Thursday, 17 April 2014

Cock and Bull Terrible Beauty Blues: Thursday, April 17th

If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. -Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (1885-1962) 

Cheers,
Mark & Susan!
As most of you know, we had our first and only date 3 days before we started living together on April 17th, 1984 ( : Tonight we celebrated the 30th anniversary of that event by enjoying this amazing meal in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We had just come back into town after enjoying the sunset over Angkor Wat. We feel truly fortunate!

Chloe Alexis Dunn Pub crawl 3 out of 5!!!! Not bad, not bad at all!

Patrick James Dunn Which ones?
Hi Susan and Mark! Congratulations to you both! Quite an anniversary in quite an exotic locale. Again congratulations and all the very best from Cora Lee and Patrizzio! Biking through rice paddies, sunsets over Angkor Wat, eating fresh coconut, what's next? Cheers, Patrizzio!

I had no idea it was quick setting crazy glue that bonded you together so quickly. It's obviously long-lasting stuff. Congratulations! Mike

Did not know that!, You guys are awesome! and really glad to see you're having such a great time!! We've been wanting to explore that part of the world so we'll look forward to hearing your accounts. Cheers, Al 

Dear Mark and Susan,

I never shrink from an opportunity to expand on a pun opening, no matter how large the stretch required by the listening victims. To Wit (or at least 50% thereof) I will shamelessly draft off of Mike's crazy- glue analogy. You see, the best fixatives come in two parts, dares de stuff and den dares the catalyst.

It is quite obvious that each of you is made of the right stuff but the catalyst that cemented the deal has, till now ,remained a mystery; remained behind closed doors as it were. Not wanting to take Lepage from Charlie Rich's book I will refrain from publishing my conclusions, but I humbly suggest that my theory will ultimately stick. 

Grazing upon that groaning table of food has probably left you somewhat vulnerable to my heaping portions of puns so I will mercifully slide my chair back from the table and raise a glass to toast the two of you. May you, in the years to come, through valleys and mountain tops alike, be gladdened to gaze into each other's eyes and declare, "We will always have Angkor Wat"...." WHAT !! ?? " ... Just CHANGE THE BATTERIES on that thing, dear. Love Stephen and Elisabeth

Noreen's 79, in Avignon today! Beautiful Grandma, 79 yesterday, France! No pic attached ;(

Hi Maya! Is Noreen with Colin? Cheers, Patrizzio! oui, oui!

Oh yes, do I forget you are a year younger than me??? I'll be 68!!! Nov 6. Frank will turn the big 7.....0....!!!!! May 6; although he, like you, is likely more healthy & fit than men half his age! I am healthy but not nearly as fit. Still, I am happy where I am at at this stage, confident and enjoying life! 

I love my Zumba and miss all the dances we attend in our Senior Park in Yuma! Gotta love dancing, a fun way to keep active & stay fit! Miss my bowling too but busy helping the girls with babysitting which I enjoy!

Love the pics! Have you ever thought of a mustache/goatee replacing your bush man's beard? Frank did that on my suggestion, very slimming and sexy too! What did all these guys do in their careers? Ha!ha! I was surprised but yes, it happens. maggie 

 Hi Zumba Gal!

I thought that with all your dancing your right foot would be so well trianed that you could overcome the hard-wired programming! Not only are you like Cora Lee in loving dancing and changing residences, she calls me "mountain man" as well! Actually, I have had a beard almost ever since I met you! I shaved it of for a few months but found my skin was too, too sensitive, (Just a Sensitive new Age Male!), so that is why I still sport one. I just let my hair and beard grow until I'm ready to visit my barber and then I have a very, very short haircut and trim. Will be headed there shortly in preparation for wedding in Mexico. Hope this is fine with you!

With respect to the lads, from left to right, Whirlygig was a publisher at UBC Press, Mick was a very senior Sales Manager for Michelin and Fast Eddy was a train engineer for CP.

Just back from downtown. Left around 11:30 am and took the Aquabus over to Yaletown on the north side of False Creek. From there we walked up the Vancouver At Gallery where we spent about three hours. Took in Lawren Harris: Canadian Visionary, a "career survey of Lawren Stewart Harris, founding member of the Group of Seven, traces Harris' artistic evolution from the early years of the twentieth century to the mid-1960s, illustrating his move from representational art to abstraction." 

