Back to the frozen not so far North!

Funny - Montreal is further south that London - and yet last week they had the biggest single day snow fall of the winter, if not ever!

And it's snowing now - fairly warm at minus 11; and very pretty.

Today has been full of house-work.  The water heater has been changed over for the one from the cabin - and isn't working.  I seem to remember that the elements had burned out previously and Gilles hasn't replaced them - so I have been in to the village and bought new ones and changed them over - after draining the tank!

I also had to do a bit of plumbing - Gary would be (moderately) proud of me but it's all push fittings so perhaps not!

So we now have water all over the basement floor and the bottom element still has no power.......

Ho hum; wait until Wednesday and just hope the top element lets us wash faces and other needed bits.

Sheila is very poorly today so no supper there this evening; please keep her in mind; and Mark.

Skyped M & D!  took them on a little tour at minus 18 this morning.  It really is very pretty and plenty of snow.

Happy New Year to all.

 

Gingerbread House

Looking lovely.

Big thanks to Mark for this image.  Nice to see that the grass seed alongside the meadow might have sprouted - despite the ants :-)

Little-log-cabin

Allons-y!

En route in Amsterdam airport after a delayed flight.  A piece was found to be missing from the starboard wing of our plane in Montreal.  Although the pilot declared that he was ready to fly the Atlantic as it was - perhaps with the aid of some Duck tape - Boeing restricted him to having a part fabricated and fitted.  We were 1.5 hours late in leaving and thus in arriving.

The inevitable sad and ultimately rushed (by us) departure from 107, as ever wonderfully helped by K & D who drove us to the airport via a "smoke meat" lunch.  Contact already from our girls - great :-)

Just waiting for the onward flight home.

All done!

Le fin de l'affaire (the end of the affair)

Well, that's it!  Many little tasks today; we delightfully Skype chatted to I and Nat - reading fairy stories over 3 and a half thousand miles; Ali sealed the edge between the logs and the concrete block-work; I went to the village, bought anti-freeze for the loos, and mouse-bait and the final caulking and filled up with gas and and gas-anti-condensation liquid; D and I put the car in the barn and  the battery in the house; I "Energy Sealed" around the Meadow-wall windows. 


Ali cleaned the ground floor (she's already done upstairs); and then, la piece de la resistance, Neighbours came in for drinks and nibbles and chat - all in French.  Heaven!





The colours are magnificent now.  Here's the village in all its Fall glory.

Off tomorrow.


Excited and sad both - the sign of a good trip!

Pinch, punch! (the first of the month).

October is with us, and our departure rushes on to us. 


The place really does look lovely – it will be great to spend time here in the future, D.V.

But Sunday and today have been busy days with plenty of happy things to do.  The weather has continued to be kind and K has finished the windowsills, Ali has started the (mammoth) house-cleaning (listen!  We’ve been living in a building site for weeks, OK?)  Claude has collected his scaffolding – bless the man – SUCH a help that was.  D has carted all those little Christmas trees off into the wood....

I have concreted some broken wall and pruned (savaged really) our apple tree.  The poor thing is tucked in to the edge of the wood and lacks light.  It fruited heavily three years ago but did nothing at all either last year or this year.  It was very tall, spindly and with lots of verticals.  So we took the ladder and the chain saw up the hill, which would have been a real puff when we first arrived, and clipped and reduced and took at least fifteen feet off it.  At least it looks pickable now.  Although it’s in a clearing, there are a host of conifers to the south-east and South-west of it as well as maples abutting it to the South.  Ok as frost protection but no good for the light.  So we shall revisit next year and open up the space.

 A has cleaned gutters and set the leaf-guards for the barrage that is to come. 

Here’s a picture from K which sums up what Fall here, and vacations, should be about.

Bye for now!

Of Air-traffic control, Moose-poo, a Mysterious foot, and Apple-juice.

.. which all goes to show what a lot of stuff happens here in a day - even if it seems placid and kinda' slow.



It all began last evening, soon after I'd posted the blog, and in the middle of the Rachmaninoff Vespers, that my foot - not the pinned one, the "healthy" one! - began to hurt like mad; to the point that I couldn't stand, couldn't get up to make supper (Shame!), couldn't get upstairs other than by shuffling on my bum!  Weird.  But A ministered to me wonderfully and vast doses of analgesics later, with a pillow under the offending foot, I fell asleep and  - with a brief and interesting wakening in the "wee" small hours - stayed that way until 9 a.m.

