dog – Page 7 – OldPlaidCamper

The furnace

We’re enjoying (I think I mean that) a brief heatwave this week, one that is threatening thunder this afternoon (Thursday) and all through tomorrow. It’s been too hot – hot, like a furnace – to charge about doing anything interesting aside from walking with Scout and retreating from the woods due to the resurgent mosquitoes. I got multiple bites on my right shoulder after something got in under my long sleeved shirt. It chewed away for quite some time until I noticed. Itchy…

Bugs! You can’t see them, but they’re there…

The furnace outside has meant mostly staying inside, time well spent with reading, writing and watching a few movies. The best of the movie bunch for me was The Furnace, (yup, you’ve seen what I’ve done here) an Australian outback western set in the late 1800s.

Spectacular locations, more bugs than even in our local woods, and a ripping yarn full of interesting characters doing bad and not so bad things due to greed over gold. An exciting and thought provoking piece, with lots to chew over regarding race, avarice, indigenous rights, immigrant experiences and camels. Yup, camels. If you don’t like camels, don’t watch the movie, you’ll only get the hump. (It’s warm, I’m tired, this is the best I’ve got…) If you’re interested, here’s a better review: The Furnace Guardian review – I think this review acknowledges the Treasure of the Sierra Madre vibe, and I’d agree. If it’s not up to that level, it’s still decent enough.

The book I enjoyed most this week was Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks. If you liked Human Traces (I did, even if it was long winded at times) or Birdsong or A Fool’s Alphabet then you’ll likely enjoy this one. What’s it about? Love, death, grief, recovery, political tension between the wars, identity and belonging, small kindnesses in the midst of tragedy, and, as I’ve found with most of his novels, it stays with you. Also, let’s be honest, snowy Austrian mountain scenes were just the thing to read in a heatwave and after watching the outback movie!

With the heat allegedly diminishing after the weekend, we’ll be back outside a bit more and looking to explore Quebec in early fall. It’s starting to get colourful out there.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Shudder

Judder. Shake. Quake. And here’s a bit of wobble thrown in. Am I dancing? Huh? No. Well, maybe later. Read on for that. Is this an early Halloween post? No, nothing as interesting as that. Ok, PC, what’s going on?

As I write this, our house is shaking and there are huge thudding sounds from outside. An earthquake then? Nope. Those contractors who were on vacation? They’re back and they’re working, rain or shine, on our backyard and driveway. Oomph! There’s another one. Let’s keep this brief.

They left the keys in the ignition, and I was tempted…

Scout is hiding under my desk because she’s not a huge fan of big noise. As a result, I keep hitting my head whenever she gives a muted bark. I was here first, it’s my safe place, but I’ve had to scooch along a bit to give Scout some space. (Scooch? Or scootch? Are these real words?) It’s getting crowded under here. Mrs. PC? She checked in on us earlier and is rather less bothered by the noise and rather more bothered about why I’m not using my desk properly. I said I’m under here for Scout…

Fortunately, we have very understanding neighbours, and one side used this time to get a bit of yardwork of their own done, so they’re all good. Our neighbours on the other side aren’t quite ready to do their yard yet (these are all new builds) but have been happy to let the work crew access our space across their lot. An outdoor meal in our new yard could be some sort of thank you. After the last meal we shared, who knows if they’d like that?

A culinary tale and explanation as to why our neighbours might not enjoy another meal with us? Here goes. Two days before the outdoor work started our immediate neighbours joined us for dinner. Me being of European descent, and only mentioning the adult names when making the invitation, I’d assumed just the adults were having dinner with us. Being of African descent, our neighbours assumed the whole family was invited. I didn’t even blink as five children followed their parents in. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome and welcome. Quick peek up the street, nope that’s it and close the door. Yikes, five extra! Anyway, I remained very much the appearance of kitchen calm (but paddling feverishly under the surface) as I prepared extra servings. Luckily it was a pasta based menu and I hadn’t gone for making those individual soufflés. Beer, wine, speedily defrosting an extra baguette and dancing papered over any cracks caused by the suspiciously small servings. Yeah, we think it went well…

*Driveway?! Do you mean parking spot, OPC?* Yeah, ok…

Jolt! An enormous boulder has just been prised out of what will be the driveway and dropped onto our neighbour’s land. Thump! We owe them – I’d better search out that soufflé recipe, scale it up for nine…

Let’s leave it here, since it’s actually quite challenging to write with Scout sitting on my lap. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful (long – hooray) weekend!