I was only familiar with his landscapes and really had no idea that he had relocated to Vancouver in 1940 and became an extremely important figure/leader in the life of the Vancouver Art Gallery, essentially spearheading the development of the Emily Carr Trust collection. Must say that I am not really drawn to his later abstract pieces but it was, nonetheless, fascinating to see the artistic development of such a critical figure in one of Canada's most influential art movements.

Following this we took a 30-minute Hot Spot tour of Myfanwy Macleod, Or There And Back Again:

This exhibition presents a new body of sculpture by the Vancouver-based artist Myfanwy MacLeod. Drawing upon motifs associated with the sexually charged music of Led Zeppelin and the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien, the exhibition examines the conventions of the heroic quest as a male fantasy.

The tour also included, Artist's Choice Cock and Bull, which is presented in conjunction with the above exhibition and features work from the Gallery's permanent collection selected by Myfanwy MacLeod and Grant Arnold, Audain Curator of British Columbia Art, following the model of "cock and bull story," an improbable tale passed off as the truth. Taken together, the works that make up the exhibition engage with imbalances of power in the art world–inequities that MacLeod sees as representative of the world at large–while addressing the conflict between art and commerce, the tension between high art and popular entertainment, and the desire to make something "socially relevant".
 
Our tour guide was a very personable, knowledgeable young man who works in children's programming, part of the Gallery's School and Education initiative. Great way to get an overview of the two exhibitions and as there were only four of us on the tour it was more than informative. Having him provide historical and contextual information about the various pieces and their co-location was almost mesmerizing and enabled me, at least, to appreciate works that might otherwise have left one rather curiously puzzled or completely baffled. Many, many examples, of course, but one in particular, Miss August, 2012 creased Dorothy Stratten Playboy poster, became immediately understandable when the "backstory", (Google her if you don't know details!), to her life and death were recounted.

After this well spent time, we felt a tad peckish so we walked a few blocks to Next Noodle Bar on Robson and enjoyed large bowls of soup. Cora Lee chose the Minced Beef & Egg White Cilantro Soup while I opted for one from the Lunch Combo, the Hot and Chilii Soup with beef slices, tofu and green onions. Both were delicious and warmed us up as it was a cool, very rainy, rainy day. After the pleasant repast we walked back down Hornby to take the Aquabus back to Granville Island but came across Long Table Distillery, about a block up from  the water. Cora Lee had been by a number of times but never stopped in so we decided we'd go for a tasting!
As it turned out we were only people there and we were served by the very engaging owner/distiller, Charles Tremewen. We had a grand time tasting their Texada Vodka, Cucumber Gin, London Dry Gin, Marc du Soleil, (basically a grappa), Långbord Akvavit and a Peppermint Mist. We enjoyed everything but were really taken with the Cucumber Gin and the Marc. As well, I liked the Akvavit so we came away with those three bottles! Glad we only had to stagger downhill to catch the ferry!

Another interesting twist had to do with the Food Trucks here in town. Charles had mentioned that he has arranged for one, TacoFino, to park outside their place when LT has Gin & Tonic Fridays. 

We asked if he knew about Pig on the Street and he said he had heard good things about them and wanted to contact them. Cora Lee took his card and said she's pass along message to Krissy as she and her husband, Mark, are just in the process of starting up again, after the winter layoff. Krissy is a close friend of Chloë's and the daughter of the couple we exchanged houses with this past August. K/C worked together at the Granville Island Brewery and that is how we met Gayle and Derek, her parents, and eventually organized the house exchange in Cornwall. Anyway, hope it helps K/M as it is loads and loads and loads of work, as they are discovering, and every bit of exposure can often make the difference between surviving or not.