Stubborn so-and-so, I got dressed and we skyped with G and L over breakfast on our settee.  Standards are slipping!  We always sit to table for breakfast.

Anyway, after a slightly hilarious attempt to portray Long John Silver with the aid of a broom for a crutch, the foot returned to relatively comfortable function and remained that way all day.

For the last two days, the skies here have been reminiscent of a very busy day at Heathrow airport; full of skeins of geese!  It's as if the previous days had been the "independent school" families getting away early for the hols, and now we have the full-on, Bank Holiday rush.  Yesterday in particular, it can't have been more than ten minutes between "flights", and large Vees at that!  All (or almost all) heading due South.  The occasional gaggle noisily flaps west-east - or east-west - to join up with another gang; "Look, it's the Jones', I TOLD you they'd know the way!"

A discovered this on the lawn at the North end of the house.  Its not dog; it's far too big for deer (there was a pile of that close by); expert advice has it that it's either Moose or Bear.

It's hunting season here; real hunting, not foxes or grouse or things, and the woods are a dangerous place to be, or to have a dog, or horses.  The hunters put out great piles of apples or carrots and then wait up trees in the dark.  (The joke goes that the deer put out great piles of cans of beer and heaps of hookers and then all go away!).

Sadly, not all of them.  There has definitely been a Moose here abouts recently; K found tracks a few days ago and we found the pile, but, in the middle of the village today - this evidence of at least one hunter's "success".

It's all very regulated,  a limited number of beasts per hunter and a ballot for the (very few) permits to kill a female, but it's still sad to many of us - and comes as a shock to those of us from tenderer climes.



At least you can eat it!

But today was a celebration, an end of summer ritual that Mark and Sheila have carried on for many years; it was Apple-Pressing!  A glorious, bring food, press apples, take away juice, make farewells for the season; wish each other well for travels (so many people are "Snow Birds" and will be heading off this month for the Southern States of America and sunnier climes).

So - here's the press in action...

..and here's (some of) the wonderful food!

Canadian Thanksgiving next weekend (the USA celebrates it later) which we shall keep in England - d.v.

Laurentian Michaelmas

Just to be sure, I picked this bouquet a week ago.

The goldenrod has now all gone to seed but the Michaelmas daisies still peek out of road edges and other shy corners.

Michaelmas thoughts to all of you at Flax (and Barrow!)

C'est (presque) tout fini!


It's been a really long day - but we've finished the gloss coat!

The house looks BEAUTIFUL - but we're exhausted. 

Yesterday we put the gloss on the lower part of the house, and then went for a wonderful supper with K&D at l'Escalope in St Jovite.  Great food, great welcome ( neighbours of ours!) and great company.  What more could you ask for?

Today we hit the gloss early - about 09.00 and just kept going.  We ache, we even hurt in places, but, it's finished!

And of course, K&D came and fixed the front door lights and painted the front window-sills........  Beavering away as usual!

Thank you both; you and many friends know who you are, we simply could not have achieved this without you.  If this is the "homesteader spirit", we really hope to take some of this back to the UK, to be practical neighbours to ours as you have been to us.  And you have not been alone.

Many people have unwittingly loaned materials; scaffolding; compressors; a nail gun; an extending ladder....  We really hope that word of our gratitude to this community spreads.

We can think of no better place to lead a third of our lives and we hope that we can in some way be, in the future, as much to you as you have been to us.

Unseasonable weather, indefatigable friends.

The forecast for yesterday (Tuesday) and today (Wednesday) indicated - the local phrase is "called for" - rain in some measure. 

It was a very small measure :-)

K & D have been here both days just "getting on with it!  K has done the most marvellous job in their garage, knotting, protecting against rot and then coating all of the wood for the window trims. 

 

D has done just as magnificent a job cutting and fitting them.  I have learned to use a (very scary) nail-gun!  And to pack behind the trims with insulation and to use Energy Seal goo to bond them to the logs.










Meanwhile, THIS was happening;

Plus, at least six very large skeins of geese flew South over the house during the day,

AND we have to wear trousers and tops.

The days are definitely shorter; it was completely dark by 7.30. So we have to practise the chinking indoors.....

                                                                                so that A can deal with the holes where the sand came in during the oh, so distant sand-blasting phase!

