Peachfest rages on here in Penticton. There's a loyal showing out here, for certain. At times it feels much like the Mayor's Cup I attended back in Plattsburgh a few weeks ago (including the similarity of a pseudo-Beatles troupe) I witnessed another hypnotism, and this hypnotist really was good at his job. He convinced the poor saps that a cotton-stuffed doll was a drowning victim, had them attempt CPR, then told them that they'd failed and the victim had died anyway. He said they had to throw the body off the stage because it would "stink up the boat". To that, one person was distraught, crying, and refused to allow such insensitivity, while another person, apparently assaulted by the rank carcass, gave the mourning rescuer a shove for not wanting to throw the body overboard. This all progressed to a point where the hypnotist, in an effort to save the peace, informed the participants that he was throwing a "relaxation grenade". The effects were quite entertaining.

{ I'm reminded of Stuart Smithers' reflections on hypnosis, and that we really have no way of knowing how awake we really are. If participants of hypnosis require "focus, concentration, and relaxation" then it's quite possible that the definition of hypnosis could be broadened beyond these entertainment shows and applied to considering our daily lives. Could our work ethic, consuming habits, what makes us happy, etc. be so strongly instilled because we are, in a sense, hypnotized? }

Despite the sizable audience at Peachfest, according to a local, it's nothing compared to what it used to be, which is quite a statement considering the Gyro Bandshell stage has acts and music going on non-stop for five (or six?) days. I'm happy to say that the Saturday morning parade even included a float of Ogopogo.

Although K-town is much more well known for its Ogotourism, Penticton seems to have just as much if not more. The Chamber of Commerce looks brand new, exuding the ambience of a cafe meets winery. Within, you'll find the usual fare of Ogopogo stuffed animals, magnets, and postcards, but you'lll also find larger, more artistic pieces, like wood carvings and candles with a wick for each "hump" of the Okanagan Valley's favorite mascot.

With all of this mentioned, I have to express a bit of frustration at how the project has progressed so far, which, even at the better moments, often plays out like a photographic scavenger hunt of small-town kitsch. Not to fear; with some of next week's contacts I hope to integrate more video and audio. With that I believe my work will be sufficiently done here.

In the meantime, there's a lot of downtime lately. I've been reading rapidly, and an hour ago I picked up Sontag (On Photography), a chess book, and a Spanish-English dictionary. I've been hyping myself up for Argentina almost every spare moment by studiously progressing the Spanish coursebook I bought. I will still have much work to do once I'm in the intensive language course, but I'm genuinely looking forward to the challenge.

I found a photograph that confirms that the Kelowna statue of Ogopogo did officially have teeth at one point in time. While I had at first read that pranksters took the teeth out, now I suspect that the Chamber of Commerce may have modified the statue (!) to look less of a monster. Still looking into it...

I'd like to say thanks to everyone that's continued to email me along the way. It's been inspiring to have your timely words waiting for me. Merci beaucoup.