Natural fern fence (detail)

Natural fern fence (detail)
Originally uploaded by Moine Boudeur.

I left my hotel room not quite early this morning. I was wearing a red long sleeve Tommy Jeans shirt but I had to remove it, for the temperature allowed me to ride my bike only with bermudas and a camisole on. When I came back tonight I had a scarf and a coat on! The temperature dropped dramatically in the afternoon making the trip back coldish.

I put the heat on at my cabin in the bush so the cats wouldn't be cold... I was going to La Patrie to paint the little office of a garage. I previously washed it out a couple of days ago, for after more than ten years the walls were kinda dirty. One can imagine they would be in a house, the situation being ever more dramatic in a garage where oil, gas fumes, paint add up to whatever dust there is. The soapy water quickly turned black in its little container and a 5-gallon bucket of pure water also turned black during the rinsing stage. I really had to work hard convincing the owner he had to put some colours in that little room, which had years ago been painted pale yellow to beige. After a couple of days of arm twisting he finally gave in and came with a royal blue and a pale greenish beige. It does wonder now. People who have seen the result are quite astonished! I shall take a picture shortly.
On top of being satisfied with all the work I put in there, he gave my name to an 85 year old man who was looking for someone to paint his house, mainly the roof made of shingles, rough stuff to paint. So I went to visit the man who at that venerable age is in such a good shape I hope that I would be so good looking when I get there! If ever... At any rate, I was told he was doing the work himself, climbing a ladder to the roof. I told him, I would do it, would that be only so he would not climb that ladder of his, considering his venerable age. The work will be quite long since I have to paint the whole wooden roof and the walls. But it's going to be rather fun and easy even more so that he and his wife are nice people. I am not working for nasty people anyway...