Clear up

Having topped off the wall yesterday all that remains is to point up the top surface between the stones and clear up.

In no particular order:

  • Shift the remaining sand up to behind the last ruin
  • Shift the remaining huge boulders down to the front terrace
  • Take down the scaffolding and pack it into Clives van
  • Sort out tools, who’s is who’s and take all Clives kit down for him to take back

So the plan was to get all taht done in the morning and then to backfill the terrace in the afternoon. Unfortunately Clive tweeked his back first thing so it was decided to knock the backfilling on the head and give him the afternoon to see if he could get his back looked at by the Osteo in the village.

This was actually a bit of a good thing for us as we are both tired. Clive set off to take the scaff back while Breezy and I sorted tools and equipment out for Clive to come back for the second trip.

Cows on the piste

I just got down to the parking when a load of loose cows appeared on the piste as Clive turned up.

Smoked salmon salad for lunch; a little lie down and off down to Seix to pick up some odd groceries. Called in with Alison & Peter on the way back and also Anouk at the Auberge in Salau.

Scrabble on the terrace

Scrabble on the terrace

Steaks on the BBQ after a game of scrabble on the terrace.

Categories: Summer 2013

The end of the WALL!!!

Yipee!

Actually managed to get a lie in until 0730 as we are nearing the end of the wall and there is little preparation to do before Clive turns up.

Less than 2 foot of wall to go but going is much slower as the steel reinforcement goes in and the stones are selected carefully. Also the wall has two visible faces so the stones have to be “facers” on both sides.

Finally finished in the drizzle at 1850hrs and Clive shot off for his supper.

Pork curry and an open fire.

The End!

Categories: Summer 2013

More wall

Monday morning and the alarm went off at 0645 again. Now eagerly anticipating the end of walling.

Morning of walling in the sun with Clive while Breezy made a cake and some rhubarb chutney.

Over lunch I sorted out the 3 waste pipes to get burried under the terrace between the building and the new wall.

After lunch Clive came in the flatbed truck with another ton of sand. That got loaded straight into transporter and mucktruck and deposited beside the mixer. Half an hour of backfilling before the thunder, lightening and fat rain started. Quickly covered the wall with a tarpauline and scuttled inside for a cup of tea.

The rest of teh day was written off so Clive went home.

Tai Curry and open fire evening.

Categories: Summer 2013

BBQ Marinaded Sword Fish

This is a recipe I snaffled off Anne Swan (great friends of Mum and Dad’s) and a superb cook. It is really delicious. Make sure you use chunky swordfish steaks. We had lots of fresh herbs from the garden so it was truly scrummy and we will be doing again for sure.

Marinade

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Serving Sauce

  • 1 lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • S&P
  • 3 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 sprig mint roughly sliced
  • 1 sprig oregano roughly sliced
Categories: Fish, Recipes

Visitors

A slow morning for me, struggling to move and pain levels fairly high. Sun came out mid morning so I finally got going and Al pottered on again with prep work for Monday and knocking a work proposal out the door as well.  I managed to varnish an old crate for another log box to go in the kitchen.

Lee and Suzie arrived just before lunch with a troop of friends and kids to find some swimming holes in the river with a picnic lunch. Caught up with them which was lovely and will try and get them up for a BBQ before they head back in a month.

Lee helped Al get a huge log up from down by the river and shared ideas on tree felling.

We had a late lunch of pate and bread on the terrace. I went back to horizontal and Al carried on. Very hot showers and then down to the village for RDV with Francois and Al had a much deserved couple of beers with the locals.

All tweaked and we trundled back up the hill for supper outside a glorious evening. BBQed duck and salad before bed.

Categories: Summer 2013, The Project

Another Shop Day!

Leisurely start before heading down the valley to do the usual DIY run, laundry and food shop. Al managed to get hold of his parents and Andy for a good catch up so that was good and we also had time for a coffee while the washing was on.

Quick fill up of fuel and then food shopped for the week and back up the valley. Made a RDV with Francoise the osteo for my back on Sun pm. She had a fairly full on week end so I was happy she could fit me in at all.

Back to the barn laundry out to dry, food unloaded etc. Al pottered on the in the afternoon and I mainly lay flat! not in a great way!! That will teach me for trying to keep up with the strong boys!

