Another stormy night and we woke up to rain but this soon cleared up and the donkeys reappeared, so not sure whether Olivier has got the message about them escaping yet.

We looked at options for water catchment and what pipes etc we would need for what we wanted to do and Al also came up with a brainwave re storing the gas bottles out the back with the water containers to give us a little bit more space, all the space we can save is very important.

We then spent a good hour upstairs in the barn thinking of openings etc. for next year. We have quite a few small windows which at the moment are blocked up for security and we are hoping to open up a couple of old doors, need to discuss with Henri first I think.

Lunch in the sun and then we decided to go exploring and find some mushrooms, we achieved the first and failed miserably on the latter!!! Hey ho, we will continue. Found another old barn tucked away opposite us which we had not seen before.

Back for some internet and blogging surrounded by the donkeys who seemed fascinated with computers see piccys!!!!

After a stormy night, we woke up to mixed weather sunshine and showers.

We decided to tackle making a holder for the container which catches any excess liquid from the composting toilet. Al had recycled some old crates yesterday so we continued to use them up. A nice simple frame and Al attached it to the wall so it should not blow away in the wind.

In the middle of doing this we had some visitors, the runaway donkeys had got out from down the road. We decided to put the fence back up so that could not get away further.

Pascal a local who we had not met before popped in to see how the internet worked. A really nice guy and he was going to go and get in contact with Henri about the escaped donkeys, until then they are with us so locked the doors and removed the solar panel just for safety.

We made lunch and ate it in Vinnie on the way to Lee’s for an afternoon of mushroom hunting. Within 2 seconds of leaving Lee’s house we met Paul one of Lee’s neighbours who had a basket of HUGE cepes, WOW they really are about.

We were suddenly really quiet excited and off we trundled with Lee.

We had a FAB afternoon and found loads which was all very novel for us. With guidance from Lee we learnt to identify a range of bolettes including cepes, chanterelles and gypsy mushrooms. After a couple of hours we had a full basket and had to go out again.

We had another hour up above Lee’s house this time and found a few more cepes but no Trumpets de Mort. We learnt loads and thanks hugely to Lee for his handy tips and what to eat and what not to eat.

We sat outside Lee’s house with a beer in the sun and what a brilliant view he has from there with all the evening sun too.

We thought we had to eat some of the mushrooms for dinner so we had a starter of garlic mushrooms which were delicious and then roast chuck with veggies from the garden….yummy.

Before we knew it, it was 11.15pm so Al and I headed back to the barn.

Thanks again Lee for a fun afternoon and evening. Hopefully get a walk in before we go.

A windy night but still very warm. Nice to be able to have brekky outside, still having lots of brambles with cereals to get us going in the morning.

I spent the morning sorting out work stuff while Al pottered around in the main barn identifying wood to finish the platform off. After a coffee break we headed up to the trees again and managed to get the other supports in place quite easily and cut off the last few pieces of metal studding. That is it in the trees this time, we are looking at getting the deck in place as soon as we get back and cracking open a bottle up in the trees might even managed dinner up there sometime we will see.

Lunch in the sun again and then had a lovely afternoon doing bits and pieces.

Firstly, we sussed out what pipes we will need to sort out the rain water catchment so we can hopefully get that sorted before we leave. Coming back to full water tanks would be great.

Then we set to with a bit of coppicing out the back and water divining….still need to find that source but we have sort of got used to living with water from the Salau source and washing up water from the tanks, mind you a tap with running water would be great.

We went a wandering for mushrooms and found a few different species so decided to take them down to Adam in town and see what he thought, one was edible the rest uum not sure!!! Apparently we need a day of rain and then 2 days later is the time to look. We caught up with Adam over an apero and then it was back to the barn for a fire outside as still warm enough to sit outside at night and chilli for supper.

After an excellent sleep, not even the howling wind woke me…Al had to get up in the middle of the night to put the window back in. I heard nothing.

The weather had obviously changed, it was really warm with a very warm wind blowing, but clear, clear blue skies.

