Devil's Peak, the TV Series

Now you know that I am a big fan of South African crime writer Deon Meyer and the characters and universe he created. I learned a few days that a TV adaptation of his novel Devil's Peak had started filming. Cool! It is the novel where reformed alcoholic detective Benny Griessel truly developed. It's not the first of his novels that has been adapted. I have watched a few adaptations and want to watch them all. I just need to find where and when it will be released here in the UK, if it gets released here. In the meantime, I am up to date with his novels, but if you haven't read Meyer's novels, I suggest you start. Like right now.

Des araignées encore

 Je bloguais le 7 septembre à propos des araignées que l'on retrouve partout dans le jardin ces temps-ci (mais assez curieusement, pas tant dans la maison). Or, pas plus tard qu'avant-hier, que vois-je près de la remise? Pas une mais deux araignées, une grande (la femelle?) et une petite (le mâle?), sur une toile entre la remise et la porte du jardin. Les voye-vous sur la photo? Je crains que je n'ai pasété bien bon avec mon focus, je suis un piètre photographe. Je m'en suis débarrassé assez vite merci, parce que ma femme déteste.

The Early Cryptkeeper

The countdown for Halloween has not officially started (unofficially that is different: I have been starting the countdown since last month), but I decide to get ready early this year and I added to my blog layout this year's badge. There is a wide choice of badges, all very nice, but I hesitated a moment until I chose this one. I had to go for the Jack O'Lantern with the skeleton bodyand the clawed fingers. It's scary, sinister, ghostly and so very perfectly seasonal. Anyway, I will be reporting for duty on the first of October, until then I will of course post about Halloween anyway, to get myself in the spirit.

Mûres et crème

Mon père a acheté des mûres il y a peu de temps. Ce n'est pas un fruit que je me rappelle avoir beaucoup mangé lorsque je vivais au Québec, mais ici les mûres sont partout. Il y en a pleins de sauvages que l'on peut aller récolter. Nous avons dû le faire une ou deux fois. Elles sont sans doute aussi populaires que les framboises et plus populaires que les bleuets. Il a aussi acheté de la crème 35% (ils ne la  fouetteront pas) parce que mes parents vont les manger en dessert et ça sera pas mal cochon.

The Queen Is Dead...

My wife told me a few mintues ago, as I was typing another post, that Queen Elizabeth the Second is dead. At her age, it is not exactly shocking, but it is nevertheless a big event here. As an expat (and a republican at that) living in the UK, I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm. I am not a monarchist, as you know, I cannot say I am very sad, especially since she died like not many people do: in comfort, receiving the best medical care, after living a priviledged life in luxury. Nevertheless, she was loved and many will be upset about it. For me, it just shows me that however well born you are, you cannot escape your own mortality.

Rappel: le Salon du Livre du Saguenay

Petit rappel parce que le temps passe vite et que c'est pour bientôt: le Salon du Livre du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean aura lieu du 29 septembre au 2 octobre 2022. Mon Salon du livre préféré, qui est plein d'atmosphère et qui a lieu au meilleur temps de l'année pour un Salon du livre. Je vais le manquer encore cette année, ce qui est dommage car j'ai une passe gratuite à vie (longue histoire, que j'ai déjà racontée je crois). Dans tous les cas, allez-y si vous le pouvez, c'est vraiment plaisant, comme on dit dans la région.

The books in the coffee shop

 I blogged recently about the new (although I don't know how long exactly it's been there) Coffee #1 in the little town of Wallingford. I loved it for many reasons, one of them being that they have bookshelves. It is nothing new, but reading in a coffee shop is one of the things I love to do and do too seldom. I also love flicking through the books in a coffee shop, smell them and see the variety they have. It just makes the place so much classier and so calming. So anyway, the staff must have thought I was crazy, but I took a picture. I cannot wait to go back there.

Un ours noir

 Photo prise par une des caméras sur le lot de mes oncles. Vous savez comme j'aime les ours en général et les ours noirs surtout. Celui-ci est maigre après avoir hiverné. Il devait être affamé. Dans tous les cas, je ne voulais pas attendre à l'an prochain au printemps lorsque cette photo a été prise pour la partager.

Drink beer, visit Milan

My readers know that I love English real ales and if I drink other beers sometimes, real ales are my go-to poison. In Québec, it's of course microbrewery beers, again usually English ale types. I'm not the biggest drinker of Italian beers. But sometimes, just sometimes, I go for Italian beers. It was the case recently, when I bought myself an Angelo Poretti. I think it was my first time. It was an all right beer, but I bought it because it also gave me the chance to win a trip to Milan. Now I have been to Milan once and I actually disliked that city, I found it utterly vulgar. That said, I have friends that live not so far and I think it would be a good opportunity to visit them. Anyway, I didn't win, but at least I got a beer.

