20090130 Barn Door of the Day

Grayscaled and cropped. In Saint-François-du-Lac.

20090129 Snow Waves

A bit of cross-country skiing in Pierreville, QC, after about 25 cm of snow fell yesterday. Could'nt get very far as there are no groomed paths there and so I have to follow in snowmobile's or all-terrain-vehicle's paths. There were'nt many open so early after the storm. Found one but it did'nt even go one km. Better day for snow shoes until the weekend when paths will be opened. That's how outback cross-coutry skiing is: haphazard.
These snow drifts I saw were nice. Sort of waves on the ocean. Or the air acts on the snow field like water on sand.

1948 Northern Electric Bowling Team

Pic taken in Montreal. Under the print, written by Denise Bilodeau's hand:

Équipe de bowling de la Norther Electric. 1948
Denise & Flo

i.e. Northern Electric bowling team.
The "Flo" is certainly not DB's friend Florence Fillion Montreuil.
Denise Bilodeau is the young woman on the right. By birth, she is the most beautiful of the two there, but adding to her beauty is her disposition. Notice how the woman on the left just drops her legs on the floor. Now, compare DB's way of posing her legs on the floor in an aggeable fashion. This adds to the beauty of her image.

20090127 Sorel to Ste-Victoire

There are groomed cross-country skiing paths all over the place in southern Quebec. This is in another one. It starts in Sorel, goes south to Sainte-Victoire, and goes back north to Sorel, at least form where I was parked. Free of charge. Most of the time, when there are not two lanes, that means it's a one way path, but not always. Conditions today were very nice. The snow was very slippery, and that is the best. You do'nt want sticky snow. The above pic was taken at an unofficial stopping shack called Chez Julien in Sainte-Victoire where one can stop and sit while taking a coffee, hot chocolate or broth, all for a simple donation. The map says that I did 17kms today on skis. I can hardly beleave it! Must be some mistake!

20090125B Skating skier

Another pic from the 25th's day of skiing. This is the most artsy pic of the day. I shows a cross-country skiier applying the skating technique to his skiing. Taking pics with aa low sun is always stunning in the winter.

20090125A Piedmont to Sainte-Adèle on skis

The linear park called Le Parc Linéaire des Pays d'en Haut runs for 200km in all. It's an abandoned railway turned into a cycling path in summer and a cross-country skiing or skidoo path in winter. The snow is groomed and since it's an old railway, there are no hills to speak of for those who are weary of steep inclines. It runs for many kms along the Rivièred du Nord river, seen here on the left. Some sections run like rapids. Today was moderately cold, but not too much so. Tried new mitts and they kept us warm! A nice sunny winter day with perfect snow conditions for sport!

20090124 Loftboutiques Saint-Sauveur

This is phase 3 of Loftboutiques Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts in Piedmont. A swell place, brand new. I've been posting an ad for Ginette, posting it on free internet classified ad web sites. Here it is:

Loftboutiques Condo-Hotel Fantastic!

We loved Loftboutiques in St-Sauveur-des-Monts and Piedmont! Very luxurious! See their web site at http://www.loftboutiques.com/, but to book at a discount price, contact Ginette Guertin at 14506563008 . No toll free number, but you can e-mail her at erreipnitreug2000@hotmail.com leaving contact info, and she'll write or call you back.

Loftboutiques à Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts et Piedmont est fabuleux! Nous avons pris plusieurs nuitées aux Loftboutiques et avont été toujours bien servis. Endroit très luxueux. Voyez leur site web à http://www.loftboutiques.com/, mais pour réserver une suite à prix d'amis, téléphonez à Ginette Guertin à 14506563008 . Elle n'a pas de ligne sans frais, mais vous pouvez lui écrire à erreipnitreug2000@hotmail.com en lui laissant vos coordonées et elle vous rejoindra bientôt!

500 Chemin des Frênes
Piedmont (Québec) J0R 1K0

http://www.condos-a-louer.ca/loftboutiques_aildoux/


So that's my addition to my blog of this ad. Anyone interested?

20090123 Assorted chocolates

You may have noticed that I've added a few pop culture references below my web site title. It says:
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
Sometimes it's Savoy truffle, sometimes it's crunchy frog.

Well, I do'nt think I need to explain that the first line is famous for coming from the movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks as FG. He often said that in the movie, a line he picked up from his mother played by Sally Field.


The next line is not as well known, but still I think lots of us know it. Savoy truffle is a chocolate in a song by George Harrison played by The Beatles.
Here are the lyrics:

Creme tangerine and Montélimar
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart
A coffee dessert--yes you know it's good news
But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

Cool cherry cream, nice apple tart
I feel your taste all the time we're apart
Coconut fudge--really blows down those blues
But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

You might not feel it now
But when the pain cuts through
You're gonna know and how
The sweat is going to fill your head
When it becomes too much
You'll shout aloud

But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

You know that what you eat you are,
But what is sweet now, turns so sour--
We all know Obla-Di-Bla-Da
But can you show me, where you are?..

