Feeling Blue... but it won't last
The Solstice will enlighten
After yesterday's piece on sepia toning the plan for today was to describe a "blue" post-printing photo process. But... after typing in the heading "Feeling Blue..." I thought, "Yes I am."
My moral is low... not helped by the snow which fell overnight here in central France. One of the arguments which helped persuade (I'm reluctant to use the word "convince") my wife to make the move here from wet and windy Wales was that it never snowed south of the Loire. It did on the first night we arrived (albeit a January night) and has done so on about half a dozen occasions since. Sometimes it's beautiful and appropriate because of an occasion... as on New Year's Day 2004 when the ground was covered for most of the day.
Today it's not so pretty... a quarter of an inch on the road and rooftops by dawn brought out the council gritting crew which made a couple of passes up and down the Grande Rue. I sat in the bar feeling empty... a small hot coffee cup cradled in my hands for warmth. My friend Frédéric was talking animatedly (he's Italian, bien sûr) with someone I'd never seen before so I just let my eyes wander around the room... and caught sight of Frédéreric's house keys on the table. I knew he'd ask me to take Cesare for a couple of walks whilst he went to Tours on business... but felt uncomfortable at the responsibility. I've always been a cat lover and know I can't handle dogs properly. Although Fred's Neapolitan Bouvier is both gentle and energetic it's a combination rather like a split-personality... one minute his chin will feel warm on my thigh through my corduroy's... the next he'll be straining at his leash and polling my arm out of it's socket. Cesare understands French and Italian obediently, but no English. My doggy French is decidedly dodgy... and with the pavements being icy, wet and slippery I'm not looking forward to the day's extra responsibility... as if I didn't have enough on my plate.
Fred suggested that I used the opportunity to walk his dog past the pharmacy a few times during the day... the inference being that the attractive, tall, slim woman working there would notice me. He rubbed his finger hard on Cesare's forehead and made two streaks on his own cheekbones... then on my face. "Hormones," I assume he said, "You can talk to her about anything and she'll be excited by the smell... it never fails!"
It didn't plan out quite like that though... I could only find Cesare's short lead... more of a wrist strap really... and saw myself, in the reflection of shop windows being dragged along in a semi-stooping position. I stumbled twice past the pharmacy and missed the window of opportunity twice. Maybe she saw me... maybe she's more interested because English man has powerful dog... maybe she likes goldfish. That's how it goes with women I find alarmingly attractive... I never really know!
The above image is not what I was going to use... nor is the writing about what I'd planned... but my moral is low, my eyes are misty and it sums up how I feel. The only plus about today is that tomorrow will be lighter for longer... only just, but maybe the Winter Solstice is the turning point for me.
8:16:52 PM 
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