About Midsummer's Day

Tomorrow is Midsummer's Day, or so a quick search on Google told me. And even though the Summer solstice was on the 21st, last Saturday. Apparently, it is very celebrated, but not by me. For two reasons: 1)I don't like summer and 2)for me, the 24th is Québec's National Day, which is the special day that I celebrate. Anyway, you can learn all you need to know about Midsummer's Day in the Ladybird Book What to Look for in Summer. I am sharing the pages here. It has a nice picture too, as you can see, with swallows, a tractor and Stonehenge in the background. Because everything looks better with Stonehenge. There is one thing I love about Midsummer's Day and the solstice: it means summer is slowly slowly declining. It is a promise that one day, the heat and the long days will end.

New Tractor

No, no, we did not buy a new tractor. We never bought an old one to begin with, except toy tractors. But you may remember that Wolfie has been obsessed with tractors, or used to be when he was a toddler. He is not nearly as much anymore, having found new interests and fascinations, but he still likes them. And we still do sometimes a bit of what we call tractor spotting. It's like a conditioned reflex for us: there is a tractor within sight, we notice it. So anyway, yesterday, during the back to school run, I noticed a tractor. A big one, dark green, kind of forest green, which I don't remember seeing before. And, well, that's it really: it struck me that I can still spot new tractors in the neighbourhood.

Tracteur rouillé

 Mon fils est obsédé par les tracteurs, comme je l'ai souvent mentionné sur ce blogue. Lors de notre dernière visite en fin de semaine au zoo pour enfants (en fait une ferme pour enfants), il a eu l'embarras du choix: il y a pleins de tracteurs, vrais, en jouets et aussi de vieux tracteurs rouillés, comme celui-ci. Je ne sais pas trop pourquoi, mais je trouve que ça a un certain charme, le garder comme ornement.

New (vintage?) tractor

As you now know, since Wolfie loves (among other vehicles) tractors, we practice tractor spotting. We can spot regular tractor going through this town and we can now identify new ones. So this morning, during the school run, we spotted one we had never seen before. A smaller one, orange and white, the white on top. Its frame was pretty angular and my wife thought it looked kind of old, both in design and a bit worn out. Sadly I could not take a picture. So now, even though we cannot pretend we are connoisseurs, we might even be able to identify vintage tractors. We will check in our many tractor books (yes we have tractor books too, quite a few of them) if we can find the specific model.

Orange Tractor

 You may know that, Wolfie loving all sorts of vehicles, especially tractors, we practice in this family tractor spotting. Every time there is one rolling nearby, passing through our town, we spot it. It is like a reflex. And we recognise those we see more than once. Well, there is a new kid on the block, so to speak. I mean we saw one recently that we had never seen before: an orange (very orange) tractor. Orange clothes seem to have become fashionable, then we started seeing orange vehicles, but this is our first sight of an orange tractor. Sadly I could not take a picture of it. I love orange things, especially if they are a darker shade of orange, for me it is an automnal colour. So I hope we can see this tractor again.

Tractor Spotting

There are tractors that pass through our quaint little town. I don't think there should be, our streets aretoo narrow for this, but fact of the matter is, they do. We used to just find them an odd potential nuisance, but since we are parents, our perception has changed: we now get excited seeing one and we can even recognise some of them. There is a big green one, a smaller blue one and a few others. Why are tractors a source of fun for us? You see, since Wolfie is a toddler, he has been obsessed with tractors. He has toy tractors, like probably every little boy his age, but also books about tractors, he watches videos about tractors, the lot. So now, when we see a tractor, the whole family is excited. We are terrible, I know.

Giant tractor model

I took this picture at Hogshaw Farm a few months ago, the one and only time we went there. I hope we can go back one day. It's not next door, but it's really a nice petting zoo. It also had a building which was a sort of gaming area for children, with inflatable castles and also this tractor model. It almost looked real, but it was like a giant toy for Wolfie, who has been loving tractors since he's a toddler. This one is even cooler than a tree house. And I had the privilege to be Wolfie's play pal for his time there. So long story short, I cannot wait to go back to Hogshaw Farm.