Creme tangerine and Montélimar
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart
A coffee dessert--yes you know its good news
But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.
Yes, you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=172 , where you can listen to the song: "This was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of chocolate. He and George Harrison were good friends. George Harrison got the lyrics for this from the inside lid of a box of chocolates. Montelimart, Ginger Sling, Cream Tangerine, and Coffee Dessert were names of candies in the Mackintosh "Good News" assortment."


Finding a recepie for Savoy truffle is not easy. The only really good one is at http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/2007/03/george-harrisons-savoy-truffles.html, and that is where I took this picture. The comment of the blogger goes like this:

" I found Savoy truffle recipe but I'm not really sure if this is the one George wrote about, it looks more like the coconut fudge. (I tried to link the site but was not able to). Anyway, I made one recipe today, it's very easy to make. I like the subtle brandy taste although dried coconut is not one of my favorite things.

4 T butter
1 egg yolk
½ C icing sugar, sifted
½ C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T vanilla extract
1 T brandy
dessicated coconut

In a small saucepan, over very low heat, melt butter and whisk in the egg yolk until thick, add sugar and whisk until smooth. Add brandy and vanilla extract. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a rubber spatula until chips are completely melted and mixture is smooth and no longer glossy. Transfer to a glass container and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. Shape into 1-inch balls, roll in coconut. Refrigerate leftovers."

Sounds good. I'll have to get some brandy.


Now, "Crunchy frog" is probably not well known to most of us. But fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus will know it. It's from one of their sketches, the one titled "Whizzo Chocolate Company". This is a transcript I copied from http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/crunchy_frog.html and pasted here (the whole thing is to be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyCXhiwulk):

WHIZZO CHOCOLATE COMPANY

PRALINE: (J.C) Hello again. I am at present still on film, but in a few seconds I shall be appearing in the studio. Thank you.

(Cut to studio. A door opens. Inspector Praline looks round door. )

PRALINE: (to camera) Hello. (He walks in followed by Superintendent Parrot and goes to desk) Mr Milton? You are sole proprietor and owner of the Whizzo Chocolate Company?

MILTON: (T.J) I am.

PRALINE: Superintendent Parrot and I are from the hygiene squad. We want to have a word with you about your box of chocolates entitled The Whizzo Quality Assortment.



MILTON: Ah, yes.

PRALINE: (producing box of chocolates) If I may begin at the beginning. First there is the cherry fondue. This is extremely nasty… but we can’t prosecute you for that.

MILTON: Agreed.

PRALINE: Next we have number four - “crunchy frog”.

MILTON: Ah, yes.

PRALINE: Am I right in thinking there’s a real frog in here?

MILTON: Yes. A little one.

PRALINE: What sort of frog?

MILTON: A dead frog.

PRALINE: Is it cooked?

MILTON: No.

PRALINE: What, a raw frog?

(Superintendent Parrot looks increasingly queasy.)



MILTON: We use only the finest baby frogs, dew picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope and lovingly frosted with glucose.

PRALINE: That’s as maybe, it’s still a frog.

MILTON: What else?

PRALINE: Well don’t you even take the bones out?

MILTON: If we took the bones out it wouldn’t be crunchy would it?

PRALINE: Superintendent Parrot ate one of those.

PARROT: (G.C) Excuse me a moment. (exits hurriedly)

MILTON: It says “crunchy frog” quite clearly.

PRALINE: Well, the superintendent thought it was an almond whirl. People won’t expect there to be a frog in there. They’re bound to think it’s some form of mock frog.

MILTON: (insulted) Mock frog? We use no artificial preservatives or additives of any kind!

PRALINE: Nevertheless, I must warn you that in future you should delete the words “crunchy frog”, and replace them with the legend “crunchy raw unboned real dead frog”, if you want to avoid prosecution.

MILTON: What about our sales?

PRALINE: I’m not interested in your sales, I have to protect the general public. Now how about this one. (Parrot enters) It was number five, wasn’t it? (Parrot nods) Number five, ram’s bladder cup. (Parrot exits) What kind of confection is this?

MILTON: We use choicest juicy chunks of fresh Cornish ram’s bladder, emptied, steamed, flavoured with sesame seeds whipped into a fondue and garnished with lark’s vomit.

PRALINE: Lark’s vomit?

MILTON: Correct.

PRALINE: Well it don’t say nothing about that here.

MILTON: Oh yes it does, on the bottom of the box, after monosodium glutamate.



PRALINE: (looking) Well I hardly think this is good enough. I think it would be more appropriate if the box bore a large red label warning lark’s vomit.

