Joe, who was our personal driver! Aside from the wonderful atmosphere at Tapworks, it was especially rewarding to see those of the Sanders Clan we've not seen in some time, to meet their friends and significant others, and to be introduced to other close acquaintances/friends we'd not known from the past, although had heard many difficult and trying stories about! It was terrific to meet you, face to face, and discover you were not the blackguards you'd been painted to be!

I trust you will all find my photographic efforts, such as they were, a small reminder/memento of the remarkable day. Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling, [aka Corinne], and Patrizzio, for including us in this spell-binding family affair. Much love and affection from The Okanagan, another slice of BC's Paradise, vying with Gibsons for top spot. Come and visit and decide for yourselves. Everyone is welcome to stay, with Chloë, in luxury, sheer luxury, in Sendero Canyon. Burns Street is also available but the accommodations are far less grand, many would say shabby! Stay well. Take care of each other. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Fartograms, I am back, thank you Tony, Kilian, Chuck and others for keeping the Monday hike going! This Monday we will be conquering the Pincushions in Peachland. It will be a 4+hour hike so a bit longer than the typical Monday hike, but nothing an average Old Fart can't do! Besides, we will be safe under the watchful eye of our own patrol expert extraordinaire Kilian! Views will be galore and spectacular.

As usual, we will gather at the IGA in Summerland at 9:00AM for take-off to Peachland. Pentictonites need to get together at 8:40AM at the Home Hardware to carpool to Summerland. Afterward we will relax and debrief at a venue of our choice and conclude ... indeed ... another great Monday Outing! See you Monday! Aart, the Mountain Bard! Better Seen Than Heard is the opinon of many, but perhaps this is too, too harsh an observation, Dear Reader!

Alex with Noreen and Kevin, Colin's younger brother, one of Noreen's nine children!