Brekky and washing up from the night before and then it was commencing the platform for the treehouse.

Al, spent the first couple of hours prepping the upper platform into a state that we could both work on it and hope to get things stabilized.

We worked through until nearly 3pm and by this stage we had got the main struts vaguely level and the leg supports ready to attach.

Lots of swinging from ropes in uncomfortable harnesses made actions more speedy.

Attaching the main legs was quite tricky, getting the legs in place, supported and then drilling the holes to accept bolts, wellying the bolts through with lump hammers and then tightening them up all in precarious postions!!!!

Being suspended from ropes, balanced on an unstable platform which was hanging from pulleys did not feel quite as secure as I would have wished…..but as time wore on like anything, by the end of the day it felt positively safe!!!

After lunch in the sun we attacked getting the second leg in place and this like normal was considerably quicker than the first as we knew what we were aiming to achieve.

Some very large nails to secure these in place were in order.

We had 2 other large lengths of wood to finish the platform which all went quite smoothly, lifting them up and then nailing them into postion.

Anyway, you can see from the piccys the end result.

It is a start…we think we will leave it like this for the winter and then put a deck up there in the spring time just in case it is a large snow year and the thing collapses before we get a chance to have dinner up there!!!!

Hot showers, hair wash, much needed and then off to Clive’s for a drink and to get some info on buying ladders from someone he recommends. Still £450 for a pair of ladders seems a lot of money so think we will continue to swing from ropes until we really need them…Yorkshireness maybe showing through.

Back from Chicken Curry al al Al, think it will be good.

 

Had a lie in which was lovely. Woke up eventually to a lovely morning, clear blue skies and not quite as chilly as yesterday.

After brekky and sorting e mails we cleared the route to where we are hopin to start the tree house. Not too much in the way. We have purposefully chosen a spot for the first tree house which is quite accessible.

Chain saw was being a bit temperamental might need a bit of TLC….got slightly waylaid with finding mushrooms and tryin to identify them…not sure if we will ever get the hang of it as they all look so similar!!! Problem being some are tasty and some are rather nasty uum we need to o and see Adam to find out which are which.

Anyway, Lee if you can help with telling from the piccys attached if they are edible Great….

Then started planning the layout of the main platform for the tree house with the wood we already have. Lots of ideas and options, so had a late lunch in the sun to come up with a final plan.

Spent a couple of hours in the pm forming the basis of the platform, drilling a few pieces of wood and bolting them in place before we lift them up to the tree.

Al managed to shimmy up the tree with various pieces of kit and secure the top platform. We got the 3 main pieces of wood in place ready to lift up tomorrow, sunshine permitting.

Made the bed sleeping arrangements a bit more secure before dinner.

More sunshine yippee!!!

Spent all morning assembling the ladder which we had begun yesterday. We got the idea from the chalet in Chamonix re having the ladder hinged to the wall to create more space….very important in our little home.

We finally got it assembled and then got it varnished and drying in the sun before mounting it in situ in the outbuilding. End product is good. We like it, no more step ladder in the outbuilding. Now means a rearrangement of sleeping but makes life a lot easier.

Olivier (Mr Donkeyman) popped in for a cuppa mid morning looking for his cows opposite us. He is wanting to graze his donkeys back up on the land in a couple of weeks which is great for us, keeps things trim.

We had a late lunch finishing at nearly 4pm so opted for a quick shower in the sun rather than later when it is cooler before popping down to meet Alison and Peter in the cafe, but the café was closed so we had a quick apero at their place before heading back for beef goulash and dumplings, more bezique and sleep!!!

Well not actually stairs but in the afternoon we did set to building a ladder up to the Mezzanine. No more dodgey stepladders to get in and out of bed. We managed to cut all the wood ready to assemble it tomorrow.

In the morning we fettled the stove in the outhouse connecting the flue with the aid of an old bean tin. Then fixed the flue on the outside. Having used some stove sealant we decided not to "fire it up" until the morrow.

