Another beautiful start to the day with a cooler wind so brekky in the sun was a nice way to start the day.

Stevie and Debs headed off after brekky for the next stage of their holiday near Perpignan before heading back to the UK. Sad to see them go, but very pleased they had good weather. Stevie has not been lucky weather wise on his visits so pleased they saw it at its best.

Al and I got the place back to normal as such. The main table back inside as our food storage area, beds away, sorted fridge,  cleared the barn ready for final roofing work etc etc.

We had an early lunch before Al headed to Salau to try and meet up with Clive, do the recycling and phone a few people. I cracked on or tried to with the sanding of the ceiling. Sander has had enough and after 40 mins it packed in, need to buy a new one as doing it by hand is not an option!!!! Bit of a pain but hey ho.

Clouds rolled in we got excited for a big storm to fill the water buts but 10 mins did not really do the trick!!! It would be great if we had a huge storm tonight to get the final roof check done and then we can just crack on and get the messy work over and done with.

Early showers, a bit of a read, internet catch up and some paperwork.

Planning a hot chicken and chorizzo salad tonight. We will be on salads for the next 2 months as the lettuces are really looking good and we have plenty of them!!!!

Chilled day much needed.

Started the day with breakfast in the sun outside the outhouse. Stevie & Debs just wanted a chilled out day at the barn and a play in the river. Before the sun got too hot I got Stevie to give a hand with three small jobs. First off was to get the log burner up to the first floor of the main barn. It weighs a ton and so the chain hoist came out. Making the stair well over size and open under one of the main roof beams was a great bit of forethought as it meant that we could man handle the stove to the foot of the stairs then hoist it straight up off the perlin; then just swing it over the floor and gently lower it onto a couple of boards.

Next was to get the 2 oak beams out of the ceiling that we need in order to make the window openings. These had been slung under the first floor beams out of the way. They were salvaged out of the original roof structure and measure about 7-8m each.

Lastly there is a big rock by the terrace that Breezy and I cannot lift between us. Between Stevie and I we got it into the muck truck and I dumped it where we will be rebuilding the wall at the back of the barn. The wall got demolished when we put the main roof on as we needed easy access to a lot of stone to rebuild the walls of the back of the barn. Once we start knocking through for the new windows we shall start to rebuild the wall.

Stevie & Debs headed off to the river to build a pool and have a dip while Breezy & I set about wiring in 3 light pull switches upstairs that Debs kindly bought out from the UK. France don’t seem to sell these so Debs went into Wilkos in Matlock for us.

While Breezy sorted out some lunch I went with Stevie & Debs to see the waterfall. Just below there were signs of dried out ceps but I did find a few bolets which I believe are good to eat. I think they are Bolet Porphyre (Porphyrellus porphyrosporus).

Very quickly the clouds rolled in and it started to rain so it was indoors for lunch.

In the afternoon our guests went down to the village to get phone reception and have a beer at the bar leaving us to sit down and plan marketing for Ski Breezy and the chalet in Chamonix for the coming winter.

I cooked super for us which we ate outside as the skies cleared again. Sort of a paella with chorizzo sausage and chicken. It seemed to go down OK and all went (even if I finished it).

We finished the evening off by paraffin lanterns.

As we have a week of guests this week we set about a massive tidy up. I started with a broom while Breezy logged on to the internet and sorted out enquiries for the chalet in Chamonix. I had brushed down some of the walls yesterday when I had finished sanding but the floor upstairs had a thick layer of plaster dust on it.

Having put all tools away and brushed though a couple of times the place looked so much better. You certainly would not want to hold a yoga class in there but it is fine for glamping.

On the list of must do’s for the day all that was left was food preparation for the evening so we decided to profit from the favourable weather and play with some compost. We had gathered 6 old van/car tyres from St Girons on Monday to make some beds for fruit bushes. We set some cuttings of blackcurrant and red currant last year that have taken and should bear fruit in a year or two. Clive also has a goosberry bush for us as well.

After a light salad lunch we set about moving the trestle table out onto the deck and preparing food for the BBQ & salads.

Adam and Lisa turned up about 7.30pm and we had supper outside and chatted until gone midnight.

The forecast was for sun but the day started overcast. The filler in the plasterboard joints is not yet dry enough to sand to we went for a forage up the side of the waterfall opposite the barn. Armed with a pocket knife each, a net for carrying mushrooms, a bag for fruit and some water (to drink); we set off.

It is very steep and somewhat slippery. The path is indistinct and mainly used by the hunters. Having worked out way up to the tree line we found no mushies but did come back with a bag of myrtilles for breakfast tomorrow.

We did manage to capture a fantastic butterfly on camera though and later identified it as a Scarce Copper.

Once back at the barn we set about a long list of small jobs before shopping tomorrow and visitors later in the week.

• cleaning stickers off windows
• rubbing down stools for painting
• taking the wheel off the mucktruck to get it reinflated
• weeding
• sweeping the chimney in the outhouse
• trailer down to the van for getting sand
• clean the floor in the outhouse
• menu plan for the week
• label up power tool cases
• fit an inverter to the main barn battery for 240v AC
• oh, and sand some plasterboard joints

All in all a busy day. Pasta tonight as the cupboard is bare.

Woke to overcast day but dry so plan of attack was to attack the joints and finish half the roof. It does not get any worse I can tell you. Not much to say apart from masks on and set too. By lunchtime half the roof had had it’s first sand and second fill and 1/6th of it lucky area had had a second sand!

By then enough was enough, showers and shake the clothes and get clean.

Pizza and salad for lunch was perfecto.

As we were nice and clean we tackled another section of Ski Breezy dreaded accounts before heading down the the village.

