Low and behold, it’s raining again.

Breezy headed off early to get down to St Girons with the van for a new exhaust. I braved the weather and emptied the trailer of sand ready for mixing mortar then dragged the trailer up to the barn.

Hand was dancing last night (folk) so turned up about 11am by which time I had already been pointing for a couple of hours. Breezy was not far behind him with some new wire brushes and a quiet van.

We finished the bathroom before lunch so Hans and I started to fit out the downstairs window while Breezy started brushing off the joints.

I do hope it is sunny tomorrow!!!

Breezy here and oh yes, it is not just raining today it is pouring!!!! Slightly over it now!!!

Got the fire going to dry the clothes in the outbuilding during the day.

On to the bathroom, 2 more days and we should be done.

It was a long morning, pointed until 2pm ish and then lunch before brushing off again until 6pm. Hans left early for his dancing presentation.

Showers in the rain, fire going full steam and the slope up to the barn like a death trap so skiddy.

Al cooked a delicious roast chicken with a mushroom sauce with the trumpets we picked and dried last year. Very tasty. A bit of reading and then to bed early as I am on St Girons trip tomorrow early to get the new exhaust fitted. So hoping that all goes smoothly.

With a view to having a slightly more productive day than yesterday Breezy set an alarm and had a slightly longer list of chores.

We fitted some pulleys to the ridge beam in the main barn and took down the scaffolding. That all went down to the van as we had arranged to go up to Clive and Giselle’s for a drink late afternoon.

After that Breezy and I set about packing a bag of kit to take to the States. That soon escalated to sorting out all the boxes, bags and trunks of kit that we have been building around in the main barn.

The sun finally put in an appearance at about noon when Alison and Peter turned up for a coffee with Alison’s daughter, Hana, and a small bag of beans from their garden.

After lunch we carried on with chores including drying out the tent and packing it away and log splitting etc etc. Clive and Giselle still have 5 cats and are on good form. Spag Bol for sups and back to book reading.

Both Breezy and I are knackered after 3 full on weeks. Progress has been great but tiring.

The day started with a short list of chores, only one of which we completed. We shifted some lighting about in the outhouse so that we can read in bed then discussed ideas for windows and steps and things in the main barn.

Before lunch we set off with a basket in search of mushrooms to fry up. The basket came back empty which either means we are looking in completely the wrong paces or for completely the wrong mushies.

Lunch was never the less a massive fry up with lardons, eggs, potato and mushrooms (from the supermarket).

Breezy spent the afternoon asleep and I read my book (under the moved lights).

A drink with Alison and Peter at the bar in Salau and some nibbles for sups and a game of cards.

Last night Breezy was pooped so an early night was a must do. We have not stopped since we got back from Corsica. The whole of the big room on the 1^st floor is pointed up. Today we braved the inclement weather and the 3^rd sky light is fitted. The difference is amazing, though the scaffold and the sheets over the floor don’t add to its ambiance.

Breezy has made good progress being banished to the bathroom with buckets of mortar and pointing up the walls.

Back to full on pointing for 3 days next week but for the moment it is a thank F**k its Friday. Got a list of chores for the weekend but no mixing mortar or shoving it in the walls. Need to get ourselves sorted for our USA trip.

Delicious veal with capers, sage and parsley sauce and a courgette and fresh tomato gratin bake to go with it with lots of little jacket spuds yummy.

An early start as we had to get Stevie down for the 8am bus from St Girons. So 6.20am alarm was a rude awakening for us all.

Stevie and I trundled off with the trailer to St Girons while Al started work. He managed to finish the holes in the back wall and do a little bit in the bathroom before Hans arrived and then they set to with the 2nd Sky Light.

We left the mountains in glorious sunshine and by the time we got to Seix it was torrential rain. I dropped Stevie and the bus pulled up just as we got there. Then a quick trip to Le Forgue to collect lime and cement. My route was planned around not having to reverse Vinnie having the trailer with me.

Next was collecting a load of sand. Surtra garage was open on the way back so I popped in to see what was happening with the order for the new exhaust. Not good news the silencer bit also needs replacing, ouch far too much money but we have to do it. Hoping to get it done before we leave but we will see.

A big shop at Carrefour to see us through till we leave and then back to the barn. Through all the rain the last thing I expected to see was the boys on the roof but Salau had no rain and for once better in the hills than down the valley.

I unpacked the van and then asked Al to help as a bolt had become loose on the the trailer and I was unable to lift it. Very luckily it had not bounced off as the safety chain had been snapped in the process. It needs a once over before we use it again for sure.

