Return to Burns & The Sleepy Black Cat Blues: Sunday, July 7th!

July 8 to 13: This is the schedule for Michael.  Thanks to you who offered to fill in for Joanie on the 12th.  I have given that night to Karen.   Not sure if all shows are sold out but if they are we will have to stand. 🙁 LOL … we are lucky just to get to see him.  Carole  Hi Carole: It turns out that I now cannot discharge my shift on Wednesday, July 24th. I apologize. However, I could change for any other evening that week or for the following week, other than July 29th, when I'm already scheduled. Let me know and I'll plan accordingly. Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio!

How Norway turns criminals into good neighbours - BBC NewsIt's the Norwegians again, brilliant! <https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-48885846>

Aart Very interesting! The article was very enlightening. Thanks for sending it. Corinne 

Greetings Patrick, I hope this finds you well. I had my brand new hip inserted on June 20 at your old alumnus UBC. Things are very interesting and as you know slow but sure. However I feel the trip to the Okanagan is just too much for me. We were going to take in Grand Forks as well visiting Catherine cousin. So, sorry for messing things up. But I hope you understand. Coming up soon will be our moving out and moving in. All very busy and one feels useless. Reached out to Branco. Hope the shoulder is getting there. Say sorry to Corrine and I hope Chloe is doing well. Take care Matt
 

Hi Glasgow! Pleased to hear that your recovery goes well. [Yes indeed, slow but sure, as you mention. I am pleased to report that I feel I have been making decent progress with movement and range of arm motion so am being quite disciplined about doing all the daily exercises assigned by my physio.] Sorry that you won't be visiting just yet but understand completely. That being said, both Lady Dar and I were looking forward to seeing you both.

I will drive to Kelowna this coming Friday to collect Lady Dar, around noon. Denise and Bill Gross are coming up to spend a week in Naramata, renting a cabin at Deep Roots Winery, and will stay with us that night. We all have tickets to see Michael Kaeshammer at The Dream Café so we can walk there and back and not have to worry about driving. Won't be riding in the GranFondo this year, due to my shoulder, but Lady Dar and I are volunteering at the start line, at 5:45 am on Sunday, July 14th! Following Tuesday, Magareta, Chloë's nanny from the '80's, will be visiting, for three nights, along with her boyfriend, Hans. They fly back to Vancouver on Friday and it is Poplar Grove Wine Club Bash, always a blast, that evening, with same at Upper Bench on Saturday. The Marriage Officiant has a wedding each day of the weekend so the fact that you are not coming, while disappointing, of course, means that we will have a bit of recovery time before social merry-go-round starts spinning again! 

I'm just back from Spirit Ridge where I spent the night with Flamin' and Sarge. Corey had to take Avery to a birthday party at 10:00 am so after breakfast we loaded up the car and headed north. Ashlynn came with us and Flamin' and Sarge were coming up later to spend afternoon around their pool, before heading back to Vancouver. Chloë had stayed at our place the night before to cat sit. Thanks for inquiring about her. Yes, she is doing very well. Last two times she visited her doctor, for checkups, she's heard the baby's heart beat so we are all thrilled, of course. When she told her boss, almost a month or so ago, now, he was extremely supportive and will allow her to keep the company car over the course of her maternity leave and give her the option of working from home, a day or so a week, should she want to do so.


Before she left for home she showed me a picture Lady Dar had sent of a pretty high-end stroller, [One that Barb and George had for their own grandchildren. Chloë said it would be perfect for walks on the KVR. In fact, she was waiting for Beckster to wake up, following her night shift, as they have planned an outing there this afternoon.], which she will bring back with her. 


Must away to start my shouldares so I'll watch the first part of Tour de France instead of Charité. Once I'd finished Charité at War stumbled across Charité, (First series, although I wasn't aware of it at the time.):"In Berlin at the end of the 19th century, Ida works as an assistant nurse at the world-famous Charité Hospital in order to pay off her debts to the medical facility. While there, she encounters brilliant physicians and discovers her passion for medicine as she comes to the realization that she is in the midst of one of the most important medical revolutions in history. Ida gets involved in a romantic relationship with wealthy medical student Georg Tischendort along the way. The drama series is based on an actual clinic in Berlin and features characters based on real-life doctors who worked there during the era."

