THE ADVOCATE 591
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
and Dick would begin a very slow drive to the parking lot near the top of
Munson Mountain. The boys would be screaming in anticipation. The truck
would arrive at the parking lot and drive to the far end. The boys would
jump out. The garbage can and the rope would be taken out. The rope
would be tied to one handle of the can. The other end would be tied to the
bumper of the truck. The boys would get back in the box of the truck. Dick
would drive very slowly forward. The rope would slowly play out and the
screams from the back of the truck would get louder as the rope became
taught. The end would come and the can would tip over. The lid would
come off and slowly and with considerable dignity the skunk would waddle
off into the brush to the jubilant screams and cheers of the boys. The can
and the rope would be reloaded and Dick would slowly drive back to Brooke
Hollow and the trap would be reset. It was great to be a boy at that time and
place in Penticton.
Dick was fond of wine, and his wonderful memory made him a great
source of wine lore. As well, he had a discerning palate. In the early 1960s,
he discovered Chateau Musar, a wine from Lebanon that then sold in the
government liquor store for slightly over $2. It arrived here aged in the bottle
for many years. It was a superb Bordeaux style wine, and it became his
staple for many years.
Dick was part of a regular group of friends who maintained wine cellars,
and they met frequently. I was going to be in Penticton on a judgment week,
and Dick invited Judge Allan and me to an upcoming wine dinner at his
home. I was in Dawson Creek at the time, just after Alberta had privatized
liquor distribution and there was a small liquor store that had a fair selection
of wines in Grand Prairie. I drove there to see if I could find a good wine
for the occasion. I looked around the main section of the store for a good
Burgundy or a bottle of Chateau Musar. I asked at the counter and was
directed upstairs where, to my astonishment, they had ten years of Chateau
Musar, in bottles, splits and magnums. I purchased a number of bottles and
splits and one magnum.
The wine dinner was superb. It was held in the Brooke dining room,
hosted by Dick with his usual panache. The magnum of Musar was greatly
appreciated. The wines were poured and the merry group fell upon dinner.
Dick’s faithful dog was at his feet. Without warning, the dog let loose a virtuoso
display of flatulence. It seemed to reverberate off all four walls of the
room simultaneously. Immediately, a dozen diners were crowding out the
doors choking and gasping. All downstairs doors were opened, and a hiatus
took place. It was some time before we gingerly returned to our dinner and
wines.