IIDD, Try: Friday, September 21st

 Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1819-1891)

FYI-always fun, and great family at the farm...In Folksone now, with a Craggy Range Merlot and Mt Difficulty Pinot for tonight with cousins...Cheers, Grog

Springford Farm

Pat,

    Lying on the deck watching the seals frolic, cup of coffee and best of Gregg's wines - what a life! In the meantime, I'm  loading the cars up with the old cabinets and counters and off to Kent Ave. for disposal. I was surprised we were able to compact it all and the cost was only $33. Time well spent.

    George and I managed a ride to Iona this morning. Shorts and T-shirt weather still! Unfortunately, George had a puncture crossing Arthur Laing but we were soon on the go again and it was a pleasant ride. George is cycling to Galiano with Amira tomorrow and Kerry and Amira will follow on Saturday.

    Met Rod last Saturday at the rugby match. He was on his 'new' road bike ($100 second hand) which will be his steed on the rides he is doing with a group in the Rossland area. Rides of 100 to 160 K he told me. Ray

Hi Raymond!

Lucky we cycle over CSTB so often as you knew exactly where to go to Transfer Station! Must feel terrific to have that messy job over and done with. Real benefit is that you'll be able to afford an expensive road bike now, probably $200 by Rod's standards!

 We spent a very pleasant morning yesterday, wandering the attractive streets of Qualicum Beach, a lovely community, about 10K north of us. Spent most of our time in and out of galleries and antique stores. In the Old School House Arts Centre, (as the name implies, it was once a functioning school house), local artists can rent studio space and we had a number of very interesting conversations with those who were there, working on their arts or crafts. After that we made for French Creek tot he seafood store there and picked up some bacon-wrapped scallops and salmon burgers for lunch tomorrow. Have invited neighbours, Nancy and John, from immediately next door. We met them last time we were house sitting and it was through them that we began to think about the canal barge trip. They had done one a few years before and we noticed a brochure on  coffee table and asked them about the holiday.

Jean and John Anderson, from Victoria, will drive up to spend Saturday night with us so we are looking forward to catching up as we haven't seen them for more than a year or so. Not sure if Sarge will make it over as he thought he might have a work commitment. Flamin' is in St John's attending a wedding.

 Last night we invited neighbours from across the street, Annabel Duncan and Robert Strachan, both vets, from Scotland, as their names might indicate. Grogg had told us about them and suggested we might like to meet them. Delightful couple, here for a year or so. She works in Nanaimo in a household pets clinic while Robert works in Coombes in more of an agricultural practice. Grogg told us that he had been kicked in the face by  horse a number of weeks ago. Quite an ordeal let me tell you as he told us all about it. Had to have four small plates put in his left cheekbone. Extremely lucky that he didn't lose his eye or far worse, of course. Hard to tell now that he suffered such trauma as his face looks normal. Hi still has some numbness around his moth but feels it is gradually diminishing. Annabel suggested that she'd just have to kiss him more passionately! We've invited them to stay when they next visit Vancouver so perhaps you'll have a chance to meet them.

 Well, I've just finished my fresh blackberry, yogurt and cereal concoction, (was taking a spoonful every so often as I typed), so time to suit up. Plan to ride past Bowser to clock at least 100K for round trip. First day that it has not been bright and sunny so I actually don't mind with distance I've set. Don't think I'll be able to ride to Courtenay as had thought I'd do that on Monday. Grogg and Lurchesca are now coming home then, (They changed their flight to obtain a direct connection.), so we need to be here for dinner, etc. At one time I thought I'd contact Norm Cardinal and have a visit, Cora Lee driving to meet me there. Not really enough time to enjoy trip and visit if we have to be back to welcome owners! As well, we need to vacate their bedroom. That entails changing bed linen and packing earlier than anticipated. Not a big deal but still tasks that need to be dealt with.

I had a very pleasant ride yesterday, shortly after we returned from our "tourist" outing. I headed into Parksville and took of around  Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park but a few kilometres away. Lovey in amongst the wonderful majestic Douglas firs. I was quite suprised at how many of the camping sites were still occupied, mainly camper vans but also some tents. Just around the corner, almost literally, is another large housing development along the Englishman River and its delta. By the time I cycled most of the main streets I had about 22K on my odometer so thought I'd head to Qualicum Beach as I wanted to be out for 50K and knew that would give me the desired distance.

Very, very enjoyable ride and I was quite pleased that many of the long grades were much easier to negotiate with the new steed. When I reached QB decided to cycle down to the water and then further along, to bridge over Qualicum Creek, a few kilometres beyond town. Turned around there and retraced my route and realized that I'd be able, with a bit of dipsy-doodling, at the end, to log 70K. Was quite pleased to have tallied an AVG of 21.6kph over 3:17:36, Max 49.9, (on only "real" hill towards French Creek), for 71.3K. Main difference, of course, from previous ride, is the lack of climbing. Around Fairwinds and down Red Gap to Island Highway is much like ride to HB so it is hard to maintain a higher AVG as I needn't tell you.