Had voice mail from Ragin', a few days ago now. Had not had any surgery at that point and seemed fairly tired, at least form his speech/voice. Tried earlier today to get through but line has always been busy. Did you actually visit or talk on the phone? Buona Fortuna with move! Fondestos to you, Glasgow, and Catherine. All the best with your hip exercises. Onward!! Fight!!! Cheers, Il Conduttore/Patrizzio!

Pics: Local cherries from Bill Sliva, owner of a large orchard between Middle and Upper Roads. He also owns a suite in one of buildings Chloë manages so that is how they met, initially. He stopped by her work, on Friday, to give her a large container of cherries. I had invited her for dinner that night and she brought me some. I often have them in my yogurt while I sip my first java of the day. Bill is also extremely generous with his peaches and apples. Lady Dar, Sarge, Avery and Ashlynn picked boxes and boxes of peaches last year and I picked over 600 lbs of apples. Dehydrated a huge number but they are so popular that I'm down to about ten last Ziploc bags.

Before Chloë left we cut the "needles" on both Duke and Etta. The Boy didn't make a sound but Miss Etta squeaked a couple of times! When she headed for home I sent a few messages and then started on my shouldares. Took a break in between sets to have some peanut butter and honey on a few of the pieces of wonderful bread Flamin' insisted I take from SR. While I was munching I called Ragin'. He underwent surgery about four days ago now and has only just been allowed to sit up! He said he will remain in hospital for a month. Not sure if this is fact or if he is confused as he mentioned he'd been in a wheelchair for six weeks. At any rate I don't think he will be travelling any time soon, let alone managing to live on his own once discharged. I think he must still be "recovering" from initial fall and/or surgery as he still sounds very tired, his speech quite laboured. He often seems at a loss for words so I assume the bleeding may well have affected something. Of course, this is diagnosis at a distance so I may well be wrong about everything I've mentioned. I would like to hope so but I fear things are not going all that well.


Must away as I want to watch some of today's Tour before I head to bed to read. Hello to all the gang and much love you my Darling Dar! Cheers, Patrizzio!


Young Patrick et al. How is your summer going?I am sorry I haven't been in touch for a while. Between doctor's appts., tests at the hospital and a little social life, I have been run ragged. I saw my oncologist Friday ( or at least his assistant) and they seem to be a little stumped. There is a dense spot in my lung where the incision was when they removed part of it. It is neither growing or shrinking. They are not saying it is cancer... neither are thay saying it is not. They will continue doing a CAT scan every 3 months until I can be hooked up to a generator.. The heck with your solar panels, I will be self contained in no time.. Seriously, I took this as a good sign, and might even make one more jaunt to Bangkok before this old body quits all together.
 

I have been eating cherries very often, although they only seem to have Washington State ones so far. I think of you folks every time I sit down with a bowl. It was funny in Bangkok that almost all fruit was reasonable except for cherries which were very expensive, I forget where they came from.. maybe Israel. I had the convertible out today for a drive around town. I use it very seldom because it is so much handier to just step outside and get in the everyday car. The Beemer became a classic this year (1994) and it is holding up better than I am. It still gets lots of compliments.
 

I don't plan on going anywhere this summer. I have a few things to take care of, plus I have lunch dates every week for the next while.. Please let me know how you are all doing and what your summer plans are.. Cheers.. Bill Hi Wild Bill Beemer Man! Great car indeed. Pleased to hear that you are in fighting form! Onward!! Stay well, dear friend. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio! Hi all, Tony can't make tomorrow's hike and asked if I could lead in his place. For folks interested in a hike tomorrow, we can tackle Guy's Cache. It starts at the White Lake parking lot. It's about a 2 hour loop to the South with great views at the snack stop, followed by (for those interested and weather permitting) an extension of an hours loop to the north. It's forecasted to be okey dokey weather in the morning but possible precip in the afternoon.
Usual meet-up arrangements ... at Penticton Home Hardware by 8am for car pooling (Sumlndrs 7:40 at IGA). Also, if it works better for you, meet the hikers at the White Lake car parking by 8:30am. Hope to see you tomorrow. Cheers. Phil