Rushing full tilt towards the end now; it'll still be a close run  thing but it would have been inconceivable without the help we've received.  BIG THANKS!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

Well, that was GREAT!  Exhausting (Mall walking - the floors are VERY hard; down-town visiting - shops are VERY full on Sunday and IKEA dining - interesting!) but great fun.

Lila has definitely grown.  And G&J are very engaged parents to her!  She doesn't like me very much - but she's fine with everyone else.  Never  mind, I take some getting to know.....



And the drive back was long, but pleasant.  Sorry - the 7 may be half an hour longer, subject to delays and slower, but I'm much fresher than I was after a similar drive length going the other direction by divided highway.  

See - here's the 401 leaving Toronto - after we've stopped queueing -

 

and here's the parkway south of the river at Ottawa, whilst we were queueing to cross the Champlain bridge.....

No comparison!

So - not yet checked the weather forecast for tomorrow - can't matter anyway - just on a week to go - gotta finish!

It's a long way....

To Tipperary!  And fortunately not quite as far to Toronto.  10 hours' driving in fact.  So we're tired, but now  we're well fed and well chatted and relaxed with G & J.

Shopping tomorrow; sleep now!

Phew!









Top coat colour right round.

The car had to be serviced in St Jovite today so a frantic (well - rapid) session this morning getting colour all around above the windows and on the front of the house, and then P left the field of battle for a leisurely drive and an afternoon in the shops (Canadian Tire and Rona - where else?!) in St Jovite (about an hour away, think Bristol UK to Swindon) to have the car serviced and the winter tires (tyres) fitted.


And A carried on - almost to have finished by the time of the wanderer's return!

OK - so there is still the top gloss coat to do, and the reveres around the window frames, and the thermal insulation between the reveres and the logs.  And the forecast next week (our last) isn't great; but it's do-able.

A was soooo cold - it's due for 10 degrees overnight and then five days of rain!

Off to Toronto!  Yaaaay!

Whilst my back was turned......

the temperature dropped;


the chipmunk - well, one of them, learned how to climb INSIDE the bird feeder and, upside down, stuff its pouches with seed;



a red squirrel learned that it, too, could get to the bird feeder and monopolise the supply of food - to the disgust of the nuthatch;

the weather responded to our deepest intercessions last night and was manageable all day, so we are almost back on track :-)  ;



Some-One heard the "painter's hymn" this morning - you know the one...
"Give me strength in my wrist, keep me painting;
Give me strength in my wrist, I pray! 
Give me strength in my wrist, keep me painting; Keep me painting to the end of day! 

(Chorus) Sing Hosanna!  Sing Hosanna; Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings;
Sing Hosanna!  Sing Hosanna! Sing Hosanna to the King."




and the leaves began to change!  When did that happen?

And now for something completely different....


Monday was a great day  - and much exhausting running up and down ladders later, we had used up all of the primer!  Three walls primed and first coated; the fourth primed.




Today was dreadfully different; it rained.  Essentially it rained all the useful day.

So I went with Denis to buy the timber for the window-frame surrounds, and A cleaned house.  Because it really needed it.

And then Denis started laying the blocks for the pedestal for the washing machine and tumble-drier.

Because they have had to be lifted to stop them draining in to the floor and undermining the foundations, and because on the temporary blocks, they walked!  I mixed the mortar!

So here's hoping for a clear day tomorrow - although drizzle is forecast for at least the morning.  Else the trip to Toronto at the weekend looks difficult.

Er - was that the weekend??????

To begin at the end; we have just come in at 7.48 - 40 minutes after sunset!  We were racing to get the priming coat on the North-West (Marmotte) wall.  And we started the weekend in a rush to get the first priming coat  on the South East (Meadow) wall.

In between, we have:

(Almost) FINISHED THE CHECKING!!!!!;

been to a very jolly supper at Audrey and Lorne's, with a wonderful Tarte Tatin made from their own apples;

put the first coat of colour on the Meadow Wall

and bought 10 concrete blocks as well as the mortar to make them in to a plinth for the washing machine and tumble drier (more later - I hope!).

Delightfully, we were graced with the company of this Camberwell Beauty, which, strangely, are an introduction here and are by no means uncommon!   (From: Canadian naturalist and quarterly journal of science, Volume 4; Natural History Society of Montreal: 1869. 

