Aliens Come to Visit Shavasana Gallery & Café

I was coming over to Mayne Island recently on the ferry when I noticed this flotilla of alien craft arriving from afar, enroute to Shavasana Gallery & Café.

When I arrived at Shavasana, there they were, politely waiting for me to open up. It was a bit of a challenge to understand them – given their very thick accents – but they did make it quite clear that their scouting party had come back recently with stories of a very comfortable little place on a charming island, with yummy baked goods, a delicious dark hot beverage, intriguing aural noises emanating from a small black device, and examples of primitive art.

Of course, I invited them in and made sure there was enough coffee and baked goodies to go around. Seating was pretty tight, although luckily they were quite thin and could sit two to a chair. They even bought a few works of art before they took off, including a piece by Famous Empty Sky as they’d “never seen collage before” and were hoping to donate it to their intergalactic museum as representative of the local culture.

As they wrapped up and prepared to board their vessels for the four-and-a-half light year trip home, I thanked them for coming and told them to please drop in if they were ever back in this quadrant of our galaxy. They assured me that they would, asking when exactly I too would be back on Mayne Island, so they could make plans to return.

Of course I told them Anita’s weekly schedule – Sunday/Monday & Tuesday, most weekends, and that I would be back the following days:

Saturday March 14, Sunday March 15 and Monday the 16th – roughly 9am to 4pm, except Sunday where doors open around 10:15.

They smiled (I think) and waved goodbye, and promised to return.

🛸👽👽👽🚀

The Accidental Curator: Episode 18 – The Fourth Corner

I’m just in the process of updating my links to my podcast, “The Accidental Curator.” I originally published this podcast in April and a friend contacted me to let me know that it had picked up an irritating “time stamp” – like a metronome ticking away in the background – so I contacted Podbean (the host of all my podcasts) to see what could be done. I was encouraged to use their new Ai feature which quite easily corrected the problem. It also rewrote my – somewhat thin – descriptive preamble, and came up with what follows (definitely more enticing than what I wrote…it speaks more highly of myself than I do – It knows me so well😱)😆. This redo came out in June, so I’ve let it remain In this episode, of The Accidental Curator as follows:

“George Bathgate shares a gripping story titled “The Fourth Corner.” As he prepares to reopen his art gallery, George reflects on three significant car accidents he has witnessed over the years in his Kitsilano neighborhood. Each incident, occurring at different corners, serves as a vivid illustration of life’s unpredictability and the importance of staying vigilant.

From the bustling art gallery to the quaint Bruno’s Corner Cup Café, George’s narrative weaves through time and space, capturing the essence of community life and the ever-present potential for unexpected events. Tune in to hear how these experiences have shaped his outlook and to get a sneak peek into his upcoming book of short stories.

Join George for a compelling episode filled with reflection, humor, and a touch of suspense, reminding us all to approach life’s corners with caution and curiosity.”

Don’t worry, I have not, nor will not, let Ai write my stories nor do my voice. For me at least that would defeat the purpose of exercising creativity – so, here I am, warts & all.

https://www.theaccidentalcurator.ca/e/the-accidental-curator-episode-18-the-fourth-corner/