Happy Halloween 2020!

As I am typing this, it is is the Witching hour, the 31st of October, Halloween at last has arrived. I am both extremely excited (and still awake) and already a bit sad that it has arrived so quickly. I read a lot, pretty much everything that I wanted to read when it comes to Halloween reads, I made a few discoveries along the way and I am already planning to explore things further next year. This may be my last post of the day, as I intend to celebrate mostly out of the blogosphere. Anyway, you must all be busy my fellow Crypt Keepers, but before you go take time to comment on this blog, if you can spare a minute. This Jack O'Lantern was done last night by Wolfie and me, it was family work and a labour of love. We are very proud of the result and I am so glad now that pumpkin carving is now a family tradition.

Maman Citrouille

Voici la deuxième citrouille, creusée hier par moi même et notre petit loup. Pour une raison quelconque, il a voulu qu'elle soit la "Mummy Pumpkin". Parce qu'elle est de taille moyenne? Dans tous les cas, la plus grosse est Daddy Pumpkin, la plus petite est la sienne et celle-ci celle de maman. J'ai décidé de lui faire des yeux en demi-lune pour lui donner un air plus sympathique et plus doux. Les deux autres sont plus effrayantes, avec des sourires en dent acérées et des regards sinistres. Quand même intéressant qu'il considère le trio de citrouilles comme une représentation allégorique de notre famille.

Writing Horror Movies

Sometimes social media in general and Facebook in particular just knows me too much. For the last few days, I have seen on my Facebook news feed an advert for Halloween-themed online courses, accompanied with this beautifully eerie picture. There is one course in particular that I find really interesting, called Writing horror movies. But I already have lots to do tomorrow for myself and my family, so I will regretfully give it a pass. And also because I find it really scary to see how much Facebook knows about me.

Le référendum a 25 ans

 Je me devais de le souligner, même si à ma grande honte de l'ai quasiment oublié, avec l'Halloween qui s'en vient et la pandémie: c'est le 25e anniversaire du référendum de 1995. J'ai voté pour la première fois et j'ai voté oui. C'est donc un triste anniversaire. Pour mes souvenirs, lisez ce billet de 2015. ce fut quand même le dernier grand moment exaltant de l'histoire québécoise, à défaut d'avoir été conclusif.

Dark Tales

For today's countdown to Halloween's reading suggestion, Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson. Because you can't go wrong with Shirley Jackson on Halloween, although you might want to read this book fairly early in the countdown. I say this because not all these tales have supernatural elements (although many do), but they are all very dark indeed. In The Possibility of Evil, a seemingly harmless old lady sends poison pen letters, in Paranoia the commute of an ordinary man turns into a nightmarish pursuit where literally everyone he sees seems to be scheming against him, in What a Thought a wife suddenly harbours murderous thoughts against her husband, in The Summer People a couple is punished in a passive-agressive way by villagers for wanting to stay in their summer cottage after Labor Day, for reasons that remain unknown. And there are more. Shirley Jackson is a master of terror born out of alienation.

"Vivre une Halloween différente"

Photo prise dans Les dires de Piloé, le livre de français de quatrième année dont le quatrième chapitre portait sur la fête de l'Halloween, intitulé comme la page l'indique, "Vivre une Halloween différente". Par Halloween différente, le livre entendait produire une pièce de théâtre sur l'Halloween, plutôt que de la passer. Cette année, personne ne la passera ici, enfin sans doute personne. L'Halloween sera donc de facto différente. Mais il y a d'autres façons de célébrer: lire des histoires de l'Halloween, lire sur l'Halloween et son histoire, ou plus simplement se bourrer la fraise dans une maison décorée comme s'il n'yavait pas de pandémie dehors. Je veux dire qu'il y a d'autres traditions liées à l'Halloween et qu'on peut en créer de nouvelles également. Un jour, on pourra la passer à nouveau et peut-être même faire une pièce de théâtre pour l'occasion.

First Jack O'Lantern

We just did some pumpkin carving tonight! At last was probably thinking Wolfie, as he wanted very badly to make Jack O'Lanterns. We did two, this is the first. Or, as Wolfie calls it, "his" pumpkin, as it is the smallest one. He chose the design himself and did most of the emptying of the content himself too, albeit with some help from me. When he was struggling with the seed or the pumpkin juice, he kept telling me: "I need the big hand", which is Wolfism for "I need daddy's hand to scoop the inside of the pumpkin." But it was great fun and there were lots of giggles. Wolfie may not like Halloween as much as his dad, but he sure fully embraces the pumpkin carving part and it is now a family tradition.

Citrouille ou Potiron?