Do I look like I’ve been upstairs hiding under a desk?

Two vehicles could almost squeeze on, so isn’t that a driveway? Oh, ok…

Dog days

It’s been an odd summer, not at all bad, but certainly mixed. We’re thoroughly enjoying exploring our new home, and enjoying securing contractors to complete various landscaping projects a bit less thoroughly. To be clear, the contractors are great – they’ve all been, quite rightly, “en vacances” – but they’re back now and trying to catch up on backlogs due to the rainy weather. Finding contractors? An invisible modern day problem to be sure, and actually the delays have been helpful – we’ve agreed not to go with the Poseidon statue. I was so hoping…

Almost there… perhaps a Poseidon statue?

It hasn’t been all rain and meetings with builders. In between showers we’ve enjoyed picnics in the park. One picnic spot looked like a set from the Teletubbies show. (If you don’t know the Teletubbies, keep it that way. Our daughter loved them when she was a toddler. She probably still does, but don’t tell her I said that…)

Scout has become more used to the heat and humidity, and with all the recent rain has even wondered if we left the rainforests behind? She might have a point:

Agreeable weather permitting, Mrs. PC has absolutely insisted we go along to the Festibiere this coming weekend. It took a bit of arm twisting. I mean, over 100 local beers? OK, yeah, maybe we’d enjoy that… We’ve put in some training:

Thank you if you took a look at the pig photo last week – I was going to write a not so controversial caption connecting pigs to Tories, but decided against it. All those greedy snouts in the trough, who wants to think about that? Instead, and far better, how about this joke from ACI?

A pig walks into a bar and orders 10 drinks. After he drinks them all, the bartender says “Don’t you need to know where the bathroom is?” The pig says “No, I go wee wee wee all the way home.”

That’s still funny after the umpteenth time!

There’s no way it’s going to get any better here this week, so let’s leave it for now. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Colour

August already? Where did July go? Mostly in a blur for us, but it was a colourful one…

Colourful and damp! I read a report on The Weather Network noting that July in Quebec had been one of the wettest in recent times, with Montreal and Quebec City receiving more than 200% rainfall compared to the average. Sherbrooke, a small city to the southeast of Montreal, received over 301mm, the wettest month on record. Keep heading east, and the Maritimes was even wetter than QC, suffering floods and record breaking rainfall. Luckily, locally, we have an umbrella or two. Colourful ones at that.

What an ongoing worrying time, climate-wise, that this summer is proving to be. The floods mentioned above, the extreme heat in southern Europe, the wildfires in the north and west. Yikes!

There’ll still be plenty of desperate-for-power politicians pretending there’s nothing to see here, being bankrolled by insatiable-for-more-wealth billionaires, and often voted for by (gullible – maybe?) folks wishing it all away, but c’mon! What more do you need to see before accepting we’re in trouble?

Anyway, with July done, here’s hoping August isn’t too extreme (either way) for rain or heat. Selfishly, I’d settle for the low 20s, and lengthy periods of sunshine and blue skies after frequent (but not too frequent) rain showers. The days where a shaded pint seems like a good idea…

Keeping it brief. Youngest brother unexpectedly required and survived a lifesaving operation earlier this week. Mightily relieved is an understatement. Our plans to share a pint or two have been put on (temporary) hold. I’ve always told him no good ever comes of cider. Now beer, however…

Thanks for reading, and here’s wishing you comfortable conditions for a wonderful weekend ahead!

Leaves on the ground – the merest hint of fall ahead?! No…

Cleaning up

Cleaning up or coming clean – this one might be a bit of a confession. Where to start?

