Au Cochonnet Marin

Yesterday, 16 mixed doubles teams gathered at the Pierre Joske court in San Rafael to compete for the annual Commemorative Cup. The weather was perfect…  very propitious for a good tournament

The games started around 9:30 am with the regular setup: 3 timed games in the morning, and Concours and Consolante in the afternoon. I had not planned to compete, but since Christine Cragg happened to need a partner, against common sense, I agreed to fill in.

Christine and I played 3 games in the morning (won one) and were promptly sent back to our locker rooms after completion of the 4th game in the afternoon. Ultimately though, everything went according to plan. After our ignominious exit from the tournament, I changed costume and reappeared on the field as Alain La Foudre, club photographer.

In Marin County, we have a gorgeous field protected from the sun by tall, mature trees. It is great for players, but not so great for shutterbugs. The shaded areas make it difficult to shoot well-contrasted pictures… but “a la guerre comme à la guerre » you have to make do with what you have.

The problem with pétanque tournaments is that many games are taking place at the same time, and this makes it difficult for a photographer to adequately cover the event. You try to include as many games as possible, but you cannot be everywhere at the same time. Thereof the scarcity of a great variety of pictures.

Late in the afternoon, I sat down, along with many other spectators to watch the Concours’ finals. Hans Kurz and Erin McTaggart faced Mark and Sandra Shirkey, two very good teams.

The bout started badly for Hans and Erin who at one time were trailing 1 to 7 in favor of Mark and Sandra. I thought for sure that their goose was cooked. But the mark of the champions is to be resilient, and this is what happened. Through Hans’s absolutely remarkable shooting (the best of his I have ever seen) his team slowly climbed back and won the tournament 13/8. A well-deserved victory.

This is not to say that the other protagonists did not play well. Everybody did, pointers and shooters alike, but the shooters gathered the most attention. Mark also did a great job but was ultimately outclassed by (always colorful) Hans Kurz.

All in all, a great ending to a pleasant (almost family-like) Commemorative Cup tournament.

Concours
1^st place: Hans Kurz & Erin McTaggart ( name on the trophy)
2^nd place: Mark & Sandra Shirkey (medal)
3^rd place: Peter Mathis & Holly Sammons
4th place: Eddy Pay & Beth Caetano

Consolante
1^st place: Don & Linda McPherson (medal)
2^nd place: Bernard Passemar & Maggie Lane

Alain

PS: Go to “My Photos” for a series of related pictures

I just watched Jean-Paul Belmondo’s national homage on YouTube and I am not ashamed to say that I was moved to tears. And I was not the only one… many people, men, and women alike were seen wiping their eyes while listening to President Emmanuel Macron’s eulogy.

The ceremony which took place in the courtyard of the venerable Hotel des Invalides in Paris was attended by family, friends, and hundreds of adoring fans. A military band and various branches of the armed forces were present and added a somber solemnity to this poignant ceremonial. I was particularly impressed by the slow, steady roll of drums accompanying the public appearance of the actor’s coffin.

Bebel represented to perfection the quintessential image of the devil-may-care French man. He was loved by the common folk for his simplicity, friendliness, and great sense of humor. He could, and would, talk to anybody and even have a drink with total strangers. He was athletic (he did all his stunts himself), self-deprecating, “gouailleur” (cheeky, a typically Parisian trait) and loved by all, men, and women alike.

He was also an improbable leading man. It is usually an asset for a male protagonist to be good-looking, and it did help his rival Alain Delon to some extent, but Bebel’s broken nose proved more effective than Delon’s Roman profile.

Belmondo was a versatile actor and did some theater before (and after) devoting most of his time to cinema. Starting in the late ’50s, in a career spanning 6 decades, he made over 80 movies, some thoroughly memorable. Among them, “A bout de souffle”, “Un singe en hiver », “L’homme de Rio”, “Le Professionnel”, and « Les miserables ».

Bebel was a man’s man adored by millions of women. He was “Un héro au cœur tendre » (a hero with a tender heart) and his memory will linger with us for a very long time.

Adieu Bebel… you were second to none, and you are already missed.

Alain

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” Orhan Pamuk

When I think of it, I must have been a dog in one of my former lives… because, even though I never studied that dialect, I spoke doggie fluently from birth. It is a blessing that I deeply appreciate. Upon seeing a dog anywhere, I have to stop, shake its paw and enquire about its health and family. And I don’t care if the beasties are black, brown or yellow… they are all simpatico.

We should actually say “shake his or her paw” because these lovable creatures are not inanimate objects. Like us, they are made of flesh and blood, and as such they deserve our respect. By the way, if you did not know, dogs smile with their tails… and I have rarely met a dog who didn’t greet me with some vigorous tail wagging.

Throughout my life, I have had a few girlfriends… and some fibbed. Dogs never do that; and that is why that you have more dogs than women in Paradise. Dogs, unlike humans, never lie and never talk about themselves. They are just content to listen and smile benevently at your jokes.

They [dogs] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.” – Jerome K. Jerome 

 Dogs incidentally are excellent romance ambassadors. If you spot anybody walking with a four-legged companion, it is extremely easy to start a conversation. Any dog owner will respond favorably when you engage him/her about his/her pet. They might not want to talk to a stranger, but a dog lover is no stranger. He is kin and therefore safe to talk and socialize with.

Dogs are incredibly smart and capable of extraordinary feats. They have been working side by side with humans in a variety of fields. Military, law enforcement, space, medicine, therapy… and they are always welcome and accepted with open arms. The same cannot be said for all bipeds.

Unlike humans, I have never (or very rarely) met a dog I didn’t like. Even though I was raised to “vouvoyer” the people I just met, I can instantly “tutoyer” a dog. I know that they won’t take offense and give me the cold shoulder. Instead, they are more likely to lick and kiss me.

Despite my fondness for hounds, I never had the pleasure to live with one. I have cohabited with cats (still do) but never with dogs. This might have something to do with the fact that cats require less maintenance… and exercise.

Occasionally, when I contemplate adopting a pooch, I cannot help but think about our cat. She is a princess and very conscious of her lofty status. She does not tolerate any four-legged intruder and throws temper tantrums whenever she encounters one. Introducing a canine (however friendly) into her kingdom might prove iffy.

Before departing I will leave with this heartfelt thought:

“If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.” Charles Yu

Alain