Once again we opened the door to our little abode to see water falling from the sky. The Mayor has assured us that the sun is on it’s way though it has not yet made an appearance in Salau.

We are gonna escape to Spain for a few days climbing and exploring so today is a finish food up and tidy up day.

So we started with a boiled egg for breakfast.

That done we started the big tidy up.

All done by 3-30pm so went for a walk around the grounds as the rain had abated. There was actually a small but significant patch of blue sky at 4-30 as we were about to shower though it was a very brief encounter and unfortunately did not line up with the sun.

Next update will be some images of sunny Spain and sea food. I Hope!!!

For some reason I thought it was still Friday. Breezy has been busy over breakfast making a list of things that need to be “shut down” for when we head off on Monday and I though that it was a little premature. I was thinking that we had we were short of a little food for Sunday night but never considered that I had lost a day somewhere. “Diots and salad tonight, Lardons and pasta tomorrow, but what are we gonna eat on Sunday?”

Breezy put me right!

Anyway, after the normal healthy breakfast and short internet session we set about finishing the inside of the porch area around the far door. Table circular saw, chop saw, power sander and power plane, hammers, nails and cordless drills at the ready we managed to get rid of more of the stock of wood to finish the porch. The result is a rather rustic mosaic of bits of forklift pallet. Still left to do is to seal the partition walls to the barn walls, insulate the ceiling inside the porch, plasterboard and tile the floor. Then we will have finished about 7% of downstairs. It all sounded quite good progress until I got to the 7% bit. Only another 93% to go!

By the time we had finished and had a coffee the rain had stopped and we had time to cut a few loads of logs to restock the log store by the outbuilding. Then hot soup lunch.

In the afternoon Breezy sorted out food stocks and I cleared up tools and sawdust (for the composting toilet). A few bits of insulation went up in the ceiling and early showers before heading down to the bar in the village. Back for supper, DVD and bed.

Call it a porch or an entry or whatever, but the glass partition around the end door is definitely taking shape. Got onto it straight after internet in the morning by using 4 bits of offcut plasterboard and painting them a bright colour. Then adding more wood to the frame to fill the gap above the doors.

Hot courgette and chorizzo soup for lunch then add the colour, and the glass, then more forklift palettes.

By the end of the day we still have some bits to finish but it looks quite pleasing.

Another shower under the tree in the rain. Whatever else happens this year, I don’t think that we shall run out of rain water capture.

It is becoming predictable now; it’s raining again. I am so glad that we got the deck done outside the little cabin that serves as home. Without it we would have such a mud bath just out the door that pigs would love.

So indoor work it is then. Having started putting a stud wall together, very quickly it started to take shape. Patrick in Chamonix had given us some old double glazed units which are now destined for a glazed partition to go around the end door to the barn along with an old patio door salvaged from this last winter season.

To face one side of the glazed wall we used bits of forklift palette which as well as using up wood gives a pleasing, rustic effect. Part of me hopes it is raining tomorrow so that we can crack on and get finished.

Late finish toady at 6:45pm; quick shower in the rain and the remainder of the pork curry to look forward to.

Last night we went though a plan of what we want to get done before our road trip and what is feasible. La Forgue in St Girons have our chimney pieces in and I desperately want to get them before we go. If there is a problem I really don’t want the French holidays to stop us getting the right bits.

In view of that I had a list of supplies and odd jobs to do in St Girons while Breezy cracked on with some paperwork at the barn. 1st stop for ma was to fill the Gerry can with petrol, then pick up bread, then La Forgue. Got everything on my list of building supplies except for the parquet flooring in order to finish the wood floor. So best laid plans will have to go in the poubelle. Next stop is the garden centre to replace the courgette and cucumber plants that died in the frost the other day.

Managed to see Clive in Couflens on the return journey and thank him for supper. Back to the barn by 12:30 in time for broccoli and blue cheese soup.

Unloaded the van in the dry before the rain started once more. Rain snow limit around 1300-1400m so chilly at the barn (>1000m).

We checked that all the chimney pieces work though did not fit them as there is no way I want to be up on the roof in the rain. Also managed to hang a picture that Dad made the frame for before starting building framework for an entry around the far door in the barn.

Beef in beer with dumplings and stir fried veg, Mmmmm.

Laying of parquet flooring is the order of the day. Having started yesterday; today we got across the room and under the stairs. That is over half way. Unfortunately to continue would mean moving everything that is currently stacked in the pantry area onto the floor we have just laid in order to lay some more battens and floor boards. As we only have enough boards left to do a third of the remaining area we decided to varnish what we had already put down.