Love this place – could easily stay here

We were wandering around in a very humid forest the other day, one of those grey days where you can feel the cloud cover just above your head providing a roof or ceiling for the mosquitoes – they were happily buzzing and humming around my ears, oblivious to the high strength bug spray applied earlier. They seemed almost disappointed. Haven’t you got anything a little stronger, sir?

As we walked, sweaty shirt clinging to and emphasizing my (admittedly very attractive) mid years physique, it occurred to me I was running low on clean clothing, and eau de repellent wasn’t making things any better. Being away from home comforts like a washing machine, you soon realize how they’re taken for granted.

“Yeah, you’re great and all, but if you could drop the leash, I might just run on ahead? I can find you – I’ll follow my nose…”

I don’t mind my reputation going before me, but when monuments, museums and public buildings are closing up as I approach, even I can take a hint. We (I) needed to find a laundromat. Mrs PC, fragrant as ever – and better at packing the essentials in sensible quantities – pointed out where the campground laundromat was, and all was well, at least for a few days.

“Where are you all going? Is it something I said, or something else?”

Yes, inevitably, what with the weather and my much vaunted “packing light” skills, it was back to the laundromat once more. Hmm, not fun, but at least I wasn’t being refused entry at historic sites, and Scout and Mrs. PC had stopped pretending to not know me.

This issue needed to be cleared up, or even cleaned up, and we managed to do just that. We purchased our very own washing machine. In fact, we went crazy and threw in a dryer. At those prices (eye watering, but not as eye watering as my special fragrance) it seemed like a good plan. Even better, the new appliances had a home attached! Huh? A home? That’s right, we’ve moved, and we’re now happy, fragrant, and almost settled residents of Quebec City.

“You’ve done your laundry? I like you again! Is that cheese?”

I know, I know, this entire post stinks. All that preamble just to say we’ve relocated for the next little while… For how long? Who knows? Until the beer and cheese runs out? Mmm, cheese, especially those blues ones, with that very special aroma…

Shout it from (and across) the roof tops – we like this city!

I think the new washing machine is beeping at me, so we’ll leave it here for now, all fresh and ready for whatever comes next. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Until the beer runs out? We may be some time…

Rainy day celebration

It will likely be a rainy day Canada Day tomorrow and we’re ok with that, as Scout has discovered some nearby forest trails that she’ll be happy to explore all weekend – we will too, provided there’s enough bug spray…

Many places are desperately needing significant rain to help douse wild fires, so fingers crossed for those locations, and a damp Canada Day would be very welcome.

Canada Day! I’ll repeat myself – now that’s never happened before on this blog, oh no – and say how much I love Canada and being a Canadian citizen. As a nation, it’s a work in progress, like anywhere, and there are faults and things to fix, but I mostly believe, to borrow a phrase or two, we’re paddling in the right direction, and the journey is the destination.

So, rain or shine, we’ll be wandering some eastern woodlands and delighting in the day. Might be too wet for outdoor eating, although the mosquitoes don’t seem to mind the rain and will doubtless have a bite or two, but when we reach beer o’clock, we’ll be happy to raise a glass and celebrate Canada!

Thanks for reading, and happy Canada Day tomorrow if you’re Canadian, almost Canadian or just like the idea of Canada! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Ongoing research

It’s been hot this week, and we’ve used that as an unnecessary excuse to conduct some important research. I’ve attached photographic evidence and some explanatory notes.

If the weather cools down and/or we can access better internet in the coming days, I’ll post something a little more detailed next week.

In the meantime, hello summer, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

I did warn you! Wake me when the so-called research is over…

Suspended – a tale of canine courage

Suspended? The blog? No, more of a brief blogging pause as we spend the next week or two with less certain internet availability. But before that, here’s a wobbly one featuring a brave dog:

On a recent very warm morning we visited Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière in search of some shade. There is a waterfall that’s used to generate electricity, and you can take great photos of the falls from a suspension bridge traversing the Chaudière River. You’ll need to be brave though…

A few steps in and we were aware of a slight bouncing sensation underfoot. A few more strides and the bouncing became quite pronounced. Scout stopped dead in her tracks and for a few moments it looked like she wouldn’t go forward or back. Hmm. Then Mrs. PC strode past and Scout clearly didn’t like the idea of not being in front, so off we wobbled at quite a pace. None of us wanted to spend too long on the bridge…

The views were great, mostly snatched glances from the bridge (we were not stopping, oh no) and the views are as good from just off the bridge – firmer footing and a more relaxed canine companion. We did find some leafy shade, and spent a few moments enjoying relief from the sun and pretending our heart rates were running at normal. We knew there was a return trip over the bridge but didn’t tell Scout.