Bon, j'ai finalement trouvé hier une citrouille de bonne taille, la plus grosse de Sainsbury's (fait confirmé par la caissière). La voici en photo. Je dis citrouille, mais on devrait dire un potiron, comme l'explique cette vidéo trouvée sur YouTube. Je ne connais pas la chaîne, mais cette vidéo est très intéressante. Elle me rappelle mes classes de deuxième année, où notre prof nous avait dit qu'il ne fallait pas dire citrouille, mais potiron ou encore courge, pour le terme plus générique. Je m'en fous, je vais dire citrouille pareil, les mots étant descriptifs et non pas prescriptifs.

Creepy Scarecrows

We saw many scarecrows at the Scarecrow Festival. Some cute, some ugly, some very inventive, some sort of tacky, and some downright creepy. Like this one of two little children with weird masks. I look at them and think there is a horror story or two to be written about these scarecrows. I am not only talking about the two children, there were many others, some were willingly meant to be scary, with skulls instead of head or things like that. I am not sure if this was intentional with these two. I have read many horror stories around Halloween time, quite a few of them feature scarecrows. I guess they are natural tropes in an autumnal setting. I still think there is room for at least one more.

Vers un Halloween blanc au Québec?

Ma cousine Amy l'artiste photographe m'a envoyé cette photo hier. Il neige au Québec. En automne, surtout en octobre, je trouve ça un peu tôt, même moi qui aime la neige. J'aime quand l'automne est automnal et ce l'est déjà moins quand c'est blanc. Mais je me pose donc la question: est-ce que le Québec se dirige vers un Halloween blanc? Bon, le chien de ma cousine ne semble pas s'en formaliser, mais j'avoue que moi ça m'agace toujours. Ici, on en a presque eu un en 2008, il avait tombé de la neige la veille, mais finalement c'était bien automnal, quoique glacial. Je crois aussi me rappeler qu'il y avait eu de la neige à l'Halloween 1988. Après cela, je me rappelle surtout d'Halloween froids, frigorifiants, mais où il n'y avait pas de neige.

The skull in the sky

For today's countdown to Halloween post, let's talk a bit about the weather. We were taking a walk during the Scarecrow Festival (more on that in future posts) and the evening had already started to fall when I saw this cloud. I don't know if you can see it, but it looked like a skull. It made the atmosphere very eerie and even a bit apocalyptic. It was a perfect moment: the sun was up but its light was dimming, the air was cool and filled, just a bit sharp and filled with autumn smells, and then we saw this hulking skull in the sky. In autumn, when Halloween comes, even the sky can become macabre.

Le Bonhomme 7 heures pour l'Halloween

Mon frère PJ a reçu Les dires de Piloé, le livre de français de quatrième année, qui avait une pièce pour l'Halloween, dans laquelle j'ai joué. Il m'a envoyé en photos les pages de la pièce (avec des illustrations). J,y reviendrai sans doute, cette année ou en tout cas les années futures, mais pour le moment j'aimerais mentionner le personnage du Bonhomme Sept-Heures. Vous le voyez illustré ici, il a l'air d'un vieux bûcheron. Le sac qu'il possède est en fait plein de sable, il n'y a pas d'enfants capturés dedans. La fonction du Bonhomme Sept-Heures dans la pièce est en fait fusionnée avec celle du Marchand de sable. Ce qui est un peu ironique, car la pièce a des côtés assez sombres. Il est un des méchants de l'histoire et est de connivence avec les sorcières qui sont les véritables antagonistes. Elles veulent dévorer les animaux de la forêt. Le Bonhomme Sept-Heures lui même ne fait pas grand-chose, à part allumer un feu, puis s'endormir et fournir ainsi involontairement aux héros (deux lutins) le sable et le feu pour vaincre ses comparses. ce que je trouve intéressant, c'est que c'est une représentation du Bonhomme dans le cadre de l'Halloween, quelque chose que j'aimerais voir plus souvent.

Bonfire of the Witches

I will try to blog about something else than the Scarecrow Festival for the next countdown to Halloween's post. Promise. But it's just that some of them are oh so good and oh so perfect! This one for instance. I don't know if this was intentional, but it looks like this Scarecrow Witch is being in a bonfire to burn. I don,t know, maybe I have a twisted mind. Or maybe she is just worshipping the Devil with her fellow skeleton witch, and the other little scarecrows all around. It does look deliciously sinister and again great use of a pumpkin.

