CANNED! My new mystery novel celebrates 30 years of craft brewing in S. Okanagan

 

Tin Whistle Brewing Company was created in 1995 by Lawrie and Lynda Lock, and Richard and Linda Grierson.

(Front) Steve Emshay, Richard Grierson, Lynda Lock, Dave Prechel  

(Back) Lawrie Lock, and his sister Linda Grierson

Photo credit Angela Prechel: 1^st South Okanagan craft brewery, Tin Whistle Brewing Company

It began in 1995 with a phone call between Lawrie Lock and his sister Linda Grierson. In 1994, Linda and her husband Richard suggested that the four of us open the first craft brewery in the South Okanagan. 

It took a year to buy a property, remodel it, order custom-made tanks and equipment, and, more importantly learn how to make English-style ales.

We opened the Tin Whistle Brewing Company in August 1995 with three ales: Penticton Pale Ale, Whistle Stop Dark, and Rattlesnake ESB. 

Three months later we changed the names to Coyote Pale, Black Widow Dark, and kept Rattlesnake ESB. By 1996, we had added Peaches and Cream and Killer Bee Dark Honey.

In 1998, local businesswoman Lorraine Nagy approached us, asking if we were interested in selling our company. Yes, we were! We had enjoyed the challenge of the startup and were ready for a new adventure.

Lorraine Nagy remained the owner of Tin Whistle until 2021, when she sold it to the current owners, Alexis Esseltine, Tim Scoon, and their family.

Congratulations to Alexis and Tim for steering Tin Whistle Brewing Company on a fresh new course. Follow the link below to see their interesting array of new products. https://www.tinwhistlebrewery.com/

~

My newest murder mystery is set in Penticton BC, 

The Craft Brewery Capital of Canada!

Canned Book #4

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Grand Manan to Saint Johns NB)

 June 16th: I have a few days to catch up with blog posts. At times, I just want to do a massive photo dump on Facebook and stop there, but my OCD heart needs to document the experience in better detail. Besides, I know when I look at the photo dumps of my FB friends, I frequently wonder, "Where was this photo taken? And why?" 

The Sparkinator and I caught the 9:30 a.m. boat from Grand Manan to the mainland of New Brunswick. I had a reservation for a much later crossing, but once I am up and organised, I want to be on the move. I stopped at the ticket booth in North Head, Grand Manan, and asked if I could change my reservation. 

"Sure. No problem!" And then we were on the boat. 

Unfortunately, it was another foggy morning, and the ship's captain was required to sound the fog horn at frequent intervals. So, now my pooch is well and truly terrified of travelling on car ferries. He shook and shivered the entire 90-minute crossing. I'll have to drug him for the 7-hour crossing on July 2nd to Newfoundland.

We landed in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. It's a cute area that I couldn't see on the way to Grand Manan because of the heavy fog. Our next stop was beautiful Dipper Cove, a short detour on Highway 790, off Highway 1. I could live there! It's tiny, sheltered, and right on the ocean!  (And, I might say that a few more times about other Maritime communities in the coming months.)

By 2:00 in the afternoon, we were at our okay-average Holiday Inn Express on the west side of Saint Johns. I didn't feel like exploring anymore and napped instead. My travel partner was okay with that!

Cheers, Lynda & The Sparkinator

Cheeky seagull Grand Manan NB

Seal Harbour Grand Manan

Leaving Blacks Harbour, NB

Leaving Blacks Harbour, NB

Dipper Cove, New Brunswick

Dipper Cove, New Brunswick

Dipper Cove, my Mazda gets around

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Quebec & Maine)

June 9th: Granby, Quebec to Bangor, Maine.

What a stunningly beautiful drive south from Sherbrooke, Quebec, and into Maine. Gorgeous low 'mountains,' rivers, lakes, and charming communities. It must be a spectacular drive in the fall when the oaks, maples, and poplars are changing from green to gold, orange, and red.

I live in BC, where the mountains are considerably younger, not worn down by the various ice ages. These mountains are rounded and gentler but still beautiful.

Notre Dame de Bois, Quebec

Notre Dame de Bois, Quebec

Border crossing between Quebec and Maine

Sugarloaf Mountains area of Maine

My @Mazda 3 - Sugarloaf Mountains, Maine

Sugarloaf Mountains Maine

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Maryland & Pennsylvania)

June 1st, Friendsville, Maryland, and Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. (I am getting better at spelling the state names!) Miss Google routed us through many roads and towns. The slower routes add driving time, but for me, the adventure is more important than just arriving at the next hotel.

