Is anyone interested in a ride tomorrow at around 9AM? I need to be back at noon.
Let me know how the bike test ride went today. G
Actually, George the test riding is tomorrow again at 10 am so won't be able to join you. Let's do it soon. I think Pat is involved also. Ray
Patrizio: Has Canada made you renounce your citizenship yet? Don't you have to be in residence for at least part of each year?
I recently pulled the plug on my employment at Providence Health & Services after 10 years, 10 months and 13 days of service. It was becoming a bit unbearable over the past few years, so I accepted what the company calls a voluntary separation agreement -- essentially a buyout for people who fall into certain categories. In my case it was the "old, used up and good to nobody" category.
Jackie and I attended an arts festival in Trout Lake, Wash. over the weekend, where she was showing and selling her paper arts creations. She did well, and I'm hoping that she will continue to support me in the manner to which I have become accustomed. For a few months, at least, it will be biking, squashing and microbrutalizing myself each day.
Congrats to Cora Lee on her B-day. Have you been together about 40 years? She must be a saint!- Chuckster
Hi Chuckerini!
Great to hear from you! Sorry to hear about your "voluntary separation agreement" but it sounds as if you are surviving rather nicely! Loved your "microbrutalizing" comment! Cora Lee and I have only been wed for 36 years so she cannot be canonized yet!
Now that you are infinitely "flexible" will look forward to a visit here sometime. You and Papier-Mâché Woman are always welcome at The Islay Inn! We will spend Christmas in Simi Valley, house sitting for Ayn's cousin and family. They are off to Bora Bora! Perhaps we can hook up on our way through your fair city. WIll be in touch about that once we concretizer those travel plans. Until then, take care of each other. Fondestos and Cheers, Il Conduttore!
Got the cabin deck painted in time for Steven's birthday party - looks like I''ve been here.
The countryside fabulous here right now - vivid yellow canola, dark chocolate fields. Saw a family of three muskrats yesterday - think they were separated from momma who managed to cross the road while abandoning them.
Couple of days ago Garry and I went to the Ferintosh Bar - straight out of the 1970's. Prairie home companions alive and well - even down to Don, farmer who came over in his beige waist-tied slacks Miller shirt, brown cap and large glasses. "Yep, sure havin' lotsa rain, s'why I come down here, too wet at home."
A Harley Davidson group who'd come down from BC through the day - pretty regularly make way to the Bar - 'The food's great here". Chicken hamburgers and home made fries.
Hope you're doin OK. S.
Hi Farmer Joe!
Great that life goes so well down on the farm. Pleased to hear that you are making your mark and having such a good time to boot. Must apologize for not replying sooner but have been almost as busy as you since last Friday!
We have been blessed wth a week or more of wonderful, wonderful, wonderful sunshine so was able to log some terrific rides. On Friday morn,a t 8:00am, left home with Whirlygig and Robo Man, to ride, via East Van and Iron Workers' Bridge to Seymour Demo Forest. Absolutely gorgeous when we were cycling up the mountain as most of path was in the shade when we were on it. It was quite warm and we certainly noticed it when we made our return via Lions Gate. The sun was much higher and route far more exposed. Longest ride, for me, since returning, 80.33K in just over 4.5 hours. Needless to say, I was very pleased.
That evening was the start of the Folk Fest. Fortunately, for organizers, Friday evening and all day/evening Saturday were stunning. It really was too bad that you couldn't have been here to take in all the incredible musicians and singer/song writers. You, of all people, Stefano, would certainly appreciate the more than astounding playing. I'm shaking my head, as I write these lines, remembering some of the workshops. In fact, I much prefer the smaller stages than the main evening concerts. This year, for the first time I believe, the Festival Committee introduced two other stages, Stages 3 @ Sundown, 5:20-9:00pm, and Stage 5 @ Twilight, 5:25-9:00pm, which offer an alternative to the Main Stage. On Saturday, I remained at Stage 5, after listening to Murry McLauchlan's terrific solo concert for an hour there beforehand. I'd never seen him live before and he could almost be a stand-up comic, such were the side-splitting stories he told about his life. He was born in Paisley and family immigrated at some point. He announced, when 13, that he wanted to go to art school. In those days, such people were reckoned to have "helium in their shoes!" When he graduated and told his dad that he had done so, his father replied: "Get out!" At any rate, he eventually became a musician and after paying his dues, (That is another set of hilarious tales!), he eventually reached the point when he was invited to perform at Massey Hall. He asked his parents to the concert and his father was amazed to see the place and that it was a packed house. Up until this point, his father thought that he was a bum!
At 5:25pm The Wedding Party, with Geoff Berner, Besh o droM and Jaron Freeman Fox and the Opposite of Everything started the Twilight offerings and literally shook the rafters, had there been any! Berner plays klezmer music, Besh are an ensemble of Hungarian musicians and Jaron, originally from BC but now based in Ontario, hard to characterize but full of crazy talent, fed off one another that was pure unadulterated delight for the bands themselves and the enraptured audience.