Instead we chucked a chuck in the oven and smoked the place out with the spitting fat. Breezy did manage to get Skype working for a chat with Scotty and her od daughter Fiona. (Sorry Scotty that was deffo a typo error meant to read God Daughter not Odd Daughter!!!!) It was interupted at one stage when a large flying thing enterd the building and provoked Breezy to shriek and run about in small circle. Twas a moth!

A leisurely start

We had a good brekky with lots of goodies to enjoy.

Then off we trundled to Bastide de Serou to find the market. A very small market but I mananged to find some lovely Brebis cheese for us.

A disappointing trip to St Lizier as it was all closed up due to renovation work so we ambled back to St Girons for lunch. We found a small little pizza place and I had a galette whilst the others all had pizzas.

It was then au revoir to Al’s folks before we sorted out laundry, a few DIY bits to collect and then a big food shop for 10 days, hopefully won’t need to go back down the valley until next Saturday now which will be great.

We got back to the barn and it just began to drizzle.

Unloaded sorted out the food, e mails etc and just got turned around.

It feels like we have been away for ages.

Back to land of DIY tomorrow so hoping for sunshine again, always much nicer.

Woke up to another glorious morning, blue skies.

I spent the first hour or so sorting out mails etc and then it was full steam ahead as Al’s folks were arriving for lunch. We prepped lunch, collected brambles for pudding and chilled the fizz. Al trundled down to collect them from the parking at the end of the road for midday.

Al’s parents had not seen the barn for 2 years so quite a lot of changes for them to look at. The sun disappeared but it was warm enough to sit outside on the little terrace and have some prawns with aioli to start with then a hot smoked duck salad for mains and brambles for pudd washed down with a bottle of fizz and rose we were all more than happy.

Shirley John and Alun  Alder smoked duck salad

We had a quick dash at the end as the rain arrived for about 20 minutes but luckily it was a passing shower. We had a little stroll to the Cascade before heading down the valley for the night in St Girons.

John and Shirley had kindly given us a night in the hotel for our birthday pressies which was very kind and hugely appreciated by us both.

We had an excellent night at the restaurant attached to the hotel with lots of entertainment from the group of Legion D’Honneur next to us. With lots of singing and frivolities going on. Just as finished our excellent meal we were given a glass of champers to thank us for putting up with the singing…well we actually really enjoyed it but hey ho was not going to say no to a glass of champers getting used to this.

Food was delicious, foie gras all around, I had guinea fowl and al had stuffed trout and then there was cheese and crème brulees and knock out digestifs!!!! Thank you both John and Shirley for a very memorable and fun night. I got a good nights sleep not having to worry about falling off the mezzanine!!!!

We let the rabble have breakfast and get out the door before we surfaced. A simple breakfast of crusty bread, jam and plenty of coffee then out to set off. Once packed and paid up I realised that the school group must have taken my walking poles. They must have removed Breezy’s pack from the hook and replaced it to get at them but they were nowhere to be found. The rabble had left their sacks to go up Valier before heading off back to the parking so we chatted to the Guardians who said they would try and locate them and get them back to us.

We set off down to Etang Rond and up to Etang Long. The two lakes were beautiful and very aptly named as one was round and the other was in fact long. Cloudless skies and no wind made the reflections vivid and ripe for photography.

Up over Port de Barlonguere 2400m and Passage de L’Esque before traversing over above Cap de Raspe and down the ridge towards Cabane de Clot du Lac. Then joining the GR10 down the valley and back to the parking.

Port de Barlonguere Port de Barlonguere Port de Barlonguere

The school group arrived about ten minutes later and one of the teachers apologised profusely for taking my poles and said that the Guardians had sorted them out and dropped them off at the Gite D’Etape near the car park. Reunited we set off to Saint Girons for a cuppa tea with my parents before heading back up to the barn for a birthday bottle of fizz, steak and card opening.

Thanks to everyone for their very funny cards and some lovely pressies too, much appreciated and made leaving the 30’s and joining the 40’s much better!!! As they say life begins at 40, well it has been a good start so far.