Friendsville Maryland

Friendsville Maryland

Friendsville Maryland

My Mazda 3 in Friendsville, Maryland

View of Maryland from rest stop

Bellefonte Pennsylvania

Bellefonte Pennsylvania

Sparky's Epic Adventure to Newfoundland (via Vancouver Island)

Day 1, the start of Sparky's Epic Adventure to Newfoundland. We are driving west first to visit with family and long-time friends. We don't turn towards the eastern side of North America until the 10th of May. Right now, I am squishing all of the 'must-haves' into my car.

The beginning!

Day 2 of Sparky's Epic Adventure. It's a long and winding route that will eventually take us to Newfoundland, Canada, by July 1st. Today's drive was from Kamloops to Surrey, BC, to visit with good friends Jenda and Surinder, and their pooch Gizmo. There was dense fog this morning, which turned to brilliant sunshine by noon.

Cheery trees in bloom White Rock BC

Day 3, of Sparky's Epic Adventure. Hanging out with my friends in Whiterock/Surrey. I love the lush vegetation of the Lower Mainland in BC. Sparky likes grazing on fresh grass. He looks like a small Holstein bull.

My little Holstein bull

Day 4 of Sparky's Epic Adventure, via the long way to Newfoundland, Canada. We traveled from Surrey/White Rock to Davis Bay, BC. It's only 80-something kilometers, but the drive is in heavy traffic, multiple bridges, and a ferry. I had booked Sparky and me into a cute cottage called Seas the Day in Gibson's, but the 'greeting committee' of three snarly dogs changed my plans. I moved along, up the coast to Davis Bay. I am currently working on getting my deposit back from the operator of #SeastheDay.

Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal

Day 5 of Sparky's Epic Adventure via the long route to Newfoundland, Canada. Thursday's sunset from our room at the Coast Oceanside in Davis Bay, BC. It's been a wet and rainy Friday on the Sunshine Coast and most of BC. I met up with my sister and nieces for hot beverages and laughter. It was so good to see everyone again.

Snug Cove Ferry Bowen Island

Day 6, of our adventure. We drove from Gibsons to the ferry terminal and on to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver by ferry. Then we had a second ferry ride to Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, and drove north to visit my friends in Nanoose Bay for a few days. Beautiful scenery, but a damp and grey day. Sparky and I are a bit tired and were in bed by sundown.

Cathedral Grove Vancouver Island

Day 7, Sparky and I are hanging out on Vancouver Island with my long-time friends. The weather is pleasant and intermittently sunny. Today's wandering included a trip to the French Creek Fresh Seafood, with the big fishing boats moored in the marina behind the store. We did a repeat visit to the fascinating Goats on the Roof stores at the Coombs Country Market and took the two dogs for a long stroll through the forest trails.

French Creek BC

Day 8, and we have finally traveled 1000 km! Most of this week has been spent with family and friends so we haven't put a lot of miles (kilometers) on the odometer. Tonight we are in Tofino, on the outer rim of Vancouver Island. The next stop would be Japan. Tomorrow, Sparky and I turn east and start the trek toward our goal of Newfoundland.

Chesterman Beach Tofino BC

A little wine research and development: CORKED

Friday was research and development day for my newest novel, Corked. 

It's a murder-mystery set in a local, but fictitious, winery. 

With over three hundred wineries in British Columbia, Canada, it was a challenge to pick a name for my winery that wasn't already in use. I chose one of Lawrie's favourite expressions and named my fictitious winery No Regrets. It is supposedly located in the southern part of the Okanagan Valley. 

For authenticity in the story, I picked the brains of my winey-friends, Prudence Mayer, owner of Ruby Blues on the Naramata Bench, in Penticton, Sharon Hickey, who works at Ruby Blues, plus wine consultant and long-time friend, Eric von Krosigk at Frind Estate in West Kelowna. 

Sharon Hickey and Kerry Younie - let's go!

This past week was bottling time at Ruby Blues for their whites: Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Riesling, and White Stiletto. Sparky and I received an invite to pop out and watch the action, so we did. Early Friday morning, I drove to the property just in time to see the crew start the process. What an amazing operation. 

