I woke from a dream last night of my father, an old man. He had said to me on my last visit before he left us all, “I hope I don’t die any time soon,” and I had wished out loud that he would live long enough to see us here. No matter how many times you grow up over the years, a parent’s proud smile is a gesture you instinctively seek.There’s more to it than that, of course. Last year Gord’s father died as well. The sorrow that doesn’t reach me in the day slips in with the darkness. Now it is we who lead the way into old age, even as we kick and fret like youngsters.



Everyone got up at dawn to pour and scrape and shine the ice to dazzle our press visitors coming up on the bus from Torino. The ice paintings are like marble, shining and veined and full of light and color. Journalists from other countries snapped photos and thanks to some diligent work at home, (Walter, Sandra, Nancy & Ann & John Law!!!) we got in touch with another journalist from B.C. who, with his cameraman, shot the ice for 2 hours!! Watch Global the week before the Olympics.

Now Art has gone his way. Yesterday I rode with him to Torino airport and then onto a meeting at TOROC for press & banners. Piero was a delight of eccentricity and kindness. An artist himself, he sets the standard for cool black attire and possesses a charm which radiates. You understand why others have chosen him to lead. And we will get a banner on the road so our show can be seen by all passing visitors!



Patrick Firpo has arrived from San Francisco; we rode the bus back to Fenestrelle from Torino together, finally found a teapot! (una pentola electtrica), spoke French all the way. A beautiful stranger (Joanna) travelled with me yesterday on my bus to make sure I made the right connections to Corso Novara and TOROC!

I haven’t introduced everyone. Today it’s Art in retrospective. Here he is, the one man refrigeration genius who conceived of the substructure and who patiently orchestrated its installation in the weeks since we arrived in Italy. His closet is full of his company shirts and he has lots of stories about travelling. First night away from the group, everyone missed his sense of humor around the table.



Five pairs of shoes have gone missing from the rooms. Shoes! The dog has been howling outside the window every night, for some reason he was mysteriously quiet last night. Maybe they put him out in the barn with the sheep.