Next up, Mike Farris & the Cumberland Saints, gospel rock like I've never, ever heard before! Talk about raising he dead! After his first number he said that he would have us "half-Pentacostal" by the time he through and he wasn't far off, let me tell you. Unbelievably talented guitarist with a voice that is truly hard to believe it is so powerful and capable of such extraordinary ranges.
And then Shakura S'Aida pushed the standard even higher. Originally from the States, she has spent the last 25 years in Ca. She more than deserves to be called a "blues diva". She writes her own songs with her remarkable band members, (young women on electric guitar was formidable, exceptional beyond anything I've ever seen and chap on keyboard and accordion was no slouch either), and her stage presence with these and the choice covers has the audience eating out of her hand. I simply cannot do justice to these artists. Take a look at the FF website:
Sunday morning started with a light mist/drizzle. Flamin' dropped Cora Lee and Sarge off at Jericho. She had a commitment that morning and couldn't go to Festival until after 1:00pm. I rode down as I had to leave around !:00pm to be home to greet Famiglia Herkema, Jaap/Karin/Erna/Hanna, husband/wife/two daughters, who were flying in from Schipol that afternoon. Cora Lee to my chair and met me at Stage 2 to listen to Joyful Sounds:
Ken Whiteley & the Levy Sisters. I have always admired and liked Ken and he did not disappoint this time around. A big part of his repertoire is gospel music and The Levy Sisters have been part of the Toronto gospel scene for a long time as well. Their voices sent chills down one's spine.
Mike Farris was part of the line-up and I was a tad worried that he would overshadow everyone else but that was not so. Veda Hille, a Vancouver pianist, (We first saw her 20 years ago at her first FF appearance! Her most recent projects involved, with Bill Richardson, writing the musical: Do You Want What I've Got? A Craigslist Cantanta. She did a number, about penguins, from it on Saturday and it was fabulous, terribly, terribly funny.), provided a very appropriate counter-balance to the almost speaking in tongues/call-and-response full-on, traditional gospel songs. Marley's Ghost, from Northern California, 25 year vets with five marvelous voices, capable of punching out everything from Barbershop to their own originals to classic covers, from traditional Appalachian to blues, from Nashvile to Austin. Shakura made a guest appearance as she started out in gospel and her number was, pardon the pun, divine! Thrillingly so. What made the workshop so exciting was the way the performers shared the stage with each other, playing back-up and doing solos on their individual instruments during the pieces one group would start, very much in the same vein as the infectious interaction of the groups featured at the Wedding Party of the evening before. In fact, this is really what one comes to the FF to witness. The spontaneous collaboration among and between talented musicians.
We stayed put for the next workshop, This is What Solidarity Sounds Like:
We had not seen Ani DiFranco since she made her first appearance at the FF, again, like Veda, 20 years ago! She did some remarkable re-workings of Woody's songs. In fact the Festival was dedicated to his Centenary, "100 years of hard traveling. Ramblin' Jack Elliot was on stage and it was fascinating to hear him talk about Woody as he lived with his family at some point. He is in his '80's now and forgot some of the lyrics to osme of the numbers he did. That morning, when it happened, he stopped and simply said: ""I've got about 25 memory cells going out the back window!" The audience just howled their appreciation when he finished. New to me was Martyn Joseph an incredibly fine political singer-songwriter from Wales. Holly Near's voice was thrilling. I didn't know her, I'm sorry to say. The Atomic Duo were consummate musicians and I know you would have been dazzled by the their guitar, mandolin and banjo work.
I had to tear myself away after the session ended but I had to head for home, as I mentioned above. The FF is much like a three-ring circus inasmuch as you want to see everything but it can't be done. Nevertheless, it is an understatement to say that I couldn't have been happier with the people I'd "discovered".
Had a lovely visit with the Dutch. They left of for Victoria this morning and we won't see them again as they will make directly for Banff once they leave VI.
Ayn arrives tonight so it will continue to be a busy time until she leaves on the 23rd. Cora Lee's 65th is on Thursday and the four of us will celebrate it together at Vij's, I think. Ayn has "suggested" Indian and everyone likes the place. Even better, we can walk as it is on 11th, just off Granville.
Unfortunately, not sure we'll cross paths once you are back from Alberta. At the moment, we are planning to leave on the 29th but this is not writ in stone. Depending on a whole host of other issues, (Mother, other social comitments, etc.), we might not leave until the 30th or even the 31st. As you mention, you want to catch up with Wayne and others so there may not be enough time for everyone. Will know more by next week so let us know what "windows" you think you'll have once back in town and we'll see if we can arrange a bit of a visit, whether a meal or a coffee.
Anyway, hope your hiking goes well. Cheers, Patrizzio!
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