"This insect was first introduced into Quebec in 1859 or 1860.  It soon became abundant in a circle of 40 miles around that city, and has even spread into Maine and Vermont, along the line of railway leading from Quebec". )

 The name I grew up with - although I only ever remember seeing this big butterfly in pictures, was "Morning Cloak", said to be because the insect's folded wings show an edge of white, reminiscent of a society lady's evening gown showing under her "Morning cloak" on her way home, after a night of dancing.




Wikepedia has a completely different story, stating that this butterfly is endemic to North America and that the name is Mourning Cloak - not Morning.

Whatever!

Racing the weather...

This is rapidly becoming a team effort!  Early start and we have the sealer coat on the meadow wall.  On to the checking of  the last portion of the North-East wall.  K applying coats to the windows in the basement; D measuring up for the pine trim to the window frames; Ali painting and then cleaning the basment and now sewing. Lovely lunch-time at K&D!

And the outside activity brought to a halt by the rain at about 16.30.





Never mind; forecast better for Tuesday which extends our window on by a day, so no real harm done.




:-(

Just when you need it...

Four really great, Canadian, things today.

D turned up to cut the meadow back from the car entrance to the barn.  And then went in to the village to bring back necessaries for us.
Thank you. 

K turned up - and stayed - to paint window frames and sills; staying from late morning almost to dark. 
Thank you.

D went to recruit Yves, Claude and himself to move the scaffolding to the Marmotte (North east) side of the house. 
Thank you.

The maple at the meadow side of the house is beginning to turn.

Meadowside.

The "meadow", this year, has not been home to horses.  Sadly for us, A's foals went straight from the farm to their new trailer with ne'er a backward glance.  In a previous year, other foals came to spend time with us - and to eat down the meadow!  So now the latter is a wilderness of goldenrod and little fir trees and even reed-like grasses which must map the line of an underground watercourse.

It looks very sad; rather messy and forlorn.

But it's home to a lot of passing birds - not much sign of the deer these last weeks.

And speaking of passing birds, not one but two skeins of  geese/swans flying south and calling today.  We first heard them (or their precursors - as we sat outside on the evening of the 30th or 31st.  There were more over this last weekend, but, as I said, two, big skeins today.  Fall is on its way for sure.  And strange variations in the temperature; 6 or 7 this morning; 16 - 20 in the shade at lunchtime - 35 in the full sun!  Figure that - as they say.

The (Ruby-throated) humming bird must be on the point of leaving; it came (heralded by an unmistakable HUMMMMMM - as distinctive as the sound of a Merlin engine) yesterday - about a week after I'd last seen it.  I was up the scaffolding and it hovered right in front of my face for a second or two.  The feeder's empty; doesn't do to keep them here.  They've a long way to fly to Mexico.

And speaking of "up the scaffolding" - the chipmunk's learned to climb the ladder whilst we're up there, in its ever-bustling search for peanuts.  Doesn't do to step back quickly, you might not miss it next time!  Ali lay in wait for it one time I was feeding it, and saw it disappear down its burrow in the wood.  They are cunning beasts; just like characters from "The Great Escape", they are known to dig long tunnels - up to two metres in the Chippy's case - and to disguise them by carrying the waste material, soil and so on, to another site!





People - Skype from them "Oooop Noarth" today - which was brilliant!  And calls from K & D - whose dog-walking kindness made Roxy's day!

Oh!  and  why "Meadowside!?  Because we've finished checking the Meadow-side wall!  Tada!

Oh - and the mouse is no more :-(

Of Scaffolding, Fred Perry, Mr Murray and the US Open!

It's a bit of a shock to the system when your brilliant neighbour turns up with a trailer full of scaffolding at 08.30 and 12 degrees C and you're in your pyjees just sitting down to a good, Canadian breakfast of three rashers, an egg and fried bread with HP sauce!  ("Cette sauce de haute qualite est un melange de fruits et d'epices orientaux. ......."  That (correctly accented of course) used to be on one side of the bottle label when we were kids.  It's the first French I ever learned!)  Yes!  they have HP sauce here, and Lee and Perrins with a bilingual label.  But no Marmite!  Booooooo!

Anyway, as I was saying.  The scaffolding was VERY welcome, even if it took me half an hour to warm up again (the egg never did manage it - but was delicious just the same.  One of the benefits of  British Public (private) school education is that you can - and probably will - eat anything; and then ask for seconds!). 

(Back to the subject in hand!)  The scaffolding now means that we can (relatively) safely reach right up to the top of the wooden walls to get on with the - well - you know by now!