La pizza de la momie

Que serait l'Halloween sans de la bouffe pour se mettre dans l'esprit de la fête? Outre les desserts de toutes sortes, on peut faire un repas du soir ou un lunch pour l'Halloween. La pizza a été durant des années le met du 31 pour mes frères et moi, avant d'aller passer l'Halloween. J'ai trouvé dans un magazine acheté il y a cinq ans cette recette de pizza à l'apparence de momie: on utilise des tranches de pain pour la base, des olives pour les yeux et des tranches de fromage pour les bandages. Je ne sais pas si c'est ce qu'on mangera le 31, mais j'en fais une fois durant le mois d'octobre afin de célébrer.

Cat O'Lantern

We went twice this weekend to the Scarecrow Festival in the village nearby, which is just as much about Halloween as it is about scarecrows and autumns. A lot of the scarecrow's heads are Jack O'Lanterns. Some are very inventive, some are scary, some are even terrifying. And some are quite cute. This one for instance, which is not aa scarecrow per se, but apparently is counted as one on the map I had of the event. A black cat made of a pumpkin, so I guess you can call it a cat o'lantern. He is very cute. I could write one long post with all the scarecrow snapshots I took, but I think each one deserves its own post. This year might be the Halloween of the scarecrows, but expect to find them in the countdowns to come. In any case, until then, here's a cute cat o'lantern.

Un épouvantail brigadier

Ici, c'est la semaine de la mi-sesion, donc les enfants ne vont pas à l'école et les jeunes enfants comme mon fils ne font pas à la garderie. Un drôle de congé, puisque l'on ne peut pas vraiment voyager anyway. Mais au "Scarecrow Festival" d'un village pas loin, que nous avons déjà visité deux fois (il y a beaucoup à voir), l'école est présente sous forme d'épouvantails. Par exemple ce brigadier, dont la tête est une citrouille creusée. En Angleterre, on appelle ça un 'lollipop man". Le brigadier, pas l'épouvantail. C'est ou c'était le préféré de mon fils, parce qu'il ressemble selon lui à un "construction guy". Ça ne s'invente pas.

Scottish Tales of Terror

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, a picture of a book found by the International Anthony Burgess Foundation. It is titled Scottish Tales of Terror and what a great cover it has, just pulpy enough, with a ghoulish probably undead Scottish warrior. Who would have thought that my favourite author enjoyed horror stories. Well, he was extremely well read in all genres, so I guess this is no surprise that some books of horror were to be found on his bookshelves. And his mother was a Scot, which might also partially explain his interest. So anyway, I saw this and now I want to get my hand on another book. Life is so unfair.

Zaza l'épouvantail

Alors donc, nous sommes allés hier à la chasse à l'épouvantail, enfin notre safari automnal et Halloweenesque. Il y en avait de tous les goûts et de toutes les couleurs, des vraiment inventifs. Il y en avait des effrayants et des mignons, et il y avait entre autres celui-ci, ou plutôt celle-ci. Je me demande si c'est un hommage moqueur une moquerie pure et simple. Si c'est un hommage, c'est plutôt vulgaire. Mais c'est certain que la Reine, surtout accoutrée ainsi, doit faire peur aux oiseaux, alors elle doit bien remplir son travail d'épouvantail (peut-être même mieux que celui de reine). C'est une naturelle.

Samhainophobia

I have learned something new recently, from a local magazine that is delivered for free every month at the door of every resident of our small English town and others in the area. Apparently, there is a phobia for a fear of Halloween, named Samhainophobia. After the old Celtic and Pagan name of the holiday, of course. The things you learn in the most random places. Anyway, Samhainophobia is the word of the day and this is the second countdown to Halloween's post today.

4 heures d'est en ouest

Nous allons cette nuit reculer les horloges d'une heure, à cause du changement d'heure, qui arrive en octobre ici. L'automne est à son zénith, pour ainsi dire. Cela veut dire que le soir va tomber beaucoup plus vite, ce qui ne me dérange aucunement, bien au contraire: j'aime quand la nuit vient plus vite en automne. Cela veut également dire que pour quelques temps, il n'y aura que quatre heures de différence entre l'Angleterre et le Québec, ce qui m'arrange aussi, pour communiquer avec ma famille.

Halloween Events of Old (and a bookmark)

For today's countdown to Halloween, I am sharing an old, old leaflet which I found I cannot remember where. I believe it was in one of the local libraries, but it could have been a local pub. Back in 2008, the town of Maidenhead was doing some special event in the week just before Halloween. We went there, but a bit late, so we missed pretty much everything: pumpkin carving, scary stories told (by a certain Baron Bloody, I need to find that guy if he still exists), evrything that is, but the owls display. But I kept the leaflet because the image looked so good, with the witch flying with her cat, with the moon in the background. Since then I have been using the leaflet as a Halloween bookmark, which I use to read my Halloween related books, come this time of year. It is old and wornout, but it is the coolest bookmark ever.