We did have a wonderful supper though out on the terrace marinaded swordfish a recipe which  I snaffled from a great friend of Mum and Dad’s Anne Swan and it was delicious. Find it in the recipe section. Al cooked it to perfection and we sat sipping rose and enjoying it with salad and fresh bread.  Then bed!

Categories: Summer 2013, The Project

More Wall

Another glorious day. Al and I got everything prepared before Clive arrived and then it was full steam ahead again…..wall seemed to go up pretty quickly and the afternoon was put aside for back filling. More supplies brought up at lunch time before a lovely salad lunch on the terrace.

Clive returned after lunch with the family as helpers! Buckets of soil filled from below the scaffolding then hosited up to the wall, tipped over and then filled in. From the piste I think some of the walkers may have thought it was a slave labour camp! After an hour it was mainly done as was my back which had packed in yet again. So Clive, Al and Giselle finished off the afternoon’s work till 630pm. Beers on the terrace whilst the kids played in the river. Then supper and bed!

Clive is going to get another tonne of sand which he hopes will see us through for the last 2 days.

Categories: Summer 2013, The Project

Restock

It’s rained and the water butts are full again. I guess that they were down to about a quarter full or less. Overnight we have caught about 1,500 litres and that is only off 25% of the roof. So we don’t have to go get river water for the mortar mixing.

Unfortunately the rain is continuing which means no progress on the wall.

I went off in the van to pick up more cement from St Girons and left Breezy in the barn working on Ski Breezy stuff and emails. I got back at noon and Breezy was still tapping away at her keyboard getting emails out to clients.

Lunch was salad and ham then I started a proposal for a client in the Netherlands while Breezy made some redcurrant jelly with the fruit from the garden. Minor catastroph when clicking down a lid of a jar and redcurrent jelly coated the worktop, floor and us.

Game of scrabble before sausage supper and a hand of cards before bed.

Categories: Summer 2013

Leeks A La Greque

John and Shirley gave me a lovely cook book last year “The Contented Cook” and I found this recipe in it. We both loved it, very simple and went perfectly with all our home grown veg and the lamb chops we had for dinner.

Leeks cut into 5 inch lengths and steamed.

Make a dressing

1tbps red wine vinegar

1tbsp grain mustard

1tbsp dijon mustard

5tbsp olive oil

S&P

Chopped parsley to garnish.

Once leeks are steamed, cut in half and arrange on serving dish.

Pour dressing over it and then sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Delicious!

Categories: Recipes, Summer 2013, The Project, Veg Ideas

ROCKS!

Another early start, sand up the hill, water containers and butts filled, tarp off wall, equipment all out, scaff unloaded and then brekky at 8am. Quick internet and start all over again!

Another hot day. We got the scaff up to make life easier for Clive. We got rid of the big shoot and now progressed on to a shorter tin sheet as the wall gets higher. We are now on to rocks from the back terrace for re building the wall.

So Al mixes, Clive builds and I move rocks from A-B, pass buckets of rocks to Clive and fill water which we go through at  a rate of knots and the water butts are now nearly empty….we need a storm or it is trips to the river from tomorrow onwards.

Lunchtime, and progress is huge.

Smoked salmon salad for lunch and then Al and I got more sand up the hill, re filled water butts and containers and got rocks in place ready for Clive returning. I also zoomed down to the village to fill up with drinking water as we are out and also to get rid of rubbish which is now whiffing and recycling.

After lunch the boys set too digging the return wall down to foundation level. Al drilled holes in rocks for the reinforcement bar to go in and Clive bound bars together. Then we were off again, mixing, moving rocks and at 6pm ENOUGH!!!! Rose and beer on the terrace to end the day!

We are running out of cement so Al is going to do a run in the am for more to St G. Forecast is not good so we will do an afternoon of work and if it is raining we will have the whole day off and wait for the sun to shine on Thursday.

Clive seems pleased with progress and thinks 3 more days will see us done hoorah!

BBQ in the rainNeither Al and I felt like the lamb last night after the risotto so we had lamb tonight with yummy veggies, green beans (from the garden) with mushies and garlic and pinenuts, steamed mange toute (also from the garden)  and leeks a la greque with BBQ lamb. All really delicious. The heavens opened so our rain dance worked and the empty water butts are now full. Fantastic electrical storm to watch with all colours in the sky and amazing fork lightening.

A quick episode of All Creatures Great and Small to relax to. Al went for his final fag for the night and I was asleep before he got back upstairs!

Categories: Summer 2013, The Project