The good news is that the killer heatwave seems to have slacked off. We were lucky to have a couple of solid rainstorms, and the ground is welcoming the added moisture. As well, the heat has dropped from the high 30s down into the high 20s, which is delicious.
Since the end of July we really have done no work at all in the house in Wavre. For the first week or so it was just too hot to do anything, plus we were enjoying our holiday of sorts in the Bousval house. I have written about it before but I say again that it is a fortunate thing that our very close friends spend their August holidays in Les Contamines, because for us this house has a very "going to the cottage" feel. We know the animals and the routines of the Hammer household and appreciate very much the peace and the quiet, and the beautiful view, although of course we do miss our hosts! I have already had a run in the forest with Lawrence here in Bousval, and did another solo run myself today, and I really appreciate the green space. For a quick 8km run there is really only about 400 metres of asphalt at the beginning and then again at the end, and the rest is dirt and gravel.
Malcolm hasn't had as much time to enjoy the time out in Bousval because he has started his cabinetmaking job in Wavre. The company he works for is called Wood Side Story, and he started out initially doing things like deliveries and taking off-cuts to the dump, but now has progressed into more actual woodworking jobs. He also appreciates the chance to learn the french technical vocabulary for a lot of tools and techniques, as when he is in the atelier at ILSA he usually is working in english, or sometimes flemish. They produce mostly custom shelves, cabinets, kitchens; that sort of thing, out of melamine and mdf, as well as hardwood flooring, and other wood products, and he is enjoying the physical side of the job. But it is very clear that this kind of machine work with composite sheet materials is not his cup of tea, and so he is itching to get back to school as soon as possible. The good thing is that students in Belgium are allowed to work up to 50 "days" in a year without losing their tax-free status, so if he works every workday in August he'll still have some space left for the odd day in the autumn.
Yesterday he had a big event: playing as part of the band Strawberry Storm in a small festival called "Hout'Stock". This is a bit of a pun as it takes place in Houtaing, near the village of Ath, in francophone Wallonia. "Hout" is the flemish word for wood, so obviously it's a reference to "Woodstock".
The band first met in Waterloo, and then came together by van to play the festival. Maggie and Duncan and I also came along and had a good time listening to their performance. It was very well-rehearsed and very energetic, and they sounded great! The spirit among the performers was very positive afterwards and we were really happy to see him and the other band members enjoying themselves so much.
Tomorrow we will take advantage of a cooler, wetter day, and go into Wavre to make a push on some of the attic renovations. I have the name of a good plasterer and will be calling him tomorrow to arrange the work, so that means that I really do have to push on and get the last few bits of the rockwool placed, the end walls built and the drywall and polyurethane hung.
As well I hope to get at some Monteverdi madrigals that a soprano colleague has sent me; we will be presenting a number of these 17th-century pieces, one on a voice part, in late October in Watermael-Boitsfort. It is a bit ironic that I lived in Watermael-Boitsfort for ten years, and never sang there; now that I moved out I guess it's ok that I perform in their sponsored concert series! But truthfully, it's just a coincidence that the organisers chose Boitsfort as their location.
The band first met in Waterloo, and then came together by van to play the festival. Maggie and Duncan and I also came along and had a good time listening to their performance. It was very well-rehearsed and very energetic, and they sounded great! The spirit among the performers was very positive afterwards and we were really happy to see him and the other band members enjoying themselves so much.
Tomorrow we will take advantage of a cooler, wetter day, and go into Wavre to make a push on some of the attic renovations. I have the name of a good plasterer and will be calling him tomorrow to arrange the work, so that means that I really do have to push on and get the last few bits of the rockwool placed, the end walls built and the drywall and polyurethane hung.
As well I hope to get at some Monteverdi madrigals that a soprano colleague has sent me; we will be presenting a number of these 17th-century pieces, one on a voice part, in late October in Watermael-Boitsfort. It is a bit ironic that I lived in Watermael-Boitsfort for ten years, and never sang there; now that I moved out I guess it's ok that I perform in their sponsored concert series! But truthfully, it's just a coincidence that the organisers chose Boitsfort as their location.
Monteverdi's music is gorgeous but it isn't something that I have sung very much of. Fortunately the other singers are all ones I know and trust from other collaborations, including opera, so it will be a good team.
I close off with a few photos of Hout'Stock, and of the Maggie, and the young cats here at the Bousval house, who are very cute...
embroidery
lazy kitty
strawberry stormin'
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