La chasse aux épouvantails

Activité de notre fin de semaine, en tout cas de notre samedi: chasser l'épouvantail. Parce qu'il y a dans un petit village pas loin de chez nous un "festival de l'épouvantail" dont j'ai blogué déjà ici. Je suis allé me procurer une carte dans un petit pub/club local et on va se promener à la recherche des épouvantails. Nous en avons déjà trouvé un: celui-ci, fort sympathique au demeurant, dressé pas loin justement du pub en question. Pour moi, l'épouvantail est associé aux récoltes, donc à l'automne, donc par ricochet à l'Halloween. Et c'est une activité pas effrayante, donc notre petit loup devrait apprécier.

About witches

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, I want first to share a picture of the Village Hall Witch, one of the most recent I took. We often go to this village hall for family activities with Wolfie, or we did before the pandemic. I always said that there was a horror story to tell about this place, although I haven't quite figure out which one (witch one?). For my idea on how to reintroduce a witch in a scary story set in our day and age, please read this post. In any case, it would not be a Halloween season without a witch or two, so I share this picture mainly because of this. Also because my brother PJ found a video about the history of the witch's hat which I found quite interesting. Here it is, for your education:

Trio de citrouilles

Non, non, je n'ai pas creusé ces citrouilles. En fait, je n'ai pas encore ma troisième citrouille en ce moment. Je n'en ai que deux et elles ne sont pas très grosses. Non, ces citrouilles ont été creusées et prises en photo par ma cousine Amy l'artiste photographe. Je ne sais pas trop comment elle a réussi à faire une photo aussi saisissante, je sais qu'elle l'a prise dans sa salle de bain. Sans me vanter, je suis un grand sculpteur de citrouilles, mais je ne suis pas le centième de la moitié du photographe qu'est Ami, alors je partage ici rien que pour ça.

The Howling Torch

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, I am blogging about what is probably Wolfie's favourite Halloween toy. It is a sort of torch, or dynamo, which when you press it has a jack o'lantern that spins around emitting little flashing lights. Not enough to lit much, but anyway. It also has a scream that sounds a bit like a half plaintive, half menacing howl, as if the jack was warning you of his presence. I bought this torch at Morrissons (I think) and Wolfie adopted it as one of these fun toys that parents find extremely annoying. Unfortunately the globe already broke a bit and the lights don't work all the time. But he still likes to use it to scare his mother.

Le fantôme démantibulé

Petit loup a bricolé cette lanterne de fantôme à l'Halloween en 2018 je crois, peut-être en 2017, lors de ses cours d'art plastique, auxquels il ne va hélas plus depuis longtemps, surtout parce qu'il n'aimait pas ça. Dommage, car l'animatrice l'adorait et elle faisait de belles activités et ça donnait toujours deux ou trois décorations de plus à l'Halloween. Cette lanterne n'éclairait pas grand-chose, mais au moins c'était de l'artisanat fait maison. Wolfie n'en est même pas fier. Comme bien des décorations, la lanterne et surtout le fantôme à l'intérieur a dû subir les déplacements du grenier au rez-de-chaussée et il a comme été démantibulé. Alors il est pas mal moins impressionnant. Et démantibuler est notre mot du jour.

The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, another reading suggestion: The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories. Maybe my favourite anthology, although this may be a case of first love: this was the very first anthology of ghost stories I ever bought, back in 2006, before this blog, to get myself into a Halloween mood. It made me discover so many authors: M.R. James, E. Nesbit, Edith Wharton, Algernon Blackwood, to name a few. It covers two centuries of ghost stories, so its a great book for a crash course in ghostly fiction. It has been for me anyway. Obviously, it has a great deal of classics. And since many stories are set during Christmastime (as traditionally this is when ghost stories were published), you can carry on reading it after Halloween.

Crâne festif

Mon père a pris cette photo en Californie, lorsqu'il a visité mon frère PJ. C'est un crâne qui est je crois associé au Dia de Muertos, le Jour des morts mexicain qui survient peu après l'Halloween. Je pourrais attendre au 2 novembre pour le montrer, mais j'ai d'autres photos du genre pour ce moment-là et puis il fait tout ausi bien pour l'Halloween qui s'en vient, même s'il est peut-être un peu trop coloré. Il n'en demeure pas moins macabre, c'est un crâne après tout.

The Tapestried Chamber

 For today's countdown to Halloween reading suggestion, a classic ghost story from Sir Walter Scott: The Tapestried Chamber. I have plugged it before, but that was ten years ago, so I think I can do it again now. It may look tame compared to modern horror stories, but I love its simplicity and its sobriety. A simple ghostly apparition in a (somewhat) familiar setting. Well, if you can consider an old castle a familiar setting, but it was familiar enough for the protagonists there. Anyway, tell me what you thought of it.