Replenished the coffee supplies so made some coffee for everyone.

Hans and Al continued with the sky light and made super speedy progress. The place is totally transformed. Really looks like a home now rather than a barn. Well at least upstairs does!!!!

Al mixed a load for me and I cracked on with the bathroom pointing. By lunchtime the load was done and the window was looking great. They only had the slates to put back on after lunch. They were 1.5 hours quicker than yesterday knowing exactly what to do and they work really well together which is great.

Hans managed to locate the leakage on the roof, at least we hope so, so with a little luck we are watertight again. No Stevie to help with lifting the heavy window up today so Al rigged a simple pulley which made life really easy and number 2 is in place. It looks BRILLIANT.

We had a quick tidy up and shifted the scaff for tomorrow’s work and Hans left at 5pm. Al and I quickly brushed back the bathroom walls and were done by 6pm. Looked at sorting out the other 2 main windows as well. We may well be able to re use a window velux reclaimed by Al for downstairs which would be good if that works, just need to re jig things a bit though if we do that.

Fizzy water and sitting on the window ledge at the gable end admiring how great it looks, hoorah.

We were both exhausted, me more than Al. So it was a very leisurely night. Trout and veggies for supper then bed and a book by 930pm and asleep by 10pm!!!! BLISS

Breezy was out the door before breakfast on cat feeding duty.

Stevie was baking a breadstick for a packed lunch.

Hans and I were on the back roof ripping slates off.

The weather, though not wall to wall blue was looking rather more promising than it had for the last week or so. Stevie has been desperate to explore up the Mai Valley directly opposite the barn and on up to the border. With lunch and a sack of stuff he set out just after 9am.

Hans and I decided to profit from the weather break and fit the 1st Velux. A slow start and lots of looking at pictures followed by a cautious cutting of the roof and window fitting. When Breezy got back she helped massively by just being around to pass tools up and down at 5 minute intervals as Has and I slowly got our heads around what needed to happen in what order.

By Lunch the frame for the Velux was attached to the roof and we were ready to start putting slates back on.

Stevie arrived back mid afternoon full of joy and soaked through up to his tits. He had achieved the border and dangled his feet into Spain after fighting though dense vegetation and treacherously steep slopes. He came down via the path to Mont Rouche and was definitely ready for beer. So we got him to help hand the window up onto the scaffold to fit into the frame.

A celebratory glass of wine and smoked duck, sauté potatoes and salad for sups.

Sunday and no alarm. The forecast was accurate and it was raining. A great opportunity to catch up on bits and pieces and get some preparation done for the week to come.

Stevie set about fixing a bench that I salvaged from the skip on the way back from St Girons the day before. Breezy got on fitting glass into the final small windows and then onto with scraping out the joints in the walls in the bathroom. I fitted some conduit into walls to accept cables, filled a couple of big holes in the walls downstairs and then helped Breezy.

Mid afternoon all 3 of us took a stroll around the valley. Actually we headed up the valley to the top waterfall to get some exercise as the rain had eased off.

Lardons pasta, salad and a great plum shortbread desert.

Sunshine to start the day hoorah at last.  We had to get down the valley before the Tour came through or Dad would have missed his flight. So we decided to go down early and have a coffee and then see the tour.

We had a quick washing stop and cat feeding stop at Clive’s before getting down for a coffee at 11am and a beer for the boys at midday.

Knowing very little about the tour we got a good spot by the bridge and Dad was happily placed on one of our camping chairs.

Well the caravan arrived and it was freebie city!!! It was like a giant carnival float proession.  Dad sitting in prime place managed to get pressies for all the grand children. 7 hats in total plus many other goodies. We had a good picnic lunch French style with pate, cheeses, French bread and fruit before the tour itself arrived and zoomed by very quickly. Al got some excellent piccys too.

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It was then off to St Girons to wave good bye to Dad, lovely to have you again and maybe next time the sun will shine a bit more and you can stay with us at the barn!!! Stevie arrived just as Dad left so we had a quick beer with Clive (Stevie’s Dad) and Jackie before they headed home and we headed back too. Collected washing and back for a speedy bit of food prep as we had Anne up for a BBQ.

Luckily the sun continued to be out and it was dry so we christened Ken’s BBQ which was excellent and had dinner on the top terrace with the brassier going too.

Chicken and good salads and choccy cookies for pudd.

Anne trundled off back down the valley just before dark and heads off to find the sun. Thanks masses for the visit Anne, next time bring the walking boots and we can explore together in the sun. Piccys on the way of the Tour for you too.