Des araignées partout

Elles n'ont pas encore commencé à investir la maison comme ça arrive souvent au mois de septembre, cela dit, nous avons pleins d'araignées dans le jardin. Il y en avait une qui avait élu domicile juste à l'entrée de la remise, une autre dans la remise et finalement celle-ci, qui avait tissé sa toile entre le bac vert pour le compost et la clotûre. J'ai dû la chasser, mais j'avoue que je l'ai fait à regret, parce que la toile était vraiment magnifique.

Historical Autumn Traditions

 This post is for all autumn lovers among you. I know there are many. Anyway, I found this article from English heritage, titled Historical Autumn Traditions. There is a lot you probably know already, it talks of Halloween of course, but you might learn a thing or two nevertheless. I love English Heritage, I always learn something with them, or they make me remember something I had forgotten about history or folklore. As I am typing this, I have just flickered through the article, but I will read it more thoroughly as soon as possible. I intend to integrate old traditions to our family life here. I try to automnise my life and, when autumn is finally here (and it is here now, no matter what people say about it), I automnise it more.

Le boulevard du temps qui passe

Je mentionnais récemment sur mon mur Facebook la rentrée scolaire de petit loup, me lamentant que le temps passe trop vite. Mon frère PJ a envoyé cette chanson de Georges Brassens en guise de commentaire. Je l'avais déjà entendue, mais c'est la première fois que j'y prends vraiment conscience. Dans le cocktail de nostalgie et mélancolie, c'est peut-être parfait.

Being the good Samaritan

Last Sunday, as I was walking on my way downtown to run some errands, passing by the local clinic, I was asked by an old lady if I had a pen on me. She was walking with her dog and had a few envelopes in her hands that she needed to post through the mailbox of a drugstore. She had forgotten to write a few things on the envelope. Thankfully, I had a pen in the breastside pocket of my coat, even better it was not out of ink, so I lend it to her for a moment. I held the dog's leash, who was curious and friendly towards me while she wrote her stuff. She profusely thanked me. So that was my good deed of the day and I played the role of the good Samaritan. Moral of the story: always keep a pen on you.

Vache à lait

Lors de notre dernière visite dans un zoo pour enfants pas loin de chez nous, nous avons pu assister à la traite d'une vache. Je sais pas pourquoi, je me sentais mal à l'aise, un peu comme si on regardait une mère allaiter sur scène. Je me sens même un peu coupable de partager cette photo, c'est vous dire. Peut-être que les arguments des vegans ont fini par m'influencer, je sais pas. Dans tous les cas, je serai toujours reconnaissant envers la vache de nous donner du lait, parce que je suis un grand consommateur de lait et de produits laitiers.

Labouring Day

Today is Labor Day on the other side of the Atlantic, but here our bank holiday was the last Monday of August. Our next holidays will be at Christmas. So yeah, today we had a normal working day. You could say that instead of Labor Day, we had a labouring day. I do miss a good September holiday and I must confess, I am still not used to not having Labor Day. But hey, at least it's September.

Rosa, rosa, rosam, etc.

Bon ben mon fils a eu son premier jour d'école de première année et moi j'ai survécu. Je trouve que le temps passe (trop) vite. Alors donc, je partage encore une fois cette année Rosa de Jacques Brel, rien que parce que ça parle un peu beaucoup de ça, de l'école, de temps qui passe trop vite et de l'enfance.

 

Coffee #1 is in Wallingford

We made one happy new (re)discovery during our last visit to Wallingford: believe it or not, they have a Coffee #1. You may remmeber that I discovered this chain back in Cardiff, one of the best things during a trip that had been overall pretty lacklustre. It's a fairly small chain, they had a few coffee shops in Cardiff but little outside and none nearby. None until we found that one in Wallingford, that is. Now I don't like coffee at all, but love a good coffee shop, for everything else: the seating place, the atmosphere, and so on. Going back to this one, I remembered why I enjoyed it so much: it is a very nice setting and the staff is warm and friendly. Wallingford has many nice places like for a drink and a quick bite (or a lazy afternoon), so it makes sense that they opened a franchise there. We will go back.

Retour à la petite école

Non, non, je ne retourne pas à l'école. Mais petit loup oui, il entre en première année pas plus tard que ce matin. Et oui, c'est la rentrée aujourd'hui. Et je ne suis pas prêt, bien entendu, je trouve que le temps passe trop vite. Afin de souligner la nouvelle année qui commence, cette photo des jeux sur mon école primaire, "la petite école" comme une de mes grand-tantes l'appelait. Je me rappelle avoir moins aimé ma première année, alors je regarde cette photo avec un mélange de nostalgie pour moi et d'anxiété pour mon fils. Un brin d'anxiété, pas trop.

September Calendar (in a nutshell)

I took this image year or two ago the Facebook page of David's Tea. I didn't have time to share it then, so I am doing it now. I know they have been struggling, but they can be so in tune with what I think it is uncanny. So here is their September Calendar, which I find very accurate, at least where I come from.

Chevreuil et Île d'Anticosti

La photo date d'une dizaine d'années, mon père l'a prise sur l'Île d'Anticosti, m'a-t-il dit. Le coucher de soleil est superbe et on voit très bien le chevreuil, alors je la partage.