Piloé retrouvé

J'ai une assez bonne nouvelle (bien qu'assez triviale) à partager ici. Vous ne vous souvenez sans doute pas, mais je cherchais depuis des années un livre, celui de mes cours de français de quatrième année: Les dires de Piloé. Je voulais le trouver parce qu'il y avait à l'intérieur une pièce de théâtre de l'Halloween. Pièce de théâtre québécoise, car le Bonhomme Sept-Heures y faisait son apparition. Sans aller dans les détails, nous l'avions fait à l'école et j'y avais un rôle important. C'était aussi une histoire assez intéressante qui a nourri mon imagination pendant longtemps. Enfin bref, je désespérais de le retrouver, mais PJ a réussi à le retracer et le commander pour moi. Je ne sais pas quand je pourrai en prendre possession et rembourser mon frère (en bières), mais je vais enfin pouvoir un jour relire la pièce de théâtre.

Organic Pumpkins

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, something from the neighbourhood. We went out for a walk yesterday and saw this in our street. It seems that one of our neighbours has a pumpkin patch. Now these pumpkins are too small to make Jack O'Lanterns, but I took two anyway, because they will look good on display, and nothing is more perfectly autumnal and looks more like Halloween than pumpkins.

Le passage secret en automne

J'ai déjà blogué par le passé, notamment en 2017, sur le passage secret qui mène du jardin à la rue et qui sert à faire passer les poubelles. Voici une nouvelle photo, prise cette année. Ce que j'aime, c'est qu'il transforme la corvée de sortir les poubelles en petite randonnée pleine d'atmosphère sur des feuilles sèches. Comme des arbres et des branches ont été coupés sur le terrain à côté, il y avait beaucoup moins de feuilles que d'habitude, mais quand même, ce n'était pas si mal. Il y a une histoire d'horreur à raconter sur ce passage je crois, mais je ne sais pas encore laquelle. Quelque chose qui se passe un soir d'octobre, sans doute à l'Halloween, en tout cas dans les jours avant la célébration. Faudra bien que je m'y mette un jour.

Crazy Bear Mask

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, I have decided to speak about a mask I stumbled upon last year during our grocery shopping at Tesco. You can see it here: the Crazy Bear Mask. A creepy teddy bear, with razor sharp teeth and bloodied buttons for eyes. I find it deliciously creepy. Generally speaking, I am not the biggest fan of modern horror, I prefer old fashioned Gothic imagery and disguises for Halloween, but this mask I really like for some reason. Maybe because it channels primal children fears? Be that as it may, Wolfie thought the mask was hilarious and he even tried to put it on.

Question existentielle (365)

 J'apprends que l'on passera finalement l'Halloween au Québec cette année, malgré la pandémie qui sévit. Je ne sais pas trop si c'est une bonne idée ou non, bien que je penche du côté de faire continuer la fête (avec le plus de prudence possible). Alors j'ai décidé d'en faire une question existentielle:

-Devrait-on passer l'Halloween en dépit du coronavirus?

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

 For today's countdown to Halloween post, I am suggesting that you watch an animated adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is simply called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This may seems... strange, but I found it a few days ago and I really enjoyed it, in spite of the silly things added to appeal to children. Some changes are maybe more justified: Edward Hyde instead of a short man as he was in the novella is here a hulking brute. All things considered, it is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the source material and it has some genuinely scary moments. Better still: it does not shy away from the tragic aspect of the story. The body count is even higher than in the original story. And the murders, even though they are never directly depicted, are meant to be gruesome. I have to say, this is the kind of film I wish I could have watched when I was a child (although I don't think my parents would have allowed me to watch this). Anyway, it takes a bit less than an hour to go through, so here it is and enjoy:

L'automne jaune moutarde

Photo prise par mon père quelque part à Chicoutimi l'année dernière, je crois ne pas l'avoir partagée sur le blogue avant aujourd'hui. Je la partage parce que l'on ne voit jamais assez d'images de l'automne. Quelqu'un sait c'est quelle sorte d'arbre?

The Great Pumpkin t-shirt

For today's countdown to Halloween post, another proof that social media know me too much. I don't think this is an official Peanuts by-product, but anyway I found it on my Facebook feed once. And I would love to have this tshirt. I have no pieceof clothing that specifically refers to Halloween and this one would be just fine, with its reference to It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Okay, so there is no official reference to the classic cartoon, but there is Snoopy in various disguises and Jack O'Lanterns and that's good enough for me.

