…as anyone who has seen me change a tyre can testify. I can do it, and have had to, but I won’t be finding employment in a Formula One pit lane anytime soon.
Anyway, rather than tinker myself, I took the truck in for a service the other day. We haven’t put many miles on it in recent months due to being mostly city bound, but now we’re making plans for a lengthy trip. Turns out if you don’t drive your car out and about often enough, there are consequences:
Oops…
Oh, ok, not mine. To be fair, I wouldn’t mind a run out in the vehicle above, once a little work has been done. Just a few updates: engine, tyres, windows, all the running gear, the interior… Hmm. Maybe we’ll stick to the Tacoma for now!
No worries – tried, tested, and trusted!
Keeping it brief as we’ve a bit more to do before setting off. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
…and we wouldn’t mind if we were still down by the river, but we came home after the third day of rain, and five nights out overall. It wasn’t the rain, it was the cold – it barely hit 10C for the afternoon high. Ok if you’re hiking, less so for sitting around enjoying the fire in between rain showers…
“Mountain” sector tent site – light that fire!
One afternoon we decided to revisit the microbrewery just outside the nearby village of Frampton. It wasn’t too busy, most likely due to the unseasonably chilly temperatures, but we received the usual warm and friendly welcome from the brewer on for the afternoon. We tasted a light lager, pretending it was late May, not mid-March, and it was pretty good, one for properly warm days ahead. For those, we stocked up on the raspberry sour we’d enjoyed so much last summer. It’s not a style I usually like, but this one is really good.
Last summer – raspberry sour on the left – yum!
I couldn’t resist a new NEIPA and bought a couple to savour later – slightly too strong but very tasty if you like a big hoppy beer. The last one we tried was only currently available on tap, so we’ll hope to return and buy a bottle/can or two – a new nut brown that was, for me, a perfect autumnal sipper. Goodness, I only had one sip but it was absolutely spot on!
Absolutely a good spot to be in
We weren’t only tasting beers or sitting by the fire or snoozing or in between snoozes – we also wandered up and down a couple of nearby trails. The vibrant fresh greens and bright new spruce tips were very welcome sights.
Happy trail
The rain and mist cleared from time to time so we were able to see longish views across the valley. The trail winds past a second section of the campground, a few walk in tent sites in the “mountain” sector. These are lovely secluded spots if you’re happy to hike up a steepish short way with all your gear.
Across the valley
One afternoon, mind and body suitably rested from the hiking, the scenery and the all round pleasantness of the Etchemin valley, I fell asleep and had the strangest dream. There was beer, spruce tipped and resinous, growing on trees. Oh, if only…
Can(ned) dreams come true?
Time to wake up! Well, this has been less sunny but not miserable, like a rested OldPlaidCamper during the second and rainier half of a camping trip. Apologies for the ridiculously long post heading this week, no idea how that happened. Sleepy brain?
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Thunder? Heavy rain showers? Heat? Humidity? One or two bugs? Check, check, check, check and check!
But… almost constant birdsong, a musical river, freshly unfurled spring greenery, a distant farm dog barking, spells of warm sunshine and a remote campsite in the trees above a river? Yup! On balance, let’s just say “when can we go again?”
Hanging out
We had a splendid few days down by (or just above) the Etchemin. Two decent sized bug bites on my ankle (how? I was wearing boots!) had me temporarily renaming it the Itchyman River, but I got over it, and barely mentioned it at all out loud. I didn’t provide any insects a free lunch once I’d applied the bug repellent. Use it, OPC. Happens every start of camping season – when will you ever learn…?
Itchyman – are those clouds bubbling up? Maybe…
The trailer and bug screen performed as hoped for, the wood-store was well stocked and dry – one match got our fire lit every time, maintaining a pretty good run (he says, modestly) – and is there a better outdoor aroma than woodsmoke and coffee? Perhaps my hiking boots left outside and under the trailer? With that aroma, why do the bugs even approach my ankles?
A splendid site
We saw and heard geese, and I startled a pair of ducks as I leant over to snap a shot upriver, at which point a kingfisher scolded me, Scout shook her head, and Mrs. PC seemed happy enough I didn’t fall in.
Several mornings a hummingbird buzzed me as I was making coffee, darting to the side I wasn’t looking as I tried to spot her. I caught a blur of small brown bird as she buzzed into the trees, perhaps disappointed we don’t take nectar with our coffee.
Set up
The Etchemin flows through a lovely little valley of low wooded hills and patches of cleared farmland. Not much more than an hour south of Quebec City, it is a delightful spot to find a change of pace. Breathe in, breathe out, stretch, relax, repeat, and it’ll soon be beer o’ clock.
It’s beer o’clock already? Well alrighty…
A very welcome break from the noise and nonsense that can be hard to avoid in the wider world. Spring this year hasn’t been all that it could have been, but a few more trips like this as we edge towards summer and maybe all will be well, with equilibrium maintained…
Fresh
More about this trip next week – the river, the rain (yup!), the microbrewery and hiking trails nearby.