Stopped off at the market to pick up a few things for tonight's dinner, (a couple of cobs of corn and some heritage tomatoes to go with Coriandre's turkey meatloaf), and then we made our way home. Just before we left the Island, we noticed what we thought was a pigeon eating pieces of bread near the edge of the small pond one walks past on the way to our building. On closer inspection Cora Lee said it wasn't a pigeon but rather a hawk of some sort! "Bread crumbs" were actually feathers and raptor was devouring the carcass of some bird or other. Whether it was the prey the hawk had killed earlier, we don't know but it was quite a sight. Managed to get reasonably close to snap a few pics. Perhaps you can identify this bird of prey. Neither of us are "birders" but consulting our Compact Guide to British Columbia Birds we think it was probably a Peregrine Falcon! All in all, a rather exciting end to a wonderfully full and extremely interesting day, in spite of our Vancouver rain! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

P, Kerry and Tia would like to make a trip out to Steveston tomorrow for fish and chips and maybe to visit the museum. They could pick up Corinne on the way if she is interested.

The Peloton would leave about 11:00 and meet them there for a bite at noonish. I know this is not within the burning ground fish/foot fry rules so I understand if you have other ambitions.

You may recall from the banter at bridge lastereve that Ed and I were facing off for the Cups today. Ed was concerned about his consumption of hooch and we were both encouraging each other to drink. As it happens I think he may be blaming the Bourbon. In turn I am grateful for the hooch and need to know the exact details on the bottle of Bourbon. Charlie and I crushed them 3 - 0, 3 -1 to take home both the Cups. Lemme know what you think of he plannage. W

Hi Victor Victorious! Glad to hear that the Makers 46, 47%, (Maker's Mark), helped you along the road to crushology! Congrats!



Thanks very much for the offer of Steveston and attendant plannage but a few wrinkles ensue. Coriandre has long since made plans to spend much of day with Chloë at her place, putting up pictures and then shopping for some clothes for Mexico. Otherwise, I'm sure she would have enjoyed being with your Goils. Sarge had mentioned, a day or so ago, that he wanted to ride tomorrow as Flamin' is working. We were planning, (weather forecast suggests "mostly cloudy" all day), to ride out to either Queensborough or Iona but we could alter that to make for  Steveston. If you don't want to ride along Marine, (I think it should be fairly quiet due to stat hol.), we could meet at the parking lot just beyond the intersection, with the stop signs, that leads towards the Arthur Laing. It should take us about an hour and a half to get there, via UBC, so we could aim for 11:00 am and then proceed out to Steveston.
 
Appreciate the offer to have tasty fish & chips but Burning Ground is even hotter out there! If we do ride to Steveston, I, (Assume you would stay for a bite with Babes), would like to return along Railway as I really don't want to test the off-pavement section past the dike which one needs to negotiate to get to #6 Road. Believe it might be pretty muddy with all the rain of late.

At any rate, let me know your thoughts. I'll probably be up by 7:30 am, if not earlier, so we can chat about various options. Cheers, Il Conduttore!  Pics: Peregrine Falcon?

Hi Donna Florida and Vincenzo!

Trust all goes well in Lotus Land! You will need to read to the end of this missive to understand the subject line! Sorry!!! Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Il Conduttore!


Can anybody identify this bird? This afternoon Cora Lee and I were just leaving Granville Island Island when we noticed what we thought was a pigeon eating pieces of bread near the edge of the small pond one walks past on the way to our building. On closer inspection Cora Lee said it wasn't a pigeon but rather a hawk of some sort! 
"Bread crumbs" were actually feathers and raptor was devouring the carcass of some bird or other. Whether it was the prey the hawk had killed earlier, we don't know but it was quite a sight. Managed to get reasonably close to snap a few pics. Perhaps you can identify this bird of prey. Neither of us are "birders" but consulting our Compact Guide to British Columbia Birds we think it was probably a Peregrine Falcon! Thanks and Cheers!

  • Jessica Lewis There is a veterinarian here with me in Belize. I will ask when I see him tomorrow.
  • Patrick James Dunn Thanks, Jessica!
  • June Burton It looks like a falcon or an eagle. didn't see one when we were there! x
  • Patrick James Dunn Too small for an eagle as far as I know. How are you June? Cheers, Patrizzio!
  • Bruno Sterckeman Maybe a young Peregrine falcon?
  • Nancy Mennel Cooper's Hawk is the verdict of a raptor bander in the SF area.
  • Patrick James Dunn Sorry, Cora Lee doesn't agree as colouration of raptor in question leans towards a peregrine falcon's markings! (No "red" on feathers!) Specialist in colour banding trumps! Learn to live with such a person and your life will be much easier and happier! Cheers, Patrizzio!

 





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