Chevreuil

Photo envoyée par mon père, tirée d'une des caméras installées sur le lot de mes oncles. J'aime beaucoup les chevreuils, surtout dans leur habitat naturel, alors je la partage ici.

All About Ghosts

For today's countdown to Halloween's reading suggestion: All About Ghosts, a book I often blogged about and which I revisited this year. Although Usborne's books series on paranormal was aimed at a young readership, its images remain pretty dark and sometimes even gruesome for its targeted readers. I don't know how we managed to convince my parents to buy us this one, given my mother's dislike of violence, horror and anything that was potentially nightmare inducing. Maybe she was not payign attention, maybe our pleas were very convincing. Be that as it may, All About Ghosts was THE spooky book of our childhood, telling us about folklore, legends, "real life" hauntings and... a great deal of questionable information. The book is not without its flaws: it is heavy in pseudo-science, it does not teach skepticism or critical thinking one bit. (although there is a section about hoaxes and debunked claims of hauntings) Reports of hauntings are presented as quasi proven and basically it blatantly encourages its readers to be believers in the supernatural. That said, I am easily forgiving because of how well done it is as entertainment: the atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous images and the pseudo-documentary approach should give any reader, young or old, a few pleasant shivers. I don't believe in ghosts, but when I open this book, I play along. Reedited recently with a foreword of Reece Shearsmith, because nostalgia sells. (NB/PS: This is a repasted/reposted version of the original post, which disappeared on the 14th of May 202, for reasons I still don't understand).

All About Ghosts

For today's countdown to Halloween's reading suggestion: All About Ghosts, a book I often blogged about and which I revisited this year. Although Usborne's books series on paranormal was aimed at a young readership, its images remain pretty dark and sometimes even gruesome for its targeted readers. I don't know how we managed to convince my parents to buy us this one, given my mother's dislike of violence, horror and anything that was potentially nightmare inducing. Maybe she was not payign attention, maybe our pleas were very convincing. Be that as it may, All About Ghosts was THE spooky book of our childhood, telling us about folklore, legends, "real life" hauntings and... a great deal of questionable information. The book is not without its flaws: it is heavy in pseudo-science, it does not teach skepticism or critical thinking one bit. (although there is a section about hoaxes and debunked claims of hauntings) Reports of hauntings are presented as quasi proven and basically it blatantly encourages its readers to be believers in the supernatural. That said, I am easily forgiving because of how well done it is as entertainment: the atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous images and the pseudo-documentary approach should give any reader, young or old, a few pleasant shivers. I don't believe in ghosts, but when I open this book, I play along. Reedited recently with a foreword of Reece Shearsmith, because nostalgia sells.

All About Ghosts

For today's countdown to Halloween's reading suggestion: All About Ghosts, a book I often blogged about and which I revisited this year. Although Usborne's books series on paranormal was aimed at a young readership, its images remain pretty dark and sometimes even gruesome for its targeted readers. I don't know how we managed to convince my parents to buy us this one, given my mother's dislike of violence, horror and anything that was potentially nightmare inducing. Maybe she was not payign attention, maybe our pleas were very convincing. Be that as it may, All About Ghosts was THE spooky book of our childhood, telling us about folklore, legends, "real life" hauntings and... a great deal of questionable information. The book is not without its flaws: it is heavy in pseudo-science, it does not teach skepticism or critical thinking one bit. (although there is a section about hoaxes and debunked claims of hauntings) Reports of hauntings are presented as quasi proven and basically it blatantly encourages its readers to be believers in the supernatural. That said, I am easily forgiving because of how well done it is as entertainment: the atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous images and the pseudo-documentary approach should give any reader, young or old, a few pleasant shivers. I don't believe in ghosts, but when I open this book, I play along. Reedited recently with a foreword of Reece Shearsmith, because nostalgia sells.

L'U de M en automne (encore)

Voici une autre photo prise de la page Facebook de l'Université de Montréal.Celle-ci date d'il y a un an. Elle est encore plus automnale que celle publiée le 13 septembre. Comme elle est magnifique, je la partage aussi.

"Scarecrow Festival"

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, a bit of local news and I got some really cool news from Wolfie's preschool recently: they are organizing a "Scarecrow Festival" at the end of the month for the children and their families. I don't know much about what this festival entails, but I know there will be a scarecrow trail with a scarecrow map and some competition. I love scarecrows, which I associate with harvest, autumn and, well, of course Halloween, especially when they are also Jack O'Lanterns like the one on their promotional leaflet. So we will participate as a family and this might be the friendlier Halloween activity which Wolfie will hopefully enjoy and embrace fully.