The piste has been closed for 4 days and we were down to the last 6 litres of water for drinking so good to see the piste open for us to drive back up. We walked down and collected Vinnie, collected water caught up with some of the locals for a few drinks and then back to the barn for a spicy chorrizo hot salad surprise.

Planning an early night and then finish the final sanding for half the roof tomorrow and clearing out the outbuilding flue, messy jobs and then a forage.

We are looking forward to the week of sunshine ahead and visitors and walks.

As the piste is closed at the moment we thought it was an ideal time to get ahead of the locals and go for a forage and beat them to the mushrooms, well nice idea. We found one huge cep and one tiny girolles, sadly once we cut the cep it had signs of maggots so that was a no go and the girolle on on its own looked a tad small to eat!!!

Anyway it was a nice little stroll before breakfast.

Then we thought we would get the bathroom ceiling painted. Surprise could we remember what colour we had bought for it…..a bright light blue. Anyway Al tackled the edges, me wielding the roller and jobs a good one, small area so done pretty quickly.

We did have a big clean the floor, mop the floor, clean the floor, mop the floor before replacing loads of kit back in it to make getting around the main barn easier as it was beginning to look like a war zone.

We had dry weather still so we decided to do the final bit of strimming tidy up around the out building and some nettle clearance before the mizzle set in again.

Time to get the second window box frame in before lunch, looking good another tick.

The afternoon was 3 hours of sanding and filling. Truly horrible jobs. Huge showers afterwards to de dust. We look like we are prepared for nuclear war. Hats on, masks on and safety goggles. Need to wear them to try and see, then get steamed up so can’t see blah blah blah!!! Anyway by tomorrow lunchtime all should be first sanded and second jointed then only one more sand to go….can’t wait!!!!

We had had a late lunch so we had a lovely simple supper steak with a roquette and blue cheese salad perfecto before bezique and an episode of All Creatures Great and Small. We have really enjoyed re visiting the Yorkshire life as a vet programme, good old English films!!!!

We woke to low lying cloud when it was forecast sun but actually it worked out well as it was perfect for outdoor work, not too hot, dry and no bugs about. Hoorah.

We cleared more great compost from under the terrace to fill the second raised bed. For once an advantage in being small, not many people can get under that terrace, yet along dig out compost! Second raised bed now full and ready for veg.

The area below the terrace has been a right old mess so we wanted to clear it from rocks, bindweed and nettles and create a new area there in due course. Some large rocks shifted and only one left which I cannot lift with Al so waiting for some strong men.

We have friends arriving soon and they may camp so we wanted to strim the back terrace so it would be OK if they want to camp to put a tent there. I think once they see the state of inside camping may look a great option!!!! Looks much better. We have also cleared the area around where the back terrace window will go so that access is clear all ready for go when we plan to start in a weeks time.

Al did a quick strim around the front of the barn whilst I prepped some lunch. It is amazing how it feels so much better when things look tidier gives you space to work as such….

The mist came down and we had lunch outside and managed to get the trailer roadworthy again just before we moved inside as it was getting wet.

Al tackled the final sand we hope in the bathroom and I cleared the area below sky lights ready to get the sky light boxes in place. So another shift of scaff and we now have one of the box frames in place, looks good. Cup of tea and then time for showers in the mizzle not quite the same as hot solar showers in the sunshine!!!

Al concocting tonight a roast chicken casserole with apple, bacon and mushies should be good.

An interesting start to the day. I was still bashing away at the internet and there was a commotion up at the main barn. Bearing in mind that there is only me and Breezy; I was busy working; it had to be Breezy and a third party.

Breezy had been organising tools ready to start work inside the barn. She had reached up for a drawer full of sandpaper in the workshop and grabbed the drawer full of rawl plugs. The third party was asleep in the drawer.

At this point the commotion started. The drawer and content was ejected from the workshop and emptied on the steps. This did not bother the third party (locally known as a Loire) which carried on sleeping. It is sort of a large nocturnal mouse with a furry tail, though not as big as that of a squirrel.

Loire are a pain as the eat through any fabrics to make nests so I plonked it in a bucket and took it to the far side of the river and chucked it in a ditch. Hopefully it will find somewhere else to live.

After a couple of hours sanding ceilings and refilling joints we set off for a walk up to the Cirque d’Anglade with a picnic lunch.

After a failed attempt to get up at 645am we arose when the sun came through the little window at 8pm. We were both chatting about last night and how fab it had been to be outside with a delicous dinner, Ken’s brassiere going and wonderful views of the hills and not a bug in sight!!!!

Breakfast in the sun a perfect way to start the day.

We were on a mission day to get the 3rd bit of the ceiling finished so music on, windows and sky lights open and crack on.

By elevensees we had one of the two sections finished and all joints done.

By lunch time a bit more plasterboard gone up, some dodgy measuring skills from us both hindered some progress… and by 5pm we had all the plasterboard up and jointed too. Looks great, well we think so. Still got to sand it, re fill it and sand it again not to mention the paint. Not sure we have brought enough paint from the UK for it either aaagh. How many times can we move the scaffolding????

I trundled Vinnie to the end of the piste, as the piste will be closed for a few days to repair it after the landslides earlier this year. Cement mixers and all sorts arrive tomorrow for 2 days so we thought best to have Vinnie the right side of civilisation.

Al tested out the serviced strimmer which he says works heaps better, idles well and going like a dream. So we think we will also send in the gennie to get a good once over as that is proving to have a mind of it’s own too!!!!

Very, very, very hot showers lovely and a bottle of blanquette on the top terrace. BBQ is lit, brassiere too and wine is on it’s way. Been a good day and hoping to do a short walk tomorrow to check out Al’s knee.

Last nights supper of Rabbit liver salad.