The first day of Autumn

My roof is playing Beethoven’s Ninth; there have been torrential downpours this morning and I assume it will rain for most of the days of long nights. I’m a little worried about how I’m going to get through the next two seasons. Were it not for Their Majesties, I doubt I’d be able to sustain this “solitary” life I lead.

I wake up each day to no agenda: It’s scary, wonderful and a bit of a challenge. Having nothing to do means nothing is broken or pressing; I can just do as I please—except that Sheba needs her walks and wants lots of attention.

And so, now, do Fred and Ethel. All three pets are now a year old or, in the case of Ethel, a year and a half and they have really changed. Fred is more affectionate every day. It’s a welcome miracle.

And there’s a miracle on the horizon. It’s predicted to be sunny and with temperature of 20° for the next week starting tomorrow! Yay!

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The treetops were disappearing into a milky blue mist yesterday morning at 8:00 am when I went out for a walk with Her Highness. It was dark in the forest and everything was wet wet wet. Still, she needed her walk. I did not want to go out; a wet cold sojourn is not the way I like to start a day, but I put on my wooly socks and gumboots, a sweatshirt and my hooded raincoat and set out. At least it wasn’t raining.

I trudged and I waded. There were puddles, deep puddles, all along the path. It must have poured the night before. After about fifteen minutes, I stopped, took off my coat, took off my sweatshirt and tied it around my waist, put my coat back on and continued. Ten minutes later, I took the coat off and wore it over my shoulders. It may have looked like a winter day, but it was warm.

After another ten minutes my spirits were soaring. It’s spectacular to be outside in nature. 

Then, of course, I get to come home, have a sap and read with Her Highness by my side.

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I’m a huge fan of Héloïse Letissier, and have been for a long time. Yesterday I spent a good part of the afternoon watching her videos on YouTube. (She performs as Christine and the Queens.) For the first time, though, I watched an interview with her and read some online articles and I found out why a single performer has “and the Queens” in her name.

She’s French and when a relationship she was in failed, she fled to London where she was befriended by three drag queens who fed her, nurtured her and filled her with confidence about her musicality. I did not know she was gay, nor about the queens. I love my people.

I also started watching a BBC series called Hang Ups.  Oh my God, it’s brilliant and hilarious. (It’s also on the CBC but I can binge watch it online.) It’s rare that I will see something that makes me laugh out loud, but this series really tickles. 

It’s about Richard, an online therapist and Stephen Magnan is awesome in the role but it is his patients and peripheral acquaintances that make the series hilarious. So does the pace of the show. Fiona, one of Richard’s patients (played by Sarah Hadland) is absolutely hilarious.