Sisters July and September

 If you are looking for horror to read during Summerween, something to get you ready until the real spooky season officially starts, I have a suggestion for you: Sisters by Daisy Johnson. This is what I'm reading at the moment. It's very much psychological horror, there is no monster or maniac lurking in the dark, unless you count the demons in the minds of the protagonists.  Before writing this post, I learned that it's been adapted into a film titled September Says in 2024, so pretty recently. I will try to find it online. The plot is about two sisters, July and September, born ten months apart, who are living in a remote family home with their single mother after an incident of school bullying. I don't want to give anything away, but said bullying is so far the most chilling part of the novel. You can tell why it's a perfect read for now, with the names of the protagonists. Halloween is also featured briefly. Otherwise, it's very much in the line of Shirley Jackson, a slow burn, slow built horror thriller that relies on unease, atmosphere and corner-of-eye occurrences to create terror.

Le chocolat aux bleuets, saison 2026

Ils ne font pas de grands sparages sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes (je me demande d'ailleurs pourquoi) mais je crois comprendre via mes amis sur les réseaux sociaux que les chocolats aux bleuets sont maintenant en vente. Parmi mes lecteurs du Saguenay (ou même ailleurs au Québec), vous me direz si je me trompe, si vous visitez l'un de leurs points de vente.

Buck Moon

Here is a bit of news: today is the full moon, the Buck Moon as I learned the July full moon is called, thanks to this BBC article. Named after the male deer, apparently. It's a really cool name for a full moon. Anyway, I love watching a good full moon, so this evening I might go out and take a look. Hopefully it will not be too light outside and it will not be too hot. Anyway, I suggest you read the article I shared for more information.

Zoo de Falardeau

Les cousins de petit loup, mes neveux, sont allés au Zoo de Falardeau récemment. Ce qui m'a fait penser que je n'y ai jamais mis les pieds. Il faudra que je le fasse un jour, avec petit loup, tant qu'il aime encore les zoos.

"Where there's tea, there's hope"

I took this picture when I saw this teapot from the window of a local charity shop. I didn't buy the teapot, but I was very tempted. Alas, our cupboards are full, so it there would be nowhere to fit it. I love it though, it's very me and shows very much my state of mind as a tea drinker.

Salzbourg vu de haut

 Photo prise il y a un an dans le téléphérique menant à la forteresse Hohensalzburg. Je partage rien que parce que. Et désolé pour le reflet de mon bras dans la vitre.

A Private Security Company

I saw an unusual sight last week, walking back from town: a dark grey van with a tag on it, the one of a private security firm. It had a phone number and a website address at the back. It got me curious: I have never seen a security company vehicle here before. In big cities, yes, but not in a small town like ours before. So I checked online and yes, it's a thing, and very local too: it has its offices in a nearby (bigger, much bigger) town. The town where I used to work some six, seven years ago (the job I hated). Anyway, it provides all sorts of security services, including commercial and residential, and well, all sorts of things. I might use this sight and the company as inspiration for one (or more) of my crime fiction stories. I think I could come off with something interesting and modern.

Auberge de La Fontaine

Petit souvenir d'une de nos vacances montréalaises. Un souvenir maintenant lointain: il date de 2009. Enfin bref, c'est la dernière année où nous avons passé un séjour dans un hôtel à Montréal (si l'on excepte la nuit passée à l'aéroport durant les Fêtes). Mes parents avaient réservé pour ma femme et moi (petit loup n'était pas encore né) une chambre à l'Auberge de La Fontaine. Un petit hôtel dans le coeur du Plateau Mont-Royal, assez discret, qui ne paye pas de mines, mais vraiment sympathique et accueillant. J'y reoturnerais bien. Si vous l'avez visité, dites-moi comment a été votre expérience.

Almost an autumnal breeze

Well, we are not, technically, in a heatwave anymore. But it's still quite hot: 25 degrees today. I was really hoping for rain. We had clouds sometimes, but no rain came. That said, maybe, just maybe, I can be hopeful for the future. And by future, I mean after the next heatwave they have forecast. So yeah, all day today and right now, there's been a breeze. Oh, not a cold breeze, but cool enough, given the circumstances. It feels borderline autumnal. As if the next season is on its way. Maybe. I know it's going to be a long wait, but it might come sooner than expected.

Question existentielle (407)

 Une question existentielle qui me vient en tête en ce moment, puisque c'est dimanche:

-Les dimanches d'été, surtout durant les vacances, en quoi sont-ils différents des autres dimanches?

Personnellement, je me sens aussi mélancolique, mais peut-être que c'est juste moi. 