And Fred Perry and Mr Murray and the US Open.  Thanks to the wonder of internet radio, A was able to listen live to a US commentary of the Final..And the plucky Brit did it; he won!  So those of us for whom this is not and has not been a matter of international importance, ranking with the invasion of wherever, can now relax. 
He HAS won, and well done.  Quite something; Olympic Champion and US Open winner.  Very well done.  Oh!  Fred Perry? - he was the last Brit to win an Open tennis title - in 1935. 
Spare a thought for Tim Henman, will you?  British rain eh?

"The deaf hear, and the blind see...."

... today's Gospel from Mark told the story of the deaf man - whose speech was consequently impaired - meeting with Jesus.  And of Jesus' actions in marking his healing by putting His fingers in the man's ears, and touching the man's tongue with his finger, moistened with his own spit, before breathing on the man; "Il a souffle"  (e acute).

In doing that, Jesus acts out God's action at creation, breathing all into life!

And after this, the man can hear, and can speak normally for the first time.  Our homily today - I think, my French still isn't good enough for this really - was about our need to have our ears "unstopped", and our speech "loosed".  Unless we hear clearly and well, we cannot speak clearly and well. 
We have all been breathed upon by God, we need to accept that breath and let that become our reality.  By some remarkable, unheard-by-me link, our priest (the North African one again), joined this to the need  both to listen and speak in marriage, and then, by a sort of homiletical somersault, on to the beautiful image that a marriage was not only for the couple, but was for the community - a witness and a celebration throughout its life, for all to share.

He's a lovely man, full of  "n'est-ce pas?" and "oui?" and long, encouraging pauses. 

So the rest of the day was calm and gentle; hard work still with therapeutic G&T at its end!  It was positively COLD - 20 degrees tops.  K came to visit wearing a thermal shirt and jeans!  Crumbs - Autumn's here.

Another caterpillar and much more Chipmunk today; but I'll stop with the message. 

Both listen, then hear, - and speak.

:-) 

Oh! and for some of you in particular... Lunch today was Plopped ham and chalk!

Make do and mend....

Etymology

From the title of a booklet issued by the Ministry of Information

Verb

make do and mend

(UK) A philosophy, during World War II, of repairing clothes etc that would normally be discarded due to shortages and rationing  (Wiktionary).



Yesterday - Friday - was another checking day.  All day.

Today - or rather last night - it thundered and rained and generally tipped down, and has more or less done so all day.

So, what do you do when it's raining in he Laurentians?  Well, go shopping of course, and then be busy!  A  Canadian breakfast at Giselle's in the village and then to l'Annonciation in the torrential rain for petrol, Yacht enamel (STILL not oil based!); various bits from Rona - the hardware store - and instant meals, I'm afraid, from IGA - the Sainsbury's of Quebec.

Lunch was a bit eaten on the hoof, as "Them ooop Noarth" Skyped for a chat.  GREAT!  And then A found - at last - a US channel that provided ball by ball commentary of Mr Murray's semi-final at the US open - tennis I think.  I am lead to believe that he won.

So - those of you who have visited 107 will remember the desperate little signs on the loo tops, beseeching the user to stay with their hand on the flush lever until all the water has descended from the tank.  This harks back to the day when someone didn't and the flapper valve stayed open and the subsequent run of water drained the well.  This has further consequences in  that no water from the well means no water into the water heater / hot tank and the elements burn out - again! 

Well, the downstairs loo has been running, gently, for some time.  You can particularly hear it when you're in the basement doing stuff.  It takes / took real dedication to ignore it and do nothing about it.  "Save it for a rainy day" was the watch-word.  And today certainly was rainy!  So now we have new ball-cock valve, and even an inline stop tap on the inlet pipe!  And no need for any more piece of paper on THAT cistern.  It won't be the same without it.....


Users of  the Blue room (and it IS blue!) may remember the rather jolly way in which the two North-side windows ice up - as in freeze! - in the winter.  And the fact that the wood gets soggy and pappy?  Well, they're not rotten; they're cedar,and cedar doesn't rot apparently.  But they are badly painted and so on, so now they are in the basement, fully dry and stripped.  Only not completely because the detail of the beads makes that  ridiculously complicated.
I shall apply some epoxy resin to them on their lower edges and then probably overpaint them before re-fitting them - I hope in time for us to leave.


Visitors from the dark side...



