Today we had Rene & Anouk up for a spot of lunch. They are really great to us, looking after computers when we go away, collecting post for us etc.

We rose early and set about a list of things that needed preparing. Then had breakfast and headed down the valley to Seix. Breezy has some paperwork that had to go in the post for a course to do with running Ski Breezy in Chamonix. I had run out of tobacco and we needed some bread and chick peas for lunch.

Back up at the barn in time for guests to arrive about 12.30. Lunch on the top deck under the parasol. Smoked duck salad, cheese & stewed rhubarb. Having said that they could only stay until 3pm, they left at 4 so I hope they enjoyed.

The rest of the afternoon we cleared up and read our books which was great.

Started the day in the normal internet way sorting emails and web stuff for the chalet in Chamonix. After breakfast and before the sun hit us (currently not getting the sun until 10.30), we went down to the river to retrieve the logs / tree trunks that we left there yesterday. We left one down by the bridge which we could not lift into the Muck Truck. The rest are now on the terrace at the back of the barn.

I was tired after felling the day before so light duties making part of the banister for the stair well.

Between us we got one side finished and awaiting assembly. Old pieces of wood for the posts and manger parts for the horizontals.

A slightly overcast day which was great news for felling the tree as it was not too hot. Peter and Steve turned up at 930am with chain saw in hand.

It was a really hard morning’s work for Al especially as he was the only one with the skill to be able to hold the chain saw up high and cut. It was a big tree!!! so it took it’s time to drop.

We got the tree under tension with chain hoists and ropes and then finally it fell and landed exactly where Al wanted it too and not on the bridge…phew!!!!

The hard work then began for the rest of us. Peter worked hard chain sawing down at the river, Steve was lugging wood up to the van. I was chain sawing into pieces with Al and loading into the van. 2 trips to Peter’s pad to drop the wood. All the girls unloading at the other end and stacking. I don’t think Peter will volunteer help again!!!

It was 1.30pm before they headed off down the valley for a much needed lunch me thinks!!! Thanks masses Peter and Steve, we hope all the good firewood lasts you the winter, it was a HUGE help and would have been a nightmare on our own. Just need to lug the large stumps up the hill tomorrow.

Al was pooped so we had hot showers and then for once the afternoon off after a 3.30pm lunch.

We sorted boxes, trunks and food up in the main barn. Then I had time to start on sorting out the overflowing inbox of paperwork well overdue.

We tried to see Jean Claude again our neighbour but he was out so we could relax Chez Nous with a light fish supper and a film.

Some drizzle tonight but forecast now good all week which is great news.

Another glorious day, temperatures around 90 degrees so parasols were essential.

Al and I had a full on morning, preparing salads, marinading meats etc for Alison and Peter and the gang. Alison had her brother over from Aussie so we were 9 altogether.

We managed to get all 9 of us on the top terrace under the shade.

Guided tours and dips in the river before we had delicious spicey chicken and BBQ marinaded pork which was excellent. An abundance of salads and then the famous Breezy Banana cake was a winner!!! with some home grown rhubarb too, not to mention the cheeses. No need for supper at all.

A really relaxed lunch then the girls wanted to go up to the tree platform so we roped them up and got them all up and down safely which I think they enjoyed in hindsight!

They offered to come and help fell the dead tree tomorrow which will be great and then they can take the wood back down for firewood for the winter.

They all trundled off around 6pm ish so Al and I had a speedy tidy up before sitting up on the top terrace playing cards till it was dark and then to sleep.

A really fun day, well we enjoyed it anyway.

Fi had a late flight so Breezy and I decided that we may as well tie in shopping in St Girons with dropping her off at the bus.So an afternoon of chores in town after a morning of small jobs in the barn for me.

I drove Breezy and Fi up to the old mines from where they planned to walk down into Salau and then headed back to the barn. Managed to wire in another lighting circuit so that you can see into the fridge, fitted 3 wall lights into holes in the front wall and start making 3 posts for the balustrade round the stair well before the ladies returned for lunch.

They got down to Salau without incident where they seem to have bumped into the entire village. They managed to avoid aperos with Adam on the way to the church to see the exhibition before trundling back up the valley to the barn.

Pate salad on the top terrace.

After lunch we hitched up the trailer and set off down the valley. First stop was La Forgue to take back the balustrade posts that we bought last week. Pretty simple 3″ square posts but at 30€ each we decided that we would make our own out of spare wood. Clothes into the washing machine and off to fill up the trailer with sand for pointing; back to collect the washing and drop off Fi; then food shop.

Back to the barn for 6pm to hang clothes on a line inside the main barn. Salad and cake making in preparation for BBQ Saturday. Simple prawns, bread and aioli for sups before reading and bed.

What a great day for Fi to get here; the weather was lousy. Breezy and I had planned to do a bit of an exploratory walk on the way to pick up Fi from the train station but the cloud was down and it would not have taken long to get a thorough soaking. Instead we lit the stove and settled into a long internet and web session working on Ski Breezy.

We left the barn half an hour earlier that we needed to get a short walk in. We took a dead end road above Oust and set off into the woods with a view to finding some mushrooms. It quickly transpired that the path we had chosen did not in fact go anywhere so doubled back. Great to get a bit of fresh air but no mushrooms and we had discovered a dead end.

Picked up Fi, ate a sandwich each that we had made in the morning and trundled up to the barn. Had a quick chat with Anouk at the Auberge on the way who does a great impression of a donkey.

After a short tour we sat in the main barn and opened a bottle of fizz.

After the storm overnight with lots of rain, it seemed to clear up and was mainly a dry day. We have Fi arriving tomorrow so it was time to get the place in a state where she can sleep Ok we hope.

Al set to with scrubbing the bathroom floor clear of lime at the edges and then getting rid of the dust. We pulled the plastic up off the floor which has been trying to protect it while we pointed and Al set to.

I attacked the front wall downstairs so that it is ready to point. It is a horrible dusty job and donning the not so lovely plastic clear and blue glasses is a little help to protect the eyes. By lunchtime, bathroom floor done and front wall done.

We then put the mossie net up for Fi’s bed to go under, brought back memories of sleeping in the bathroom a few years ago!!!

Had ate butties for lunch outside in the sun and the weather looked like it might change so we opted to go a foraging sooner rather than later. A load of delicious brambles and also 2 large bolets in our favourite field something nice about picking food for free.

Al mended a pair of ladders he had rescued from the skip and then we sorted out the small solar light which we got as a freebie from somewhere. We have put it in the workshop and it works on a sensor so should help us in finding things in there now.

We had been invited to pop in and see our neighbour down the road Jean Claude which we did not manage to do before going to the USA, so we popped down in the hope he was in but to no avail. We left a note and will try again another day.

Garlic mushies for starter which we had picked which were excellent on a little croute and then roast chicken. Al cooked which was great and I could write some letters.

Even had time for a film after dinner The King’s Speech, which we both really enjoyed.