Anyway, can't put ride off any longer! Cheers, Patrizzio!

It appears now that I will not get over for a visit. It has been a busy week at work and I plan to spend the day tomorrow at the office. When do you get back to Van. Wayne

Hi Guys:

How is life on the island going? Hope the weather
is fine and you are doing a bit of relaxing, are you
cycling Patrick?

Corrine did you finish the book I left and did you
enjoy it?

Kevin went to the Doctor again this week and she
took another chest xray and also did some blood
tests on him, he will be going back for his results
on Monday morning so will let you know when we
find out.

I miss Maggie so much, please give her a big kiss
for me when you return home.

Thats it for now, will write again soon

Miss you guys lots Luv Bev

Hi Bev and Kev!

Lovely to hear from you! Trust results of blood work/x-ray will show Kev needs to drink more wine! For our part, life goes exceedingly well. Sorry that you miss Maggster as Cora Lee has already traded her in for Cimcky, resident feline. He is a terrific little guy, tiny in comparison to Maggie! He only complains when he wants to be brushed and then he goes into fits of cat ecstasy when Cora Lee obliges! Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Patrick,

Denise Bourdon wants to connect with you on LinkedIn. Denise Bourdon Retired at WKC & Associates View Profile

 
Hi Denise!

Trust you and Ken are well. We are house sitting, at the moment, in Parksville, for our friends, The Millionaires! Have been here since last Saturday. Today, in fact, was first overcast day since arriving. I didn't mind as I went for the longest ride of my "professional career" today. Left at about 11:30am and went north, making for Bowser. I have ridden there on earlier visits so knew i wanted to go at least 10K beyond for a 100K round trip. I enjoyed traveling over the parts of the route I'd already done and was quite looking forward to exploring new territory, so to speak. Went as far north as Union Bay, 70k from start, on Island Highway so not overly much traffic.

[Women played professional, minor league baseball until 1931. That year,  a young woman named Jackie Mitchell  struck out Babe Ruth. And, for good measure, she struck out Lou Gehrig too.]

Pleased as punch, happy as a lark, smiling from ear to ear, I touched down with 143.3K over 6:32:08 for an AVG of 21.9kph and a MAX of 57.3kph, on hill leading down into Qualicum Landing.

Found Coriandre watching TV. The kitchen made my mouth water as she had a chicken roasting and cannellini beans simmering on the stove stop. I had a quick shower and we opened a tasty bottle of Malbec, a 2010 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenire, 14%, that complimented the meal extraordinarily well. We chatted and planned the next few days and then the "chef" repaired to watch more TV. We hoped to see the Doc Martin we missed the ending of, while friends, Bev and Kev, from Perth, Oz, were staying, a week or so ago, but it was an earlier episode. This being the case, I decided to catch up on email, hence this epistle.

Well, time to say goodnight. Busy day tomorrow as neighbours, Nancy and John will come for lunch and then close friends, Jean and John Anderson, arrive, from Victoria for the night. They will be bringing Benson, their Dalmatian, so am wondering how Cimcky, resident feline, will manage! Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

 Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
Harper Collins, 2010, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha
Pages: 85-87

"Though many strive to hide their human libidinousness from themselves and each other, being a force of nature, it breaks through. Lots of upright, proper Americans were scandalized by the way Elvis moved his hips when he sang 'rock and roll.' But how many realized what the phrase rock and roll meant? Cultural historian Michael Ven­tura, investigating the roots of African-American music, found that rock 'n' roll was a term that originated in the juke joints of the South. Long in use by the time Elvis appeared, Ventura explains the phrase 'hadn't meant the name of a music, it meant 'to f**k.' 'Rock,' by it­self, had pretty much meant that, in those circles, since the twenties at least.' By the mid-1950s, when the phrase was becoming widely used in mainstream culture, Ventura says the disc jockeys 'either didn't know what they were saying or were too sly to admit what they knew.'

"Though crusty old Ed Sullivan would have been scandalized to realize what he was saying when he announced this new 'rock and roll all the kids are crazy about,' examples of barely concealed sexual reference lurking just below the surface of common American English don't stop there. Robert Farris Thompson, America's most prominent historian of African art, says that funky is derived from the Ki-Kongo lu-fuki, meaning 'positive sweat' of the sort you get from dancing or having sex, but not working. One's mojo, which has to be 'working' to attract a lover, is Ki-Kongo for 'soul.' Boogie comes from mbugi, mean­ing 'devilishly good.' And both jazz and jism likely derive from dinza, the Ki-Kongo word for 'to ejaculate.'