More error messages with the satellite. More frustration but this time we sorted it out ourselves using the good old Microsoft technique of rebooting and resetting.

A couple of mixes of lime mortar and the rubber gloves were out to secure the bathroom windows in place and point up the wall around the entrance. Once the glass is all in hopefully we will have a bat proof room in the main barn where we can store stuff over the winter without it getting fouled up by the bats.

In the afternoon we set to more cutting back the beech trees and burning to regain more pasture. Amazingly the fire we had used 2 days ago only took a little coaxing from Breezy to get it back to life after that time and all the rain we have had during the day and overnight. Once again rain stopped play but only just before the darkness did.

Quick shower and now looking forward to
beef casserole with fetta dumplings.

A big internet session for Ski Breezy to start the day with some promising enquiries for the chalet in Chamonix for the winter.An overcast sky but warm weather prompted us to start sorting out all the old wood from the roof of the main barn. Chucking what was rotten and splitting what was good and stashing it in our new tin log store.

Unfortunately rain stopped play outside halfway through the morning and we bailed to go through all the trunks and kit bags indoors to make an inventory. After a number of years of living out of bags in the barn you kind of forget what you have and have not got. Now work clothes are separated from good, camping kit separated from bedding etc. and we have a list of what else we need.

After lunch we tried logging on to emails again and kept getting an error message on the satellite modem. After a couple of hours of frustration, rebooting this and resetting that we gave up and Breezy headed off down the valley to phone the service provider and jump on the wifi at the Auberge.

While she was away I did some clearing up and fixed some jam jars of spices under one of the shelves in the outhouse. Something I have been meaning to do for ages, It reminds of my Grandfather's workshop in Pembrokeshire when I was very young as all his screws were stored in jars with the lids attached to the bottom of shelves.

Breezy got back and apparently we have to repoint the dish at the satellite. That done we are back on the web again

The day started overcast so we gathered our tools and set about cutting back more of the terracing behind the barn which has all become overrun by beech, bracken and brambles. As the sun came out mid morning we lit a fire to burn everything we had cut down which made the day even hotter. In the afternoon we had a brief couple of showers but kept going.

When you look from the piste you can definitely start to see the difference in the amount of pasture we have. I think it will be a never ending battle which we will loose if we let up.

All organised with a list of things to do preparing for lunch. Fortunately the weather was kind with brilliant sunshine. Lunch for 7 people on the terrace out the back is not daunting having catered for 10 every day for 5 months each winter in the chalet in Chamonix, however when you only have a 3m x 3m space (which also houses a table, 2 chairs, an armchair, cupboard, oven and a double bed) it is quite tight with 2 people moving around.Clive, Giselle and the rabble arrived about 1pm and left about 7.30pm.

We had great food and company sat under the big pine tree on the back terrace.Having cleared up Breezy and I got out a Killer Sudoku and topped up our wine glasses before an early night.

Having run out of food and with Clive, Giselle and the kid turning up tomorrow we had to go shopping. We always seem to be on a mission when we go down the valley with a short list of what we need to get in each shop before the shut at noon. Add to that the laundrette and having to get there as the machine finishes so that our lovely clean clothes don’t end up on the floor as someone else wants the machine. Then we always bump into someone we know; Lee was at La Forgue, he was meeting Justine and Emily for lunch at the market and invited us to join. Then Clive was in Mr Brico so we got the chance to ask him to bring more crockery on Sunday.

By lunch time we had all our supplies and had to get back to the barn to get washing dry and meat in the cooler so missed lunch with Lee.

In the afternoon we finished fitting glass and Breezy sealed some trestles we bought for a makeshift table for lunch tomorrow.

Started the day by trying to cut old glass to fit the new window frames Breezy made for the bathroom while Breezy packed the sides of the frames to fit the random limestone walls ready for cementing the frames in. I had little luck with my old glass cutter and after a couple of hours had more shards of glass than I had window panes. Time to look for a new cutter I think.

After lunch we set about sealing the gaps between the floor and the walls in the outbuilding and the bathroom using a can of expending foam. The rest of the afternoon was taken up with trying to get the foam off my hands, trimming excess off the floor and brushing out the tool store.

Finished the day by taking a couple of deck chairs and a bottle of rose up into the trees and chilling out.

We woke up to hear the rain hooning it down outside not conducive to get up. 

Tackled the Ski Breezy internet catch up firstly and then we finished screwing and gluing the door. Fitted it, hung it and varnished it, looking good.

Then I battled with making the window beading as we were using quarter rounds…my brain was struggling with angles so Al came to the rescue!!! All ready now we just need to fit it in place.

Not really a salad day but we had falafel salad for lunch which was a nice change inside as it was pouring with rain.

All was going well in the afternoon, second varnish on the door, oak beam in place on the otherside of the window mainly for looks rather than structural.

Then it was just fitting the glass panes et voila…or maybe not. Sadly Al managed to touch one of the panes of glass with 2 tacks to go and the chu**ing thing broke. So near but so far. A bit of a shame but could have been worse…so we then had to get the glass out carefully without it dropping on the floor. Delicately done and we have it out. Now just need to buy another pane of glass and fit it in. The bottom pane looks great though. Should get it finished on Sat after shopping day.

Still raining so cups of tea and catch up time indoors before omlettes for supper. End of the week rations running low….

Sun is due to return tomorrow so that will be good.

Another glorious sunny day.

Needed to get the stairs fixed to the floor. Al fettled that whilst I set to with finishing the floor.

I sanded the floor and gave it another varnish, whilst Al fettled the step into the bathroom.

We had an early lunch to let the floor dry before making a door for the bathroom.

Stuart had kindly given us a table which he had decided did not fit in his chalet in Chamonix but it looks great in the barn. I assembled that and it will be fab once we move into the main barn. Thanks a million Stuart.

We decided to use some of the floorboards to make the door as they are quite sturdy and hopefully will not warp. We cut all the pieces and made a Z for the back support before assembling it all together. Battery power faded so we did not quite get it finished a few more screws to keep it all in place.

I had what I think is my last dip in the river, it was freezing!!! Hot showers from now on.

Cards outside as it was such a lovely evening with some nibbles before beef casserole and dumplings for supps yummy.

Finished my book hoorah!!!! 

Woke up to another glorious start to the day blue skies. Sun not hitting us till much later now so Al decided to do some strimming before brekky while I set to with some more Ski Breezy work.

After brekky we headed to the trees to see what the next stage is.

Since we had no more threaded bars we thought it would be best to make a bridge to get to the first platform.

Al had recycled some old ski cable from the lift station in Le Tour in Chamonix and we used this to gradually get the first part of a bridge from another tree to the platform. By lunchtime we had the foot cable in place. I think it will hold!!!

Chicken tortilla wraps for lunch inside as the sun had disappeared and it was quite chilly.

We then decided to finish the floor up to where we can go and varnish it to end the day. We now have the floor ¾ of the way down and one coat of varnish on. We need to just sand it and another coat of varnish and we are done. We don’t want to put the final bit of floor down until we sort out the leak properly. Looks good though.

We had a visit from Guillhem who is working on a place just above us. He said he had know the place for 40 odd years so was interested to see what we were doing.

I had a good Skype chat with Dad who was on great form and hugely busy.

We then had salmon pasta for supps which was a pleasant change. Must get back to the book!!! And then bed.