Gate Post and Deep Water Walking Blues: Sunday, February 23rd!

Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013)
 

Was up reasonably early to feed the felines and then I beavered away answering messages. Was ready to roll just before 10:00 am as I wanted to go deep-water walking at the pool as the deep-end is relatively quiet for most of the rest of the morning. After a session in both steam room and hot-tub, [more of a small pool], I strapped on my flotation belt and started my regime at just before 10:30 am. Had planned to spend at least two hours, so exercising, and was actually looking forward to it as I find it a very invigorating yet relax-full form of activity. Had only been in the water for a few minutes when good friend, Bill, [He of Grappa-distilling fame!], turned up in the swimming lane next to me. He ducked under the lane divider and we spent the next twenty minutes or so working our way, back and forth, as we chatted. After that he returned to swim a few lengths before he made for steam room and I continued with my regimen. Close to 12:45 pm I was finished and then enjoyed two more sessions in steam room and hot tub, alternating with cooling dips in the pool. While I was working out it started to snow and with the large picture windows of the community centre felt as if I was inside a large snow globe! However, snow didn't stick and by the time I left it had melted. Didn't take long for the wet roads to dry either.
 
Hi Patrick, Thanks for your update and for the nice collection of photos of many of our wonderful Penticton friends. You have definitely established yourself as a leading light of the Penticton intelligentsia social scene. Good for you volunteering at the Dream with the 50/50 tickets. Also nice to see your girls Corinne and Chloe with your handsome grandson. I'm sure the California sojourn will be a nice break for all members of the family.

Lynne and I are enjoying a few quiet down days. I was tired after my whirlwind trip to Ecuador last week, and Lynne is having another episode of her miserable neuropathy, which manifests in a stabbing pain in her jaw, making it difficult for her to talk or eat. Some would say those are ideal traits in a wife, but that would be cruel and definitely non PC. 

Anyway, we're laying low for a few days. We were definitely ready for a break after 6 days with Anne and Byron,at which Byron and I ended up all square after 3 rounds of golf, followed with only one day break by another 6 days with Fred and Barb, our Victoria travel friends. We had a couple of free days, which included a fun event of a cocktail clinic in Palm Springs. We then had a surprise overnight visit by Pete and Jen Neilans and their pooch Nero, the day before my Ecuador trip. Weather here continues beautiful, with sunshine and temperatures up to 28 C this coming week. Cheers for now, keep up your good work, Peter