Last night we received and email from Hans sayings that he could make it over today to help us with the window in the gable end. We had planned to start building up the walls on the last little ruined building to use up the cement. Plans change.

The alarm was set for 7am to give us time to work on emails and the web stuff for Ski Breezy before Hans was expected around 9am.

Hans actually arrived just before 11 in time for the sun to hit us (and coffee) giving us loads of web time and some time to do odd chores.

Trying to fit something new, straight and with right angles into a hole which is completely irregular is a little tricky and time consuming.

No injuries, one burnt out power plane and a small mountain of wood shavings and sawdust later and the window is in (complete with fettled shutters).

In between helping Hans and I with the window bits, Breezy also managed to sort out the veggie garden, stock take food and a number of other “must do” jobs.

Having done some monster walks the last two days I could definitely feel it in my legs. Sauze, Kate and Breezy said that they felt similar.

England were playing Scotland in the World Cup Rugby so after breakfast Sauze and Kate wandered off down the piste to see if they could catch the 2^nd half at the Auberge. Absolutely no sign of life there they continued on to Couflens to get phone reception and spoke to husbands; receiving rugby updates by phone.

They returned in time for coffee and cake up in the trees. After 2 hours of chatting it was then time for lunch on the terrace. More chatting and Sauze just had time to dye Breezy’s hair before heading down the valley to catch Peter & Alison for a drink down in Salau. More chat and back to the barn for supps, salad and wild mushroom risotto cooked by Sauze. More chat and hilarity followed by a last game of bananagrams and bed.

We were up and out the door early as needed to get down the valley for the weekly stock up of food. Collected some sand, did the laundry, large food shop and then back and unloaded by midday hoorah!!!!

Prawns in the sun for lunch and then we sorted out some food prep, collected brambles and tidied up the main barn a bit.

Sauze and Kate arrived from Chamonix just as it was dark and just as we had finished a game of scrabble. Great to see them and we had a good fish supper and catch up before hitting the sack.

We have a stack of ballast left over from laying the concrete floor last year and we also have some sacks of cement which need using before they go rock hard over the winter. So most of the morning was put over to cleaning off the walls of the last little building at one end of the main barn. After the normal internet session for Ski Breezy stuff we gathered a bunch of tools and set about finding something solid enough to build on under the plants, earth, ants nests and tottering rocks.

Before lunch we got to the stage where a wall was ready for building on and all the loose rocks at the front had been taken off. Rather than starting with concrete and building we opted to get some other jobs done out of the heat of the midday sun.

Having said out of the sun, I went up on the roof to have another crack at making the zinc ridge piece weatherproof.

The post arrived in the guise of Anouk from the Auberge in Salau. She had not many guests and decided to walk up. We sat on the decking with cordials and chatted for a while before it was time for lunch.

In the afternoon we put some finishing touches to the stair well in terms of a surround.

Another glorious day not a cloud in the sky.

We had the usual Ski Breezy to tackle first off then it was on to odd jobs.

Securely fit the last window in the out building….now done, sort out the wood pile at the top so the donkeys don’t trash it and it is snow tight for the winter for the wood to season….now done, make holders in wooden tree stumps for the pressie Al’s folks gave us to hold a bottle of wine and 4 glasses….now done, change the solar panels around so we have more input going into the outbuilding so we hope to have battery at 100% by the time we leave. Day light hours now getting shorter and battery not getting charged to it’s potential….now done.

Time for lunch, yummy chicken salad in the sun.

Al was keen for another forage, we had just started when Annie turned up so a good excuse for a catch up in the sun and a quick tour around the progress at the barn. Take 2 we headed off again to new areas and came back with a good supply of mushies and plenty of brambles for a tart as well as enough for brekky too.

Hot showers, fire on, and a hot salad on the agenda for supps.

I waved Al off first thing as he had a RDV with some potential work people north of Toulouse.

I set too with a couple of hours of sorting out internet for Chamonix. I then had a wander down river for some mushrooms with some success so that was good.

The sun came out and I was determined to shift all the ballast up to the back of the barn, 2 hours later it was done and I was fairly knackered!!!

Huge bramble hunt to make Al a tart which he loves. Then finally dug up the beetroot which has grown really well and I will cook that tonight. First time for everything, never cooked it before but seems very simple.

I had a late lunch just a little cheese as I was not very hungry.

Then I set too shifting all the trees we had felled up the hill ready to chop for next years firewood. More up and down the hill but another tick off the list.

Managed to get soem much needed scrubbing done in the outbuilding as well  floors, cupboards, shelves and the cooker! Even managed to oil the oven door so the dreadful squeaky door is no more!!!

I decided to have another forage in the afternoon and have found a new spot where we seem to have a good supply of bolets. Hopefully we will get enough to make a wild mushroom risotto before we leave. So have sliced them and they are drying above the wood burner.

Hot shower and chicken salad for supper. Seems odd without Al here but have had a good day getting lots of little bits and pieces done.

On to internet bookings again for Ski Breezy and best stay awake until Al gets back!!!

Woke up to low cloud hanging over the mountains, rain was forecast but we still have lots of indoor jobs to do.

A good few hours on the internet and several bookings for Ski Breezy early season and some more booked in for Christmas which is great news, very happy about that.

Then we set to with the longer manger balustrade, slightly trickier and had to change plans half way through as a piece of wood broke off. In hindsight a good thing as the new bit is so much stronger but frustrating at the time.

We then only had a small side to do which we have used some of Al’s old trapeze rope. We are pleased with the finished product.

Al made some courgette and bacon soup for lunch as it was pouring with rain and we were in need of something hot to eat.

Afternoon I was pooped so had a little siesta Al trundled on with building a table to go in the workshop. We then managed to get everything back inside in some form of order and lots more space. Should make life much easier.

The sun had come out again and I was in need of fresh air so we had a little forage and lots of brambles and bolettes to be had.

Showers and now got the roast chicken in the oven with garlic mushies en croute as a starter, looking forward to it. A night off the booze and an early night as Al has a meeting in Toulouse first thing tomorrow.

A normal start with internet and emails. Getting more enquiries through for the chalet in Chamonix which is great. Just means that more time is required to sort them out and to keep plugging away at the search engines.

The morning was spent rationalising tools and materials. Metal trunks and stacker boxes full of nails, fixings and tools were all sorted out before being stashed back in the tool store cum workshop. It is amazing; we can now walk in without tripping over fuel cans, power tools and boxes of miscellaneous gubbins.

After lunch we got the muck truck out and fetched the last of the wood from the tree we felled the other week and stashed it in the log pile behind the main barn. Then the first banister went into place.

We had been meaning to try and pop in to see Jean Claude our neighbour and thought it would be good to try again.

We wandered down the piste and he was in. Champers was opened, Pascal and Dominique called to join us and we sat down for aperos. All good for the French. They have invited us to St Girons for lunch at the local college for chefs which sounds excellent value and the food is meant to be great, we will see.

Back for a quick pasta supper and to bed.