Big excitement here - especially amongst the chipmunk community - a Black Squirrel.  They really do exist, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel !  This particular character was to be seen on the bird feeder, tucking in, whilst the chipmunk gratefully tidied up underneath.


 
Ali has been busy, too.  We've moved the washing machine - another tale, another time - so that it no longer threatens to wash away the foundations as it empties.  However, it is now 16" off the floor and wobbles, so that whoever is working in the basement has to restrain it physically from falling off its perch.  Hmm - drawing board stuff I fear!

Anyway, that's provided a simply huge pile of ironing......

And, on top of that ( not literally of course!  That would be silly!) she began some upholstery repairs.

 

So, you see, not much rest, but definitely a change.

We think of many of you every day, do drop us an email, ring us, try Skyping us when it suits.

Love to you all.

Rebellion!

Avast ye lubbers!  Shiver me timbers! (I've just finished reading Treasure Island).

We woke again to the sound of rain on the tarps, and the distant rumble of thunder.  But, by 11.00, it was just too nice a day to be tied to the checks :-(  - and the new materials hadn't yet arrived from Canadian Log Home Supply (they had later - you have to be impressed by UPS!).  So we had a late breakfast and took off to the lake with Karen and her niece - Britney, the latter on holiday from Winnipeg (a Loooong way away, although still in Canada, Brits!).

I am still a victim of my poor sense of balance; I'm OK in the canoe on my own, but add Ali and a cross wind and I'm a gibbering wreck!  I can stroke fairly well now, C and J and draw and pry - but for comfort on the water - useless.

Thanks for the shot, Karen!

Actually, I struggle for foot-room.  The pinned ankle isn't too flexible and the boat narrows dramatically at the stern, so my feet are cramped and eventually we have to find a shore to cling to whilst I re-arrange matters (my feet and legs!).  I may email the designer and ask how far forward I can move the thwart.  That would give me a bit more space to move around!

It was a great paddle - the first since NY.  We stopped in the little island in the East bay 


- about an hour and a half's travel - for lunch - and took (and struggled to take) the obligatory group shots :-)




Easier coming home; apart from sand under my knees!  For those who don't know, we kneel to paddle here, not sit.  Don't know why but probably because it puts the weight down in the keel of the boat.  I'm going to try some carpet fitter's gel knee pads!  Can't be worse......

Once home, we started South Side checking; 22 degrees - perfect.

Oh!  the outcome of the colour last evening - we reserve judgement.

Hot stuff!  (Pssst, wanna see some feelthy pictures?).....

Ok, so by now you get the idea; get up, eat breakfast, take outside all of the tools that you brought in last night, begin again....

Only today it was just too hot.  We began by applying the sealing coat to the checked back of the house.  No problem, spray then brush in.  Interesting 9ft up in the air but hey!

Then we ordered even more materials from Canadian log home supply in Egansville (gulp!) and then we wanted to begin the checking on the South (Meadow) Wall.  Well, we had tarped (covered with tarpaulin) the wall last night in case of the threatened rain which apparently tipped on Montreal, but not on us, so that it was shielded from the sun.  But even under the tarp the temperature was ridiculous.  The materials information says you shouldn't use it above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (they're American :-(  ) - "frankly my dear", who'd want to?

So we started stripping; firstly ourselves (let's not go there) and then the windowsills - which are sadly peeling and for which I shall buy Yacht enamel, the very next time I'm in Annonciation......

....and eventually, in the cool of the evening (25 degrees!) we applied the first coat of  colour to the back wall and draped it in tarps again.

Roxy-watchers will want to know how she spent her day; at home!  M & S hired a car last evening to get themselves home, and M came to collect Roxy about 10.00 - just after I had returned from the village with dog food for her!  M stayed and chatted for a while - always very good to see him. 
Of course, the news of the moment is the relative success of the PQ (Partie Quebecois - the separatists) in the election yesterday.  Relative because they can only form a minority Government.  I have to admit - they do sound pretty racist in their single-minded drive for separation and the exclusive use of the French language here in Qc.   But they don't have a mandate for that at present; there was an almost British 40% turn out at some of the polls!

Ho hum; if I were (lucky enough to be) an Anglophone Quebecer, I would be pretty uncomfortable at some of the language rolling around at the moment :-(


But, in case you're disappointed, we did agree to show you a feelthy picture of Ali.

Here it is!

Now - don't have nightmares!