Les rideaux de la chambre de Wolfie

Je pensais bloguer sur le sujet depuis un temps, je me suis dit autant le faire maintenant. Je sais que ça peut paraître banal, mais ce ne l'est pas. Enfin bref, voici les rideaux de la chambre de Wolfie. Vous y trouverez dessus ses obsessions: les véhicules de construction, pelles mécaniques, grues et autres, ainsi et surtout que des tracteurs, son dada depuis qu'il a un an. Quand nous avions préparé sa chambre avant sa naissance, nous avions naïvement pensé lui donner un décor forestier, avec un papier peint et/ou des rideaux décorés avec des arbres, des écureuils et des ours, ce genre de choses. Quand ce fût le temps de la décorer selon les goûts de Wolfie, force fût de constater que ses goûts étaient radicalement différents. Morale de l'histoire: être parent, c'est toujours sauter dans l'inconnu, peu importe nos attentes.

The witch in the tractor

We went to a petting zoo this weekend, a place Wolfie loves a lot. They make something special for Halloween, with lots of spooky decorations. As it was one of the last time in the year when we could do it, we went for a tractor ride. And they had spookified (spelling?) it: we saw this lurking in the driver's cabin. A bona fide witch, with a nasty smile and shining malevolent eyes. She looks deliciously sinister. So I had to take a few picturesof it, which was quite a challenge in a tractor in motion. But I got a few decent shots. I'm surprised Wolfie did not get scared. I shivered a bit when I saw her, but I think it was more excitement than anything else.

The tractor and the pumpkins

Last Sunday, we went to Hogshaw Farm, a petting zoo that had a special harvest festival on that day. We came in a bit late, as it was a last minute decision and it is not next door, so we didn't do a whole lot regarding the festival. But we had fun all the same. It had a few really nice autumnal displays, such as this tractor with a trailer full of pumpkins. This is harvest and autumn in a nutshell, as well as heralding Halloween. Also, Wolfie loves tractors, so father and son enjoyed the sight tremendously.

Knowing about tractors

One of Wolfie's favourite books is Usborne's Big Book of Tractors. He literally cannot get bored with it, as it is on his favourite topic. (Well, that and trains and maybe trucks and construction vehicles, but tractors have a special place in his heart, I don't know why.) After reading it again to him for the umpteenth time, my wife said: "I'd never thought I would know so much about tractors." Which deserves to be a great unknown line.

Basil and his tractor

Those who have been following this blog for a while know of my son's love for tractors. It is maybe its favourite vehicle. Which means he has loads and loads of ttoy tractors, from cheap plastic stuff of very low quality, to the life like models. This is one of the latter, a Schleich tractor with trailer that also has its own farmer to drive it, its own hay bale and its own calf (!).My dad bought him this tracot for Christmas and I suspect he wanted to give his grandson the fanciest, coolest, most realistic toy tractor he could find. He also named the driver Basil, because when he himself was a child, he had a toy tractor with a farmer and he and his brother had given him the name Basil. So Wolfie is following again a family tradition.

"Bear & Monsters Adventure Tours"

I bought this shirt for Wolfie in Morrissons. It is their home brand of clothes and it is cheap (I think this cost me something like £5, maybe less), but it's good value for money. And I really like this shirt, which I find very cool and so very Wolfie. Because it has a bear and monsters driving a tractor in a forest. And the tractor is sentient. On top of that, they are going on an adventure, it says so on the door (which can be opened, so it's an "interactive" piece of clothing). "Bear & Monsters Adventure Tours". I don't think you can have a shirt that is more like my son than that. Every time we go somewhere, whether it is on a long journey (like the bear and the critters on the image) or a day out somewhere, I try to make him wear this one. I know it is silly.