MILTON: Our sales would plummet.

PRALINE: Well why don’t you move into more conventional areas of confectionery, like praline or lime cream; a very popular flavour I’m led to understand. (Parrot enters) I mean look at this one, “cockroach cluster”, (Parrot exits) “anthrax ripple”. What’s this one, “spring surprise”?

MILTON: Ah - now, that’s our speciality - covered with darkest creamy chocolate. When you pop it in your mouth steel bolts spring out and plunge straight through-both cheeks.

PRALINE: Well where’s the pleasure in that? If people place a nice chocky in their mouth, they don’t want their cheeks pierced. In any case this is an inadequate description of the sweetmeat. I shall have to ask you to accompany me to the station.

MILTON: (getting up from desk and being led away) It’s a fair cop.

PRALINE: Stop talking to the camera.

MILTON: I’m sorry.

(Superintendent Parrot enters the room as Inspector Praline and Milton leave, and addresses the camera.)

PARROT: If only the general public would take more care when buying its sweeties, it would reduce the number of man-hours lost to the nation and they would spend less time having their stomachs pumped and sitting around in public lavatories.



So, there you go. Imagine a box of chocolates with Savoy Truffle and with Crunchy Frog. A song and a sketch all in one box. The good and the not so good. That's what life is all about, all in one box.

20090122 Airplane at dusk

In the back fields of Saint-Françoios-du-Lac, I was doing some solo cross-country skiing, like I usually do, and looking out for photo ops. Took pix of deer, a cute bird's nest with some snow on top like whipped cream on some dessert, stunning deep blue clouds, a lookout tower with snow rising from the fields due to strong winds. At day's end I was hoping for a good sunset to capture on my memory card. Did'nt get one but then an airplane came up from the left, it's the sun's dusky light reflecting off it's trail to create a sweet pink to orange line across the sky. As soon as I saw it appear, I knew it had potential. In my opinion, that made today's best shot.
More shots of this day at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214829&l=4c5b4&id=739480474

20090121 Old skis in Sepia

Requested by Micheline: a sepia version of the old skis pic I posted 2 days ago. Looks even older. Probably how a pic of these skis would have looked if taken at the time they were made.

20090120 Fox tracks

While backcountry cross-country skiing in Saint-François-du-Lac, I spotted these tracks. Looked like dog tracks but alone and so far out in the middle of nowhere it's more likely these are fox tracks.

20090119 Old skis in b & w

A greyscaled pic of old skis in a spa in the Laurentians used as decoration there. Looks like they were hand made! The color version of this pic I posted on Facebook last summer at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3558326&l=34a90&id=739480474

20090118 Cross-country skiing class

In Longueuil's Parc Régional, there was all sorts of swell activities happening in every corner of the park: Downhill sliding, skating in frozen ponds, cross-country skiing, on your own or in a course given in this small 6 people class seen above, snow shoes walking or just regular walking. A nice not too cold day after the frigid weather we've been having lately. Click on the pic to see it fullsize.



A prune or cherry tree affected by the mushroom Apiosporina morbosa is growing there right next to the skiing path and communal gardens of the park. People on the left, skiing or on snow shoes, just saw some deer in the woods.



An amazing sight later in mid-afternnon: a 4-pointer buck deer making it's appearance right where people were doing their sunday nature walks and skiing!



He walked right into the cross-country skiing path, right behind the class!



Seeing no interest from the people about him, he turned back to the woods and his group of females farther on hiding in the woods. I approached and called out to him and he stopped in his tracks and began to turn back and walk slowly towards me!



Very tame, he approached right up to me! Click on the pic to see it fullsize.



It even came up to a child offering a carrot and actually ate it right out of it's hand! I got to touch it a bit too. I guess he expects handouts on a regular basis in this park, making him unafraid of people altogether! Actually, an unarmed human shoud be more afaid of him and his antlers than him of humans!

20090117 Darling the cat

Darling is Nicole Dubuc's cat. She used to have more cats but this is the only one she has now. I had a cat called Mitsou. She died as they do commonly by crossing the road and being hit by a car. Next came Mimi. She died rather uncommonly because she decided to get surreptitiously in the clothes dryer. That was a deadly mistake. Next came Tonki for a very short stay until it died hit by a car also. Finally, I had Charlie and had him put to sleep yesterday.

