Continuing Saga of the Besta Blues: Tuesday, January 14th!

When one has been threatened with a great injustice, one accepts a smaller as a favour. -Jane Welsh Carlyle, letter writer (14 Jan 1801-1866) 

Stephen Carthew Smoke sunset over the Porcupine Hills, Harcourt North Patrick James Dunn Here in Penticton we simply don't know how you are managing given the extended exposure. Two summers ago we suffered similar smoke cover in the Okanagan but it only lasted for a month or so, at its worst concentration, hardly anything, in comparison with what devastated Australia has already been through. And no let-up in sight. If situation behind photograph was not of such short and long-term catastrophic proportion the image would seem almost magical. "A terrible beauty is born."

Thanks for the great e mail.....was super. Sandee and I wish you both the Best New Year Greetings.....wish we could celebrate with you folks.....maybe sometime along the way we might visit that great area again......been very busy here so far....and the weather has been quite liveable.....But, we do miss some of the friends that have moved on.......to of course, warmer climes........Take care....thanks again, love, A & S xxxx Hi Sandee and Arv! Thanks for the New Year's wishes. Pleased to hear all goes well with you two. Couldn't be better here. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Stay warm and well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Do not know how you guys do that......wonderful pictures; we love them, and such a warm feeling to see those. Thanks for the news and the shots.....love, A & S

Hi Patrick and Corinne, great to receive cards and updates via Facebook from you, despite my very slow responses. I had a busy travel late summer/fall. Dempster Hway (spectacular red/yellow fall colour, one of the most beautiful trips I've ever taken, and I was the only traveler with the Inuvialuit guide and his girlfriend). Portugal Photography tour (beautiful country, cities are replete with wonderful tiles everywhere, as well as more recent wall paintings, people are very friendly, food good, great companions, great wine), the Whitehorse (another photography trip, my fourth time there, beautiful and different every time; managed to see Auroras for only the second time), then London to visit my Daughter pre-Christmas after another trip to Lisbon (didn't get enough the first time). You can see some of my pix at lynncopeland.smugmug.com . I've been studying Spanish, coincidentally with Jim Henderson adn Jocelyn Godolphin. It's sad how hard it is to remember vocab at an advancing age (though to be honest I was always slow). Best for the New Year and enjoy the winter (I noticed it is now 7 degrees in Orkney... ) Lynn
 

Patrick and Corinne, You do live in a small world - we were not at all surprised that the lady from Poland. Patrick you do leave a mark wherever you go! A friend of ours from Vancouver just sent an email as they had just returned from Israel and said it was easy to get around, safe, lots of amazing sites and very multicultural. She also said the only downside was that it was very expensive - for eg. $30.00 for a simple hamburger. Our hotels include breakfast so I suspect we will be packing up a few goodies for lunches and hiding them in my purse each day.

We are currently freezing - minus 19 degrees and if the wind is blowing it feels like -35 degrees. We just talked to our friend in Osoyoos who turned 80 today and he said it was very cold there and they have had terrific winds too. A little unusual for the Okanagan. I just beat Gerry in Gin Rummy and so he is pouting as I got Gin 4 times in a row. I only won $16.50 but he still pouts despite the fact that I owe him over $10,000.

Jeff gave us Netflix and we are hooked sadly. I have watched more TV in the last few weeks than I have in the last 10 years. I can’t believe how wonderful it is to watch without those most annoying ads every 5 minutes. We watched the Kominsky Method and now are watching Grace and Frankie. Not high level shows but very easy watching at 10 o’clock at night. By the way your photos never came with your last email. I am enclosing one from our front door so you can see what we look like with all the snow and cold. Cheers, Dawn

Hi Pat, Happy Belated New Year to you too. All is well here except for the ice on the roads and the threat of cold weather...what’s that all about..anyhow we will deal with it...but it’s just not right! I am back on the courts with my shoulder cuff injury, one doctor told hell you might as well play you can’t damage it anymore than you already have. It’s not my playing arm but that shoulder is not great either. That was fun playing bridge again..thanks for the invite..it was nice seeing everyone again. Take care Ed 

Hello all, Happy New Year! Corinne, the book , Barry Lopez’ memoir, “Horizon”, you and Pat gave me for my birthday was a thoughtful and wonderful, gift. Lopez’ poetic and poignant memoir evoked many thoughts for me, some of which I write about in this essay/review for a new journal I am involved with. I hope you have time to read it one day.
 

Also, the GTEC Reader is a free online publication, please see the earlier issues, and please subscribe for free, as all subscriptions bolster our initiatives. Noreen is coming west to stay in Courtenay with Kevin and Alex on Sunday. We’re looking forward to having her closer to us.

Hope you are all warm and well, and the wee one too! Chloe, I mailed another onesie yesterday which the baby can grow into (18 months). It’s from the Grateful Dead, and is designed by the First Nations artist from Tofino, Roy Vickers, who designed a recent boxed set for the Dead of their Pacific Northwest early 1970’s tour, which included Vancouver. Quite a lovely indigenous coastal design, as you will see. Be well, Peace/Colin ✌️✊️      Hi Colin! Thanks for the New Year's wishes. Pleased that you enjoyed Horizon and, on top of that, delighted to learn that you reviewed it! Thank you for the tip about GTEC Reader. Both Lady Dar and I have subscribed so were able to read your other review as well. Both extremely well-written and informative so congratulations on helping to make these critical works more widely known! You'll soon be reviewing for the NYT Book Review if not already on its list of contributors! Of course Rocky would be more than extremely proud of his first born. 

Thank you, in advance, for the present for Rowan James. Sounds wonderful. Interestingly enough, at dinner last Sunday, friends, Marian and Tim Dunn, [Unfortunately for me, no relation!], we noticed Vickers' The Homecoming on their dining room wall! Maybe I'll steal Rowan James' onesie! Please pass along our love to Noreen when next you talk. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Lady Bug Boy! Flash Dance Boy! Napping with Flopsy! With Mom and Nana and Bob, his pet Koala! Osoyoos Boy! 

Day 8 (Hotel Mision Catavina —> Punta Prieta). We rode ~115 km today. Super ride. Beautiful road (new blacktop) much of the way, more often than not completely empty, minimal climbing and plenty of cruising at 30+km/hr. High overcast and moderate temp. All good except for some rumbly road and headwinds for last 25km. Notable events included Don getting a flat; great lunch spot; roadside feasting by local vultures; and ending the day at a nice truck stop with clean bedrooms. Unfortunately Tony was ill today, so rode shotgun in the van.

Hi all, Great snowshoe under the full moon last week! This week, we will snowshoe, beginning by Keremeos Creek, near Apex and ending at km8 on the Apex Road We will: -meet in Penticton at 0900 in the Cherry Lane north parking lot (0840 at IGA parking lot in Summerland). -carpool and drive to where the road crosses Keremeos Creek *the big bend”. Actually we will park in a cleared area just up the hill from the big bend. -snowshoe up Keremeos Creek to its headwaters, then via trails and logging roads to Apex Road, kilometre 8. We will have left a car or two at our end point so that we can make this a one-way trip. -meet after for a debriefing and coffee. This trip is in one direction and is a “start high-end low”. I can’t guarantee how much snow there will be, but there are no steep uphills. Care to join us? Let me know. Cheers, Jim