New
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Aiming for glass half full in this brief post, but be warned, it might seem like I’m moaning about the weather. If so, it’s because I am.
Right, let’s give half full a go, with something to brighten up our slow start to the season. C’mon, spring, time to show yourself – it’ll soon be summer…
A host? Almost…
We wandered the Plains of Abraham last weekend, taking a picnic with us as we searched for some spring colour. We found one or two bright patches in the not quite planted Joan of Arc gardens, and it was pleasant to find a bench in a sunny spot and turn our happy little faces up to the sun, almost golden and contented. Yes, mother, with suitable hats and sunglasses. We’re hoping to head down there again this coming Sunday, see if any more has been planted.
Spring blues?! Not me…
Prompted by two sunny days in a row for the first time since, well, it’s hard to remember, we uncovered the camping trailer on Monday. Happily, all is well with it, so we’ll be up and out from midweek and through the Victoria Day weekend, camping whatever the (rainy) weather. Optimistic sunblock and bug repellent, as well as a tarp or two if needed. Surely not…
Grand unveiling
Let’s keep it short this week and end here with a spring in our step! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Bright, cheery, and hoppy, like a springtime OldPlaidCamper – cheers!
Hooray! I said I’d share the first green blades of grass when they appeared, so here we go, from earlier this week:
Green! Just…
Ok, so we had to look hard, but it was there! Since then, with a morning of sunshine and a few more heavy showers, it has been greening up nicely. Spring! Boing! May! Phew!
Finding and fixing a puncture – the bike would be enormous!
Now our thoughts can turn to camping, so much so, I finally repaired a puncture in the inflatable tent yesterday, and next week we’ll be uncovering the trailer and seeing if any small critters need rehousing before giving it all a general spring airing. A riverside site in mid May is booked and beckons… Yup, it’s May! Hooray!
Sunny on the plains
Short this week, rather like the stretch of sunny spring days so far… Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
… of joy. An unexpected gift (thank you, Mrs. PC!) arrived in the post the other day, “A Thousand Feasts” by Nigel Slater. As the cover blurb describes it, this is a memoir of sorts, and, if the first few chapters are any indication, an utter delight.
I really enjoy reading Slater even if he can (sometimes) come across as slightly fussy. I prefer to think he is simply being particular. I would say that, as I’m certainly particular about particular issues. But never fussy, oh no…
Can we all agree that strong, black coffee should be just that, and if a warmed croissant isn’t served with an offering of apricot jam on the side (ok, or strawberry at a pinch) then it probably isn’t (another) sign of end times? No need to fuss. Although, if we are going to hell in a hand basket at ever increasing speeds, surely apricot jam isn’t too much to ask? Anyway, I’m not fussy, oh no…
Small cups for a small moment, and just right! Not that I’m fussy…
Back to small moments of joy. I often recall a favourite breakfast we shared with friends on the road many years ago. We’d taken the overnight boat to France, and (some of us, no names) had probably explored the outer limits of how many pints a person should consume in a ferry bar on a choppy cross-channel trip.
Designated drivers aside, we were feeling a little worse for wear as we rolled up to a small railway station cafe somewhere in Picardy. It was just as you might imagine – wicker cafe chairs, red check cloth covered tables, and a dapper waiter. The waiter was poised in every sense, happy to take our breakfast order, and never mind our mangled French.
Rural QC, not rural France, but just as one might hope?
Petit déjeuner? All the essentials – strong dark roast coffee, chewy country bread with a firm crust, and warm flaky croissants. Oh those croissants! I get warm and flaky just thinking about them. (And yup, for the children, they were served with apricot or strawberry jam on the side!) How I enjoyed that restorative spring sunshine breakfast – nothing fancy, and a perfect meal!
Warm and flaky, coffee and pastry
Right, enough with the reminiscing, I’ve got to go make a cup of strong coffee and get back to reading “A Thousand Feasts” – both are recommended! I’ll finish by saying this is a splendid book if you enjoy wonderfully descriptive writing on people, places and cuisine. It’s often amusing, very observant and it celebrates the joy found, home or away, in small moments. For me, that’s most welcome in these broadly troubling times!
“That’s right, Scout! Strong and dark!”
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
As winter retreats and spring gains something of a foothold, Scout and I have been searching for that first blade of green grass in the backyard, a sign of warmer and sunnier days ahead. We know those days are coming, but they are elusive, like that first green blade…
Look closely and you’ll find… brown grass!
The thaw and recent rains all point to things greening up soon enough. With glass half full, looking out at our miniature prairie (as well as trawling through photos the past couple of weeks to search out some prairie car treasures mentioned last week) reminded me that these dun colours have a certain attraction:
“You bet they do – look at me! – in the right light, dun is golden!”
A friend of ours back in Alberta (originally from Australia) used to describe the early spring prairie colour as “that f#*king brown grass” – I think she didn’t love it? – but we always enjoyed her forthright commentary, and, when rolling through Alberta and Saskatchewan we’ll call out to the grasslands (windows up) “why, here’s some more f*#king brown grass!” always meaning it affectionately.