La tarte à la citrouille

J'ai retrouvé cette photo de la page Facebook d'Aux Vivres, le restaurant végane préféré de ma femme quand elle va à Montréal: c'était leur tarte à la citrouille d'il y a quelques années. Je ne sais pas s'ils en font encore une, mais j'aimerais essayer la leur. Parce qu'à part pour les creuser en jack o'lanterns, je trouve que je ne profite pas du potiron au maximum durant l'Halloween. On ne trouve pas de tarte à la citrouille ici, enfin je n'en ai pas encore trouvé.

Haunted: An Anthology of the Supernatural

For today's countdown to Halloween post, another reading suggestion: Haunted: An Anthology of the Supernatural, edited by Jessy Marie Roberts. 42 ghost stories about haunted place. I blogged about it briefly last year. Because it cost me 50p in a second-hand bookshop, a bargain. But money considerations notwithstanding, I was pleasantly surprised as there is a lot to love here. Most of the stories are flash fiction and they are thus perfect for a quick read to keep yourself in the spirit of the season even if you have a busy life. Of course, the stories are of varying quality, some are forgettable, some are predictable, nevertheless I did get a few pleasant chills. All things considered, it was a really good investment.

Mon alma mater en automne

 

La page Facebook de l'Université de Montréal a partagé cette photo récemment. L'U de M, l'Oratoire et tout le reste en automne. Je n'ai rien d'autre à dire que: magnifique. Et mon alma mater et tout ce coin de Montréal me manquent, surtout en automne.

Mr Skeleton

You can see here "Mr Skeleton", one of the many Halloween decorations currently on display in our house. Mr Skeleton was christened by Wolfie, who took a liking to him when we decorated the house. Or so I thought he had taken a liking to him, as he wanted to give him a name. But yesterday, Wolfie told us that he has been having nightmares, people with monsters and "méchants" (badguys). He also told us that he did not like Mr Skeleton all that much, come to think of it. So I am a bit concerned that my love for Halloween and all things spooky might not all be shared by my son. And if he does get too scared, I might have to keep the Halloween decorations, especially Mr Skeleton, in my office. I will of course try to educate Wolfie about the holiday, showing him that it is not really scary, that this is meant to overcome our fears, that in the end it is "just pretend" as we say to him. If you have any advice, please let me know in the comments section.

La tourtière de l'Action de Grâce

C'est aujourd'hui l'Action de Grâce au Canada. Je ne la fête pas/plus, mais j'essaie de le souligner à chaque année. Dans ma famille, ce qui arrivait souvent lors de la fin de semaine de l'Action de Grâce, c'est qu'on mangeait de la tourtière. La vraie, celle de la région. Ce n'était pas une tradition, juste une chose que l'on faisait: une longue fin de semaine de trois jours, ça donne le temps pour cuisiner un gros plat capable de nourrir une armée, en tout cas une famille étendue. Enfin bref, on en mangeait lors de l'Action de Grâce et c'est ce qu'on ferait encore si on pouvait la fêter en famille. Celle-ci date des Fêtes, le dernier temps où j'en ai mangée.

Horror Stories for Halloween

Second countdown to Halloween post today, just to quickly share what I am reading these days. I have been very lucky with my Halloween reads so far this year, minus one somewhat disappointing book. So much so in fact, and I have gathered so many books to read this year that I have been unable to revisit the books from the previous Halloween years. But anyway, right now I am reading Horror Stories for Halloween by Tony Walker. I don't know this author and this has been self-published, but so far to my surprise it has been very enjoyable. It is mostly classic ghost stories, mainly but not exclusively in contemporary settings, all during the Halloween season. And it should not be a selling point, but the cover is really cool and eerie as well.

Une chanson pour octobre

Il semblerait que les Cowboys Fringants n'aient pas qu'une chanson sur l'automne. Je ne suis pas très au fait des oeuvres musicales québécoises contemporaines j'imagine, l'excuse de l'expatrié. Et je ne suis pas le plus grand fan des Cowboys, même si j'aime bien certaines de leurs chansons. Mais enfin bref, la chanson Octobre, tiré de leur album... Octobre, est une chanson que j'ai découvert assez récemment et qui m'a beaucoup plu. Parce que ça parle de l'automne, mais aussi parce que c'est le genre de chanson juste assez mélancolique que les Cowboys Fringants savent parfaitement doser. Plus une chanson de fin de mois (ou même de début novembre?), mais je la partage ici.