As it turned out, Scout being Scout, the return over the bridge was not a problem. She shrugged, put one paw in front of the other, and without looking down (I did – not a good idea – my stomach lurched) trotted across as fast as her legs would carry her. Pretty fast, I can tell you!

If you have sturdy legs and a bold disposition, then a trip to the bridge and the falls is recommended.

Thanks for reading and we’ll leave it there for this week, with pulses steady and our little wobble behind us! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

If we have reliable wifi, we’ll aim to post something next week!

Can I come out now? Has he finished talking about the bridge?

Bienvenue à Quebec!

We kept heading east, sad to see Ontario fall behind in the rear view mirror (already planning for a return trip – that beautiful backcountry) but what’s this ahead? Quebec? Why, yes, yes it is! Bienvenue à Quebec! For now we’re taking some time to slow down after quite a long road trip, for what we hope will be an extended stay. (We will continue east at some point in the future, part of our wooly notion that we should, as fairly new young Canadians, explore as much as we can…)

Road trips are great – I enjoy the planning almost as much as the actual trip – but stopping awhile is also good. Planning spontaneity isn’t easy…

A little cabin just outside Quebec City is set to be home for a few weeks. A base to unwind, unpack and head out to enjoy the museums, art galleries, and history – all the great culture of an amazing region. (Perhaps a warning here: what follows may not meet some cultural expectations…)

History (family history – Mrs. PC was a Frampton before PCdom) The owners feigned interest…

Let’s move on from history to some highbrow artwork:

Pou-pou! Snigger…(I do actually like the label artwork, and the beer was great!)

Scout here, readers! Sorry about Old PC’s puerile sense of humour. Personally, I love it here; the old buildings, lovely statues, and grand squares… I’ll try and encourage OPC to grow up and write something more akin to his age and not his shoe size for next time!

Puerile?! Let’s pretend over excitement was the cause, and next time I’ll see if I can measure up to Scout’s higher standards. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

(But c’mon… allez pou-pou! Mrs PC laughed as well…)

“Can we not just enjoy where we are, and appreciate the culture? Someone, please, make him stop!”

Tiny home

We needed to be across the island earlier this week and opted to stay overnight in a tiny house. I’ve been fascinated by tiny homes for years, and have spent many a happy hour poring over design details and reading stories of folks living in small dwellings.

Our temporary residence was very well put together, and included a kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom squeezed into a tiny footprint. My question has always been “but could a person (or two adults and a dog) really live in such a small space?”

With housing costs rocketing, some demand could be met by smaller and more affordable housing. I think this is to be encouraged, although it seems tough on younger generations that these are the only options when earlier generations had a wider choice. Most start small, but there’s small and then there’s small. Although I might have jumped at the chance! An invisible first world problem perhaps, but it’s there…

Enough of the furrowed brow stuff. This isn’t meant to be a piece about solving the housing crisis, but I will say if more jurisdictions gave permission for tiny houses to be built, they could be one piece of a housing puzzle solution…

I said enough of that! Setting all the debate stuff aside, we really enjoyed staying in a small home, and I also enjoyed fantasizing that yes, I could live like this all the time. (Especially if we had maybe one more room, and perhaps just a touch more storage?!) Oops, tiny house fail for that man…

The entrance into the home site had a large white lilac growing beside and over the gate – what a perfume – so our morning coffee on the small deck was caffeine and lilac flavoured, making for a bright and strong start!

Must leave it here, as I’m pretty sure I’ve got some tiny house plans and costings stashed away… Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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