Love it, love, love it!
Back in not always so sunny Quebec, we have had one or two hours of spring sunshine, occasion enough to dust off a chair brought up from the basement and spend a moment or two basking.
A vision in beige and brown
Scout wasn’t complaining, although as I write this on Wednesday morning she isn’t too impressed with the sleety rain falling right now…
Tuesday was pretty good…
Rest assured, if we spot a blade of green grass in the backyard we’ll let you know – now isn’t that something for us all to look forward to?!
I like it, even if there isn’t a patch of green to be seen!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Last Sunday afternoon was cold and grey, so we opted to stay in and watch a movie, finally catching up with Spielberg’s loosely semi-autobiographical family drama The Fabelmans. What a treat it turned out to be!
If you like a Spielberg movie – and I definitely do – then you’d probably enjoy this movie. His trademarks are all there. Child actors with acting ability? Check! A sense of wonder? Check! Threats to everyday life, seen and unseen? Check! A carefully constructed sense of time and place? Check! Subtle and not so subtle emotional manipulation? Of course – this is Spielberg – check!
Drive in? Drivable?! Maybe…
Spielberg has created a quiet marvel, a nostalgic movie on movies combined with a coming of age story about a young boy confronting internal family dramas, external societal prejudices, and all the regular pressures of growing up in a fast changing world. The story isn’t over the top adventurous in the manner of the Indiana Jones films, or harrowing like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, or as scary/heart-stopping as Jaws or Jurassic Park, but it has moments of (small scale) peril, as well as many moments of warmth and humour – that distinctive and special Spielberg sensibility!
Special!
Yes, there are slightly cloying and schmaltzy moments, and one or two eye-catching/eccentric cameo turns, but it all adds up to a very satisfying experience. The best elements (for me) were the ones where the young boy is figuring out how to be a moviemaker, and the sheer delight he has in making his images work, figuring how to tell a story, and yes, discovering the power he has in moving an audience. Long and leisurely, I’d say watch The Fabelmans if you get the chance – highly recommended, and a feel good winner, rainy afternoon or not!
Widescreen!
On top of what I’ve written above, I particularly enjoyed the period detail cars used in The Fabelmans – they weren’t especially flashy, mostly station wagons and other regular vehicles, but I loved them seeing them. Goodness, do I love old cars! And that makes for a good excuse to dot a few old car photos throughout this piece! Rust buckets or shining restorations, I just can’t resist.
With just a little work…
Yes, we all know only too well how polluting cars have been, and yes, one day in the not too distant future they’ll likely all be electric and that’s very good – but will they be as thrillingly stylish as earlier eras? Fossil fuels bad, but (many, not all) old fossil fuelled cars had great design. I mean, c’mon, and with apologies, (and commiserations to current owners) but Teslas aren’t too much fun to look at, are they? Not even (or especially) when hawked from the White House lawn. Those cyber truck thingies? Yikes…
Yup, not boring
Anyway, I’ll drive off now, happy to have shared a movie recommendation, and happy to hear back from you if you’ve seen TheFabelmans and choose to share a comment – is it a winner? Do you have a favourite Spielberg movie? (Hard to pick, not that it really matters – I love ET, Jaws, Duel and Bridge of Spies, parts of Close Encounters are amazing… the Indiana Jones movies are, mostly, so very entertaining, and I really, really enjoyed The Fabelmans – yup, hard to pick!)
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Yeah, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon, but it’s definitely stylish!
Scout here. He’s not looking, so I’ll type this real quick. Yeah, of course I know his username and password (*OldGitindenial25 and Scoutisthebest if you’re wondering, but don’t share these top secret details on Signal or anything, ok?) Now, let’s get this done before he’s back from the fridge.
I won’t say we’re in deep midwinter ‘cos I can read a calendar as well as the next dog, but don’t tell me it’s spring:
Yeah, right
I’ve been pacing the deck, listening to the birds, searching for a dry patch to warm my bones – and also for a gap in the fence to make my escape. No luck there. Spring you say? That’s for the birds…
Spring? Hmm…
So I’m indoors more often than not, stuck with the old fella, and who wants that? He might not be ranting on here, but trust me, he’s ranting. Wake me up when warmer days get here.
Do not disturb
When it isn’t snowing it seems to be raining – yeah, ok, slightly warmer, but who thinks a walk in freezing rain is fun? Do I look like I had fun?
Fun?
That’s enough from me. Maybe I’ll post again, some other time when he’s distracted by the fridge? Perhaps after we’ve had a few sunny days out and about? On those future sunny day plans, I should say yeah, he can whinge too much, and don’t we all know he’s an old git in denial about his real age, but on the plus side he did get me that new dog bunkhouse on wheels:
I usually let them bunk down with me
Scout signing off. Shh. Tell no one. I was never here, right?
Nope, not doing anything, just waiting for you, old fella. Hehehe…
OldPlaidCamper 