We thought that we deserved a chilled weekend. So we did. Last week was hard physical work and I definitely need to rest my shoulder. The osteopath put it right on Friday by so fairly fierce manipulation so it is a bit tender.

Saturday started overcast and I think that we just managed to clear away breakfast when Peter arrived for coffee bearing a gift of carrots (Breezy did not say a word). Suitably impressed with the progress on the barn he left as moisture started to descend. We got a bit of weeding in before rain stopped play and we retired inside to get some internet stuff done.

In the evening we played scrabble indoors up at the main barn with a glass of wine; because we can.

Sunday was another sedate start with a cooked breakfast and a list of small chores about the place to keep us busy.

• Mastic around the windows
• Clear away some of the rocks and earth from the gable end
• Expose the decking again from under tarpaulins
• Spread out the earth fill from the wall that we dumped up the back

We also started to disguise an ugly bit of kitchen unit by cutting up wine boxes and cladding the outside. Better than white melamine!!!

I marinated a duck breast in balsamic vinegar and cooked it in the smoke (without any wood chips) for a duck salad in the evening; fantastic!

Bed after a quick game of cards as we have an early start in the morning.

Another early start to be ready for Clive’s arrival.

Al’s shoulder still very painful so I shifted the sand up the hill while Al prepped all the other stuff ready to go.

Breakfast and then off we go again. Last bit of wall  to fill up and safety again.

Al was mixing, Clive re building and I was carrying and shovelling. It all went very quickly and by 11am we were done and dusted. Clive helped us move the largest of the rocks to the back which I would struggle to lift they are enormous and we can shift the rest in our own time.

Took a good hour or so to tidy up, get Clive’s kit back down the hill and loaded up and he was off. Thanks Clive it looks great and we are really pleased with it.

All that was left was for Al and I to screw the window frame in and put the window in and all looks good.

Showers in the sun and then a delicious mackerel salad lunch in the sun before a very relaxed afternoon, much needed.

Al had a RDV with Francoise for his shoulder so I did a few chores in the village before having a drink at the bar, catching up wtih Anouk and Jean Claude.

Al came out a new man from his treatment, although still in pain very much reduced and all being well no serious long term damage which is a relief. Peter turned up for the week end so a quick beer/rose with him before heading back up the hill for some blanquette and another delicious supper. Marinaded chicken legs with herbs from the garden cooked in the outdoor cooker, lentil salad and a green salad with coriander from the garden and a mint and lime dressing. Oh we do eat well and enjoy our food!

Both relieved that the window is in, wall rebuilt and work mainly done. Just need to make some shutters now and point the inside wall and it will look great. Transforming downstairs already.

The alarm was set for 7.30am to get all the preparation done before Cive arrived at 9.30 and have breakfast. First off was make a jug of coffee for me and a fizzy juice for Breezy. Then shifting sand, loading buckets of water, fetching scaffolding, generator out, cabling to mixer, brushing off yesterdays joints, etc etc.

Clive arrived and we are straight into mixing mortar.

Overnight a crack has appeared in the wall on the left hand side of where the rocks have come out above the window. Although no further rocks have come out, there is a possibility that more will descend without warning under gravity. This is slightly alarming for all 3 of us. We could pull down the rocks and make the hole bigger, thus more work to fill it up again. We could try and prop it with wood before working underneath but that may just loosen it more and gravity takes over. Or we could work faster to get it shored up and hope that gravity is taking a day off.

Third option it is then! Chainsaw out and two more lintels in place then a frantic walling session with Breezy and I running to keep up with Clive and finish the inside wall at the same time.

By lunch we have it shored up and over half the hole replaced with wall.

Lunchtime day 2

We can’t get any more done today as the weight of rock on top of fresh wet mortar could undo all our hard work. So Clive is off to do paperwork and Breezy and I can clear up, have a shower, lunch and chill out. I have injured my shoulder so the rest is gratefully received.

The weather is still really hot and it is blowing a hoolie, this could mean that a storn is on the cards.

Duck salad for sups and start over again tomorrow to finish the job.

Al and I were up early to get an hours work done before brekky and to be organised for Clive’s arrival. Sand shifted up the hill, fridge moved etc etc.

Clive was a bit late due to getting the van stuck so the boys started demolition at around 10am and the hole was big. By lunchtime the hole had been made a gaping hole above it too from where other rocks/boulders had tumbled out.

Not much for me to do so I had a day internetting for Ski Breezy and finally making some much needed progress, enquiries are a coming in and contacts are being re-established again for the winter.

Al an I had lunch while Clive went home for lunch and then Al and Clive had a huge afternoon on the re building after collecting a load of sand from Salau. Clive wanted to get up to the lintels so it was 830pm before they finished a long day and sadly Al has now damaged his shoulder and in a lot of pain, not good news.

Visits from Jean Claude our lovely neighbour who was worried about the size of the hole. Olivier came to put fencing up around the veg patch to keep the donkeys off it also alarmed about the huge hole……guess it will be around the village in no time…

Quick beers for the boys and then showers and I had marinaded some chicken in ginger and other goodies along with a potato and dill salad and green salad from the garden twas delicious even at 10pm at night!!! No more to say apart from bed.

The sun is still shining and the days are hot so Al set too first thing with some strimming of the bracken. One more hour and that will all be clear again for this year.

I did a few chores after giving the work surfaces another scrape down and another oiling and then set too with a couple of hours of Ski Breezy work which seems to be taking a back seat at the moment.