20090116 RIP Charlie

One of the saddest time that can be is when one has to resolutly take a good companion of daily life and have it put to sleep forever. Charlie was one such companion, but to a fault. Don't get me wrong. I love cats. But what I like about them is that they are, contrary to dogs, independent. They and us go each to our own business, and once in a while we meet and are affectionate to each other. In good measure. But this cat was just too affectionatly dependent. Just too much like glue to humans. Never an outdoor cat, he was totally dependent on people. Contrary to an indoor-outdoor cat, this one did not find much enjoyment in going out and about the grounds. Besides, he was declawed, so climbing trees was out of the question. A shame since all the other cats I had could do that and I really liked it. Another bad caracter trait of this cat is that he ate much more than he needed. Lastly, he had bad cat box habits, not doing his thing well in there but along the edges ans sometimes going out of the edges. That's what banished him from the house last spring. Things were not too bad for him, spring, summer, fall. I fed him outside. But then when winter came, that was just to unbearable for him, and for me to see also. He just looked like he might just freeze to death. Still, he looked like he was holding up anyway even in -30C tempatures, but I dint want to see him start to freeze at the extremities. So having him put to sleep was a preventative mesure. Also, I'm out of the house for days often and did'nt want to ask the neighbors to feed him again. They said he looked miserable in the cold autumn rain and were encouraging me to have him put to sleep or get rid of him one way or another.
I got this cat from people who had 3 cats. Charlie was one cat too many. He's not my ideal of a cat. That would be a classic short haired tabby. But, we had just lost ours and I wanted to get one quickly. I saw at a cat grooming shop a note on paper pinned to a wall about a cat to be given away for adoption. Declawed, neutered, vaccined. Looked good. But I do'nt think I've ever had such an insecure cat.

So there he is after having had a shot to render him unconscious. The vet is giving him the shot of death. Goodbye Charlie. This had to be.

20090115 Hip 1948 chick

Continuing with the scans of prints.
This young lady, Denise Bilodeau, fresh in her 18 years of age, looks like she's liking it on the motorcycle! Well, at least to pose, probably in Montreal, like a glamourous woman, because I'm not sure if she ever rode this bike, or any bike for that matter. But she was a passenger behind her best girlfriend, so that's something for the times!

19791027 Kathakali show, Montreal

Again a scan from a print.
In 1979, an indian dance show was held at the UQAM university in Montreal. Performed by the Groupe Téâtram dance company, it featured Richard Tremblay, seen here sitting on the floor as Bhîma. I first went on the 26th of October show. I liked it so much, I went back the following day on the 27th to see it again! This time I took a roll of film with me to take pictures.
From the program: "Le Centre Socio-Culturel de l'UQAM en collaboration avec le groupe Teatram présente: "L'Histoire d'une Fleur" de Kathakali. Cette pièce de Kathakali est extraite du Kalina Saugandhikam (Actes 10, 11 et 16) de l'Indien Kottayuthu Trampuram."
It was a pretty deliciously exotic experience. I loved it!
More pics at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=232829&id=739480474&l=0ea2f
Link: http://www.silentculture.org/creation/english.asp?page=onglets/filer.asp

20090113 Mycena elegantula, Sherbrooke, QC

Continuing to scan prints.
Back in 1982, I was in the middle of a very big phase of wanting to identify wild mushroooms. To aid me in that, I used books but also I took pics. They were of just whatever I could find around home. This I believed to be Mycena elegantula, but who knows, I could be wrong, but it sure looks like that. Maybe someone out there on the web could confirm of not this name on this mushroom.

20090112 Physical therapist -slash- musician!

There is a physical therapist in the town of Yamaska. He sets up shop under the banner of Clinique de Physiothérapie Martin Ménard. A serious chap full of bona fide diplomas on the wall. But the funny thing is he's got a lighter side to him. After finding him on Google Maps, I searched more to see if and where else he might be on the web and found him on YouTube. He actually sings while playing acoustic guitar! His home page is under the name of Beemagie. Bee (abeille) is his nickname since he was young because friends used to say he was busybody. Magie is the nickname of his wife. He's pretty good as an amateur musician, and professionnally as a physiotherapist!

20090111 Bob Dylan 19800424 Montréal

On the 22nd day of april 1980, I happened to be in front of the Théâtre St-Denis in Montréal just before the Bob Dylan show was about to begin. A man had a spair ticket (seat J-44) to get rid of, a ticket of $15 he was willing to let go for $10! So I, being alone, bought it from him and went inside. The place was pretty booked. Dylan had just turned evangelical or some sort of Christian thing. People rose up to heckle him! I guess the man just likes to shake things a bit in other people. Setlist at http://www.bobdylan.com/#/node/3734
This is a scan of a print I have of the show that took place two days later, the 24th, at the same venue. I don't remember how I got that print. It's an old 3 1/2 X 5 inches print. I've had it since the year of the show I guess. I managed to make decent jpg images from the old scanner I've got, a simple cheap Canon model CanoScan LiDE 25. The best thing for show images because of the very dark background is to raise the contrast level so that the background gets dark and uniform. Also, I found that creating a Bitmap image first and then converting that to a jpg image with another software (irfanview, photoshop, etc) gets better quality jpg images rather than creating a jpg image straight from the scanner.