Farmer's Ale (the beer with the tractor on the label)

I had this beer in a pub in Derbyshire. I cannot remember the name of the pub just now, but I want to blog more about it bcause it has an interesting history. Right now, I just want to tell this funny anecdote. I dranks lots of products from the Bradfield Brewery during our stay there. This one was called Farmer's Ale and you can tell why I had it. One of them is because it was nice and dark enough and really the perfect beer for a cold and wet night. The other is that it had a tractor on the label, and little Wolfie being completely obsessed about tractors, it is the one he wanted me to have. Yes, he is too young to drink, but he still helps me to choose the right beer. Sometimes he can be very bossy too.

My son's obsession for tractors...

As you may know, Wolfie loves a lot of engines: trains, trucks, cars, construction machinery and... tractors. He loves tractors. He has tractor toys, he loves watching real tractors when we are on the countryside, he is obsessed by them. So much so, in fact, that at his last visit at the local library, he asked (loudly) his mother to borrow Tractors of the World. The book you see on the picture. I knew you could write books on anything, I never thought such book could interest a little boy who is not even three yet. The librarian was not sure borrowing this book was such a great idea, but my son was adamant that he wanted this one and no other. And he really loves it. He now can tell the difference between a new tractor and an old tractor. I just wish I could share his enthusiasm.

Cutting grass with Wolfie and his granddad

My parents-in-law came today to see their grandson. Wolfie adores his grandfather, so he was overjoyed. He also wanted us to play in the garden with him, therefore we spent a good deal of time outside. His favourite game today was to go around the garden with his little toy tractor and the trailer that goes with it and filling the trailer with grass. He was enthusiastic tearing off bits of grass from the lawn and putting it there. Moments like this makes me glad to be a lousy gardener: I don't have a lawn that is worth saving from the games of my son. When my mother-in-law asked if he wanted to sit down on the chair, grandpa (or daddad as he is called) said: "Of course not. We are very busy cutting grass and you can't cut grass sitting in a chair, everybody knows that." Grandfather's logic. I think it deserves to be a new great unknown line.

Une promenade en tracteur

Mon fils a un certain nombre de choses qui l'obsèdent, la plupart d'entre elles sont des véhicules: les camions, les voitures, les trains et les tracteurs. Récemment, il a pu faire un tour de tracteur, en tout cas dans un chariot tiré par un tracteur. Je me rappelle vaguement avoir vécu ça aussi étant enfant, mais je me rappelle pas des circonstances. Je n'y étais pas quand il a eu sa promenade en tracteur, mais j'ai eu droit à cette photo de la bête. Imrpessionnant, surtout pour un enfant de deux ans.

Des tracteurs et de la peinture

Preuve que notre petit loup est fasciné par les tracteurs (comme je le disais il y a plus d'un mois): cette photo de sa classe d'art plastique. Il a fait passer des tracteurs jouets ainsi que des voitures (de police et civiles) sur de la peinture. Heureusement il y avait une large feuille de papier en dessous. Que faut-il en conclure? Son grand-père maternel croit qu'il fera un ingénieur. J'avoue espérer que non: j'ai bien des oncles ingénieurs du côté de mon père et ils m'ennuient un peu (en tout cas leur métier m'ennuie). Je crois qu'il aime simplement les trucs colorés qui roulent. J'aimais les tracteurs aussi quand j'avais son âge et je ne suis pas plus ingénieur maintenant.

Fasciné par un tracteur

Photo prise hier par ma femme. Notre petit loup a vu un tracteur au loin (pouvez-vous le voir?) et il a couru pour essayer de le voir le plus près possible. Il était complètement fasciné. Ce qui ne m'étonne pas en soi, car à son âge moi aussi les tracteurs me fascinaient. Aucune idée de la raison, mais je ne me lassais pas de regarder les tracteurs quand je pouvais en voir. Ce n'était pas exclusivement des tracteurs, tous les véhicules de ferme et de construction me faisaient le même effet, mais le tracteur, ça me semblait quand même bien spécial.