After that we decided to crack on with sorting the kitchen. I coated the kitchen units with another lick of paint whilst Al set about making some skirting boards for below them.

A quick lunch and Al did a quick trip to the village for a few bits and pieces phonecalls, rubbish, Clive, water etc etc and then once he returned an assembly job in the afternoon, all looking good except the sink which although was free is hideous and makes fitting some what problematic so I think we are going to go shopping for a nicer new sink to fit in with the fab kitchen which is emerging. We are happy with the colour and we had to put the work surface in place even if it is not fixed just to see how it looked!!!

Olivier turned up to say donkeys are arriving tomorrow so that is good news.

Very hot showers, Bezique and steak and salad for supps perfecto.

Another hot day ahead of us so we prepped an area for the rocks which will come out of the wall before it got too hot. Just a few fence posts and tin as a quick fix for an easy place to where the window is going to be.

It was then full steam ahead with internet for Ski Breezy for a few hours as now enquiries seem to be getting better post Olympics I think so need to concentrate on winter as well as the barn.

Then we made a start to the kitchen. Firstly we gave the work surfaces a scrape down and another coat of Danish oil, they are going to look great. Next was to screw on some of the old doors to act as panelling for the sides of the units we are going to use. Hopefully hiding most of the white which we do not like. We also managed to salvage a double sink, not the prettiest of ones but functional enough so we just needed to tailor the units to accept it.

A bit of levelling out of 3 units we have put together and a few shelves to make and we were ready to start sanding and painting.

A good lunch in the sun. I had made some chilled mint and courgette soup in an attempt to lower the stocks of courgettes in the fridge! which was yummy.

It was then on to sanding and painting. More bright colours!

I just had time to do another coat of Danish oil on the work surfaces whilst Al fettled the water butts so that both are connected together and doubling our rainwater usage with easy access. Since we have had so little rain we will need both water butts I think.

We have chicken marinading with oregano and lemon ready for the BBQ later on. Rose awaits!

As we have fresh bacon in the fridge (courtesy of Laney) we just had to have a fry up.

Although the sky was overcast it was still hot and humid.

Not made time to work on the web while we had visitors so made up a couple of hours in the morning and gonna have to do the same for a few days. Winter is fast approaching and enquiries are coming in for the chalet in Chamonix following the Olympics. At the same time we need to step up the marketing as people are definitely starting to think of their next break.

Before lunch we cleared the area inside the barn where we shall create another window opening. Moving stuff to create space for stuff that had to move to get more stuff in a smaller space sort of scenario. Once organised Breezy started treating the new beech work tops for the kitchen with Danish oil before lunch while I protected the decking with tarps and sheets of wood. Having turned the corner from barn to abode we are now turning it back into a building site.

Simple sandwich for lunch and then chair making again.

Planned to stop about 3pm for another bash at the web but I just wanted to finish the chair. Done at 5.30pm, we watered plants showered and prepared food. No peace for the wicked. Banana cake, salsa verde, bulgar salad, veg to BBQ and baby squid to marinate.

BBQ lit and veg cooked for tomorrow the the squid get toasted.

It was an early start as we wanted to go to the market before Laney jumped on the bus to head home.

Up at 630am and it was a really hot wind blowing. Al and I got things sorted, washing up done, Vinnie loaded, internet, washed up from last night etc etc and then we all had brekky outside at 745am ish and it was hot already with no sun on us.

Off we trundled and Laney and I jumped out in St G for a visit of the market while Al went and got a load of sand for the window this week.

Salamis, sanglier sauccisson and tresses of garlic purchased and packed into Laney’s bag for her trip back. We had time for a coffee before getting Laney on the bus and on her trip back to London town. FAB FAB FAB to see you out here Laney looking forward to the Hoggster being in tow next time too.

Al and I did a quick food shop before up the road and unloaded the van. It was boiling hot well over 100 and neither of us were very hungry. I had a power kip for an hour after a bad night’s sleep and Al pottered on with his chair making. Prawns and garlic dip upstairs as too hot outside even under the parasol!!!!

Al cracked on with the rest of his chair after our late lunch and I started on the garden which was wilting like crazy. Planted new lettuces in which should see us through till we leave, weeded the raised bed, picked the ever growing mound of courgettes and lots of watering everything.

A little bit of a tidy up upstairs bedding away and moved the book shelves to where we want them so we can start getting rid of a few boxes before calling it a day.

Showers needed cold water adding to them. Now we are just catching up on Ski Breezy stuff, marinading sword fish for the BBQ for supper with a very simple green salad and that will be us in bed after that. Another hot week forecast ahead of us summer has come late but it really is summer like.

A day at the barn pottering about and it was HOT!!!

Another healthy breakfast before starting odd jobs about the place. Breezy and Laney set about repainting the decking while I found some suitable wood to make a frame for the relief map of the Pyrenees which Matt Rose gave us. The heat was relentless and I even moved the work bench indoors out of the sun.

Once the deck was done the ladies took a tour of the grounds before lunch while I beavered away making big bits of wood smaller. A bit like working in the chalet in the winter; take a vegetable and make it into several smaller bits.

After a salad lunch under the parasol to use up all the leftovers the ladies went up to Cirque D’Anglade and I finished the frame and started making a chair. When you are on a role …

Early evening drinks and nibbles on the deck in the trees and then I cooked a spicy sausage & potato salad for sups.