While waiting for the varnish to dry between coats we took the frame for the large patio doors outside onto the terrace (a brief window in the weather) and make sure it all worked. It is a good job we did as I thought the top of the frame was the bottom and it did take us quite a while to figure out how it all goes together.

Second coat of varnish after a light sanding and we are done for the day. Outside shower, game of Bezique and Pork Curry for supper.

Woke up to the sun shining again but forecast was to change in the pm so we decided to do some small outdoor jobs before the rain arrived.

We swept down all the terraces from saw dust and then I gave the new terrace sawn ends a colour to match the brown wood rather than seeing yellow from the piste. We then made some bean poles for our beans to grow up from some small saplings.

It was then time for a quick sweep up inside very dust job before we had lunch in the sun delicious salad with loads of goodies in it and just in time as the rain arrived pretty soon afterwards.

Stage 1 for the floor was to lay some batons so we can then attach floorboards to them. Lining the batons up, marking holes, drilling wood, drilling the cement floor and then attaching the batons to the floor. All pretty easy but a bit of a fiddle.

Quick cuppa in the sun again and then we started to lay the floor boards, sadly the clamps don’t work as batons not deep enough so Al made some make shift pieces of wood to do the trick. They work well but just takes a bit longer to do. Anyway, we have made a start and have done 6 strips of wood down as a start to our new floor. Still a way to go….

We were both filthy so big showers and extra watering can full of water to make sure we got rid of all the dust!!!! and now having a cook fest. Roast chicken cooking, beef in beer and pork cuzza cooking too. Going to be wet and miserable so they say for next few days so good warming, comfort food on the go for the next few days.

At last the sun has shone itself and we knew at 745am as it shone through our tiny window.

Breakfast on our new terrace which was lovely. There had been a hevay frost overnight but in the sun it was warm. It has, however killed the courgette and cucumber plants hey ho.

Well we were in overdrive amazing what the weather can do.

We needed to fix the stove pipe in the outbuidling as the baked bean can has fallen to pieces so we dismantled the flue and used another baked bean can to cover the hole in the pipe. A bit faffy but does the trick.

So we had as usual a long list of things to do primarily to get the floor cleared downstairs to lay the wood floor. Lots of heave hooing with the chevrons and decking out on to the terrace, lifting on to top terrace and then shifting to under the tree a few hours of shifting and it was done. We then cracked on with clearing 2/3rds of the floor space which will be wood flooring so we can start work in a days time or so.

Just as we were finishing that and planning doors for the inner porches Olivier (donkey man) arrived so we had a catch up with him before having a delicious smoked slamon salad on the terrace. Although the sun was out, air temp with the wind was chilly so after lunch we opted for warming up work!!!

We had to get all the floor boarding up from the van and also attack the last bit of strimming plus change Al’s bike tyres so we have rideable bikes for Spain.

On a roll….a load of wood chain sawed for the fire as we are going through it rapidly at the moment. Muppet moi put oil in the petrol bit….luckily I realised before we kicked it into action, so we drained the machine and it seems fine….phew!

Al suggested a glass of wine in the sun before solar showers which was a great way to end the work day. Showers and rummikub in the sun and then BBQed duck with salads for supper inside with fire on though as now chilly.

Just so lovely to see the mountains again let’s hope it lasts but forecast is not good we will see.

As the weather was much the same we spent the first part of the day on the internet sorting out emails for Ski Breezy and web site stuff for Chamonix in the winter.

At about 11 o’clock Peter turned up from the village for a visit. Having jumped up and down on the new deck to test it we showed him around where we are at with the barn and what the plans are.  It is always a surprise when someone comae along and stares in wonder or says WOW.  We live with the renovations from day to day and only see small changes but someone who sees the place less regularly notices the differences more.

Peter had a lunch meet in the village at noon so took his dog off down the valley just before and we got a couple of little jobs done before lunch. We had bought some glass for the front window of the outhouse so we fitted that. Then sorted out outdoor furniture for the terrace including a new slate table. I say new, actually it is a roofing slate, on a stump, with an off cut of roof joist to keep it stable. It is new to us as we never had one before.

Lunch was fried fish, fresh bread and baked asparagus. Simple but lovely and fittingly warm for the weather.

In the afternoon we spent some time sorting through some of the stuff on the ground floor of the main barn. Peter volunteered some muscle tomorrow to shift the big bits of wood up the back out the way for flooring.

As the weather eased we unloaded some of the materials from the van which included some lettuce plugs. They went straight into the raised beds and the mange tout frame got restrung with garden chord.

Before showers we made up a picture frame for a poster of Chamonix. My father made the frame for us in the UK and we bought the glass in St Girons so it was just a case of putting it together.

Showers then off to the Baker clan for supper.