Rudy tipped the clean bottles onto the line to be whisked away and cleaned, then filled, capped, and capsuled. The bottles automatically made their way along the line until they arrived at the boxing station where Sharon Hickey and Kerry Younie checked each one for correct placement of the labels, and that it had been filled to the proper level, then added six each to the case before it passed under the taping device and slid down the line to be stacked on the wooden pallet. Wine-maker, Blair Gillingham, took turns with Melanie, Spencer, Paul, and Prudence lifting and stacking the boxes. 

The hard-working crew was flying to keep up with the speeding bottles. At the end of the day, they had bottled eighteen pallets of wine. 

That equals 18 pallets x 56 boxes on each pallet x 12 bottles in each box, or 12096 bottles of yummy Ruby Blues wine. So, 12096 times in one day, someone picked up a bottle, examined the label and the fill line, then placed it in the box. That's a shoulder-killing repetitive movement all for our sakes, so that we can enjoy the delicious product. 

Video of the bottling line and workers in action.

When you read Corked, keep them in mind.

The automated line is the brainchild of Norman Cole, founder and owner of Artus Bottling Ltd. Started in 2005, the company provides a much-needed, mobile beverage bottling for small to medium-sized wineries and cideries in the Okanagan Valley. Previously, many smaller wineries struggled to afford equipment that was used twice a year; once in the spring to bottle the whites, and again in the fall for the reds.

Ruby Blues Wine & Gift Shop

I am looking forward to enjoying my Ruby Blues wine.

Cheers, 

Lynda and The Sparkinator

CORKED 

Cover design by Mary Fry Designs

Chasing the 'funnies' on a Sunday afternoon

I grew up with an abundance of reading material... what about you? 

My best memories of reading go back to when my three sisters and I were still all living at home, so probably late 1950s. Comic books like Archie, Blondie and Dagwood, Little Lulu, Richie Rich, Superman, and Uncle Scrooge were hot commodities to be traded between friends in our tiny townsite of Bradian. 

After finishing our chores, Saturday afternoons were free and clear to visit friends, trade comic books (some that were more prized than others and commanded a two-for-one price), and return home to devour our new reading material. However, our dad was also a big fan of comic books. We had to share with him, sometimes giving up the best ones for him to read first! 

But the real fun happened on Sundays. The Vancouver Sun always arrived in our town a day late. The travel time between Vancouver and Bralorne was twelve hours of hard driving, so getting the newspaper, pre-television, pre-internet, was a big deal. 

The thick weekend paper would hit the front step, and the chase would be on with my long-legged father running up and down the streets holding the Saturday 'funnies' hostage while his four daughters pelted after him. We hollered and laughed and yelled like banshees. 

Some of the neighbours would cheer on Dad, others would be rooting for one of his daughters to snatch the prized weekend funnies out of his hand. 

Being the youngest and the shortest, I never had a chance so I resorted to subterfuge. I would hide in the one and only bathroom in our company-owned home. Dad would return triumphant and dash into the bathroom, the only room in the house with a locking door, and ta-da, there I was ready to claim my share of Donald Duck, Little Abner, Henry, Jiggs, or Nancy. 

Sometime in the mid-1950s, when I was four or maybe five, my parents purchased an extensive collection of sixteen encyclopedia-sized books from a traveling salesman. 

The series started with nursery rhymes and progressed to more complex stories, intended for readers at a grade twelve level. 

I don't remember what the series was called, but I do remember the spines of the books ranged from light blue to deep blue to dark green as you progressed through the stories, gradually reading more and more difficult material. 

Then, when I was nine, my dad gave me his copy of the Springhill, Nova Scotia, mining disaster. On October 23, 1958, there was a 'bump,' a shift in the earth that resembled an underground earthquake. 

It killed 75 men and trapped 99 more. By November 1st, 1958, the last of the survivors was found. After that, the search only recovered bodies. 

So, yeah, a little light reading recommended to me by my dad.

My next conquest was all of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden novels ever written, plus Little Women and Little Men. By the time that we moved from that tiny mining town in 1961, I had blown through all of the reading material in our house. 

When we moved to a larger city, Chilliwack, BC, Dad introduced me to the concept of a library and being able to choose whatever I wanted to read. My favourites included the entire Zane Grey collection of western novels and anything written by Farley Mowat.

My voracious reading habit has followed me throughout my life. 

Fortunately, both Lawrie and I shared a passion for reading, and for the most part, read the same authors. Occasionally, I veer into historical novels, and he would find a thriller series that interested him.

When Lawrie and I moved to Mexico in 2008, we made the switch to electronic readers. Books in English were difficult to find, and books in English that we hadn't already read were a rare find. 