Deas Leaves: 9 Tales from the Witching Season

For today's countdown to Halloween's post, another reading suggestion: Dead Leaves by Kealan Patrick Burke. Subtitled: "9 Tales from the Witching Season". My favourite horror discovery so far this year. I loved it. Burke is a Stoker Award-winning author and boy I can see why. While the stories are modern, there is something very classic about them. There is fairly little display of gore (although there is most definitely some) and evil here is an unsettling presence that rarely comes in full display. Halloween sometimes takes the center stage, but is often merely in the background, a setting more than anything else, which enhances the feeling of unease. In all of them, the narrative ends before the big reveal and the climax is never completed with the last line. Nothing is fully explained, nothing is fully resolved. You finish the book and it should haunt you for the rest of the month and beyond.

Sainte-Rose-du-Nord en automne

J'ai demandé à mon père de m'envoyer des photos automnales, il m'a envoyé celle-ci. Qui n'est pas de lui ironiquement: c'est du Quotidien. C'est bien entendu Sainte-Rose-du-Nord et je n'ai qu'une chose à ajouter: rien ne bat les automnes saguenéens.

First "Large" Pumpkin

For today's (first?) countdown to Halloween post, some trivial Jack O'Lantern news. We bought the first pumpkin this week, with an Asda order. It is meant to be a "large" pumpkin and when I saw the label, I thought they were joking. Surely this can't be a large pumpkin! It is an average one at best. Well, I should not complain: it is only £1.50 and it will most definitely not be the only pumpkin of Halloween. Oh how I miss the big ones from Montreal! But Wolfie likes it very much and is very eager to carve it soon. And by soon I mean now: since he saw the pumpkin he's been asking to make it into a Jack O'Lantern. I keep telling him that it is too early and that I don't want it to go mouldy before the 31st, he does not want to wait.

Une bière pour PJ

C'est aujourd'hui la fête de mon frère PJ. Il est chanceux, sa fête est en octobre, le mois de l'Halloween. Comme pour l'année dernière, je souligne en virtuel avec une photo d'une Hobgoblin (du temps qu'ils avaient des bouteilles avec de la gueule), parce que je crois comprendre que c'est une bière anglaise qu'il a bien aimée. Nous allons le fêter ici aussi, j'espère pouvoir lui parler sur Facetime et trinquer virtuellement. Il y a huit heures de différence entre lui et moi, alors ça fait un gros décalage à harmoniser, mais on fera ce qu'on pourra. Sinon, comme je l'ai souvent dit, j'ai souvent préféré fêter son anniversaire que le mien, parce qu'octobre c'est vraiment un mois parfait pour une fête, si comme moi vous aimez l'Halloween. L'idéal, ce serait peut-être de le fêter ici, avec de la Hobgoblin comme bière. On peut rêver.

Wolfie's pumpkin patch

Wolfie recently got as a birthday present from his auntie (my wife's sister) some wooden car model with paint. In a wooden box. Once he was done with the model car, I had the inspiration to turn the wooden box into a pumpkin patch. We went to a fayre last year and there was a real pumpkin patch which Wolfie and I liked very much. Pumpkin patches are both very autumnal and of course very Halloweenesque. So anyway, we sed plastic pumpkin Wolfie had from a toys set (some grocery trolley with plastic fruits and vegs) as well as some pumpkin shaped erasers I bought online. He coloured the box with the remaining paint this is the result. Not bad, don't you think? One day I hope to have a real pumpkin patch, where we will grow our own pumpkins to carve our Jack O'Lanterns.

Le portico hanté

Photo envoyée par mon père l'année dernière (je crois). Le portico tout endimanché pour l'Halloween (laquelle n'était pas dimanche, ironiquement). Je ne crois pas l'avoir partagée jusqu'à maintenant. Je l'aime bien, parce que ça donne vraiment l'air d'un endroit sinistre, d'un repaire de fantômes et d'araignées monstrueuses. Je me demande si les enfants en ont eu peur lorsqu'ils passaient.

Halloween Horror Stories

For today's countdown to Halloween post, I am blogging about a book I fnished recently, but it is not quite a reading suggestion, as I am not too sure about it, to be honest. So anyway, because Amazon knows me far too well, it suggested that I purchased Halloween Horror Stories by Christopher Ripley. As I am a sucker always on the lookout for a good scary seasonal read, I did just that. And I was underwhelmed by it. Firstly, because the vast majority of stories are mostly not Halloween related, but horror or not even horror classics that seem to have been gathered here arbitrarily. I am sure there is a rationale in this anthology, but the author does not explain it. It would be all right normally, but I feel vaguely cheated all the same. Most of the stories are classics which I could have purchased in different works, except two of them, which are from Mr Ripley himself. I somehow feel like he wrote two stories of his own (not bad ones themselves mind you, just not really outstanding either) and tried to sell them by cramming this book with things belonging to the public domain. On the plus side, I now have with this book a hard copy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, the one story in the whole book that is associated with Halloween, at least implicitely. Then again, I could have bought this one by itself.