Aquila on Ancient Civilisations

Wolfie does not get mail very often, but when he does, he usually receives the best mail. And I know we are late in July, but I wanted to share this month's issue of Aquila Magazine. Don't judge a magazine by the cover, but what a cool cover it is. Although I'm not sure what this statue comes from. Inca? I would be tempted to say yes, or at least South American, but I really don't know. Be that as it may, if this July's issue is not entirely sold out and you have young kids, go and get a copy. It's great fun.

"À la Sainte-Anne, les bleuets sont mûrs..."

 "À la Sainte-Anne les bleuets sont mûrs. C'est le raisin de chez-nous, fils du feu; du sol humble et pierreux c'est l'offrande; c'est le miel des crans sauvages, le frère des éricales dans le royaume infini des sphaignes et des tourbières."

Menaud maître-draveur, Félix-Antoine Savard

 Chaque 26 juillet, lors de la Sainte-Anne, je partage cette citation de Félix-Antoine Savard. J'ai lu Menaud il y a de cela à peu près trente-cinq ans. Je me rappelle des grandes lignes, mais ce qui me marque le plus, ce sont les passages sur les bleuets (comme je suis du Saguenay...). Enfin bref, il faudrait bien que je revisite le roman un de ces quatre.

Horror Hotel

 I took this picture in Brighton. More specifically, at the Brighton Pier. During what people now call Summerween, in the middle of a hot day, as I am getting more and more into a spooky mood and longing for Halloween, this is a lovely sight. As a child, I used to love to go to such place, although my parents rarely allowed me to. Haunted and cursed hotels are great settings for horror stories, by the way. I might work on one. Be that as it may, this sight gives me a pleasant shiver.

Paella sur table

La paella annuelle de mon père, servie sur la table. C'est énorme, dans tous les sens du mot et il fallait que je partage.

Future Train Journeys

I took this picture at the National Railway Museum in York and I'm sharing it today because I'm blogging about trains. Again. If I'm not mistaken, it's the Old Coppernob. But I just added it because it looks nice. So now that Wolfie is on holidays, we are thinking about our next holiday destination. Which means that we might travel there by train. I hope so: for me, travelling by train is part of the fun, sometimes I even prefer it to the destination. Even if we travel by bus or plane for our next holidays, there is always a future train journey at some point to look forward to.

Paella annuelle

 Mon père m'a envoyé des photos de sa paella annuelle. Celle-ci quand elle cuisait. Avec un homard complet. Sa paella, il l'a fait chaque été. Je n'en ai jamais mangé.

Italian Speakers in the Library

Something interesting happened last week during my Thriller Writing Course in the library: as we were discussing about, well, thrillers, an elderly man from the group a few tables away came and kindly asked us to be quieter, as they had difficulties to hear themselves. I thought we were fairly quiet, but anyway. We were very polite and told him we would be careful. We chit chatted briefly, and it turned out they are the Italian speaking group I blogged about in September 2024. So I took the opportunity to speak a few words of Italian, little I knew. The elderly gentleman was really impressed. Apparently I have a great pronunciation and accent. I even managed to converse with him in Italian, albeit it was a pretty basic chat. So I am thinking maybe I should meet that group, even though my Italian is basic. Practice makes perfect and I haven't practised in a long while.

Le Salon du livre en octobre

J'ai trouvé cette photo sur la page Facebook du Salon du Livre du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean. L'édition 2026 est donc déjà annoncée et elle aura lieu en octobre cette année. D'habitude, c'est fin septembre. C'est vraiment le meilleur temps de l'année pour tenir un Salon du livre. Allez-y si vous pouvez, moi j'aimerais pouvoir y être.

About the last day of school

Today is the last day of school for Wolfie. Actually, it's only a half day: we are picking him up straight after lunch. So he is now on holiday. First, I want to get two observations out of the way: 1)school breaks way too late in this country. I mean, late(ish) July, really? That's at least two weeks too long. It also means that the gap between the beginning of the holidays and the new school year is very short. 2)I say all this this, but time goes way too fast. As for every end of school year, I am bittersweet about today: it means I will spend a lot of time with my boy, yet it also means he is growing up. I will try to keep him entertained every day. When I was his age, I had lots of things to look forward to during the holidays: the family pool, lots of free time reading, etc. I am very conscious that we are building his own childhood memories. No pressure.

Bientôt: le chocolat aux bleuets

Photo prise sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes il y a quelques jours. Peut-être que cette information lorsque vous la lirez sera déjà passée date (j'écris mes billets de blogue de plus en plus d'avance). Alors enfin bref: les chocolats aux bleuets seront bientôt (sont déjà?) disponibles. Si vous le pouvez, achetez-les.