Our reading habit became quite costly. We typically ordered an e-book a day from Amazon and devoured it before bedtime. 

Now, I live across the street from a fabulous public library. I can indulge my passion freely.

What are you reading today?

Cheers 

Lynda, and The Sparkinator

Murder and mayhem, revenge and romance on a tiny island off the coast of Mexico! 

Grab your copy today! 

The second anniversary - Widowhood 101

In Paris, 2012

It has been a rough few days leading up to September 3rd, the second anniversary of Lawrie's passing. My emotions have been like a ride on a soon-to-be-condemned roller-coaster. Up, and down, and slamming sideways around the corners.

Over the past two years, I have made some progress in managing my grief, although the special occasions continue to be a problem. Halloween was our favourite fun celebration, and Christmas. Other dates, such as the anniversary of when we moved in together, our wedding anniversary, my birthday, and Lawrie's birthday, continue to haunt me. 

San Miquel de Allende

I also made some life-changing decisions this past year. First, I sold our home on Isla Mujeres to a very nice couple from Wisconsin. Then, Sparky and I moved to San Miguel de Allende in December 2019. San Miguel is a beautiful colonial city in the mountains north of Mexico City. It is a paradise for writers, artists, and historians. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring my new surroundings, camera in hand, for hours at a time. It seemed to be the perfect place for me to heal. 

But the world had other plans. COVID-19 arrived in North America, creating economic and emotional hardship for millions. As a new arrival to San Miguel de Allende, and without a strong support base like I had on Isla Mujeres, things could get a bit tough. So, I packed up my few belongings and returned to Canada on March 20th.

For five weeks, my best friends since elementary school days, let Sparky and me live at their house in the Vancouver area. Their two doggies played with Sparky, while the three humans tried to remain sane during the lockdown. We entertained ourselves with good food, wine, and numerous 'remember when' stories from our high school days.

Fortunately, son John and his family live nearby, and I was able to sneak in a few visits during the lockdown, and more regularly since the rules have loosened up a little. It's fun to spend a bit of time with an adult granddaughter and two grandsons. Where have the years gone?

Naramata Bench, Okanagan, BC.

In late April, I decided to move to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, where we had lived for many years before moving to Isla Mujeres. It's peaceful and beautiful here. Vineyards. Orchards. Lakes. Rivers. And people who remember both Lawrie and me. The transition was easier, and my heart has been slowly mending. I am finally able to savour a cup of coffee on my own and listen to music without turning into a mess. 

In the meantime, I kept writing and self-published three more novels: Temptation Isla, Terror Isla, and Twisted Isla. I am now working on the next idea. Writing keeps me from endlessly obsessing over my loss.

But then something happens, and my emotions run amok again.

A very nice man, whom I only knew tangentially, recently died from a rare bone cancer. He and his wife were happy together for twenty-one years, and now she is a widow. Her grief has sharpened my grief.

And, more recently young woman that Lawrie worked with years ago at Magnum's Restaurant in Penticton wrote to tell me of her chance encounter with him in April 2018 at the Penticton Regional Hospital. 

We had returned to Canada to double-check the medical diagnosis, and the specialist had just informed Lawrie that he had only a few months to live. The young woman was on her way to visit a family member in the hospital and accidentally got off on the wrong floor. She didn't know we were in Canada, or that Lawrie was sick. When she saw him, she stopped to chat, and he told her why he was there, sitting in the hallway of the hospital, contemplating life.  

This is part of her email to me, "When we were finishing up the conversation, I asked the woman at the desk where the room I was looking for was, and she told me I was on the wrong floor.

Lawrie and I just looked at each other. I said, "Well, I guess that it was meant to be."

He said, "Life's funny like that, isn't it?"

Had I not followed another nurse off the elevator that day, I would've never seen him or known he was ill. I was so unbelievably grateful for that serendipitous moment."

The young woman went on to tell me of the good memories she had of Lawrie as her boss and her friend. How he had been a strong and positive influence on her life. Lawrie told her that he had had a very full life and had no regrets, and how much he loved me. Stories like this are treasures.

My Widowhood 101 posts have connected me with others who are also suffering and just want to chat. It's good to talk and not keep the pain bottled up inside.

The downside is, my frankness rips open the partially healed wounds of others who love Lawrie and miss him.

It's difficult.

Lynda

Sparky and Lawrie, Isla Mujeres Mexico