Category: Summer 2011

Sauze & Kate arrive

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We were up and out the door early as needed to get down the valley for the weekly stock up of food. Collected some sand, did the laundry, large food shop and then back and unloaded by midday hoorah!!!!

Prawns in the sun for lunch and then we sorted out some food prep, collected brambles and tidied up the main barn a bit.

Sauze and Kate arrived from Chamonix just as it was dark and just as we had finished a game of scrabble. Great to see them and we had a good fish supper and catch up before hitting the sack.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Anouk visits

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We have a stack of ballast left over from laying the concrete floor last year and we also have some sacks of cement which need using before they go rock hard over the winter. So most of the morning was put over to cleaning off the walls of the last little building at one end of the main barn. After the normal internet session for Ski Breezy stuff we gathered a bunch of tools and set about finding something solid enough to build on under the plants, earth, ants nests and tottering rocks.

Before lunch we got to the stage where a wall was ready for building on and all the loose rocks at the front had been taken off. Rather than starting with concrete and building we opted to get some other jobs done out of the heat of the midday sun.

Having said out of the sun, I went up on the roof to have another crack at making the zinc ridge piece weatherproof.

The post arrived in the guise of Anouk from the Auberge in Salau. She had not many guests and decided to walk up. We sat on the decking with cordials and chatted for a while before it was time for lunch.

In the afternoon we put some finishing touches to the stair well in terms of a surround.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Annie Visits

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Another glorious day not a cloud in the sky.

We had the usual Ski Breezy to tackle first off then it was on to odd jobs.

Securely fit the last window in the out building….now done, sort out the wood pile at the top so the donkeys don’t trash it and it is snow tight for the winter for the wood to season….now done, make holders in wooden tree stumps for the pressie Al’s folks gave us to hold a bottle of wine and 4 glasses….now done, change the solar panels around so we have more input going into the outbuilding so we hope to have battery at 100% by the time we leave. Day light hours now getting shorter and battery not getting charged to it’s potential….now done.

Time for lunch, yummy chicken salad in the sun.

Al was keen for another forage, we had just started when Annie turned up so a good excuse for a catch up in the sun and a quick tour around the progress at the barn. Take 2 we headed off again to new areas and came back with a good supply of mushies and plenty of brambles for a tart as well as enough for brekky too.

Hot showers, fire on, and a hot salad on the agenda for supps.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Al to Toulouse…Breezy Home Alone….

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I waved Al off first thing as he had a RDV with some potential work people north of Toulouse.

I set too with a couple of hours of sorting out internet for Chamonix. I then had a wander down river for some mushrooms with some success so that was good.

The sun came out and I was determined to shift all the ballast up to the back of the barn, 2 hours later it was done and I was fairly knackered!!!

Huge bramble hunt to make Al a tart which he loves. Then finally dug up the beetroot which has grown really well and I will cook that tonight. First time for everything, never cooked it before but seems very simple.

I had a late lunch just a little cheese as I was not very hungry.

Then I set too shifting all the trees we had felled up the hill ready to chop for next years firewood. More up and down the hill but another tick off the list.

Managed to get soem much needed scrubbing done in the outbuilding as well  floors, cupboards, shelves and the cooker! Even managed to oil the oven door so the dreadful squeaky door is no more!!!

I decided to have another forage in the afternoon and have found a new spot where we seem to have a good supply of bolets. Hopefully we will get enough to make a wild mushroom risotto before we leave. So have sliced them and they are drying above the wood burner.

Hot shower and chicken salad for supper. Seems odd without Al here but have had a good day getting lots of little bits and pieces done.

On to internet bookings again for Ski Breezy and best stay awake until Al gets back!!!

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Balustrade Finished

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Woke up to low cloud hanging over the mountains, rain was forecast but we still have lots of indoor jobs to do.

A good few hours on the internet and several bookings for Ski Breezy early season and some more booked in for Christmas which is great news, very happy about that.

Then we set to with the longer manger balustrade, slightly trickier and had to change plans half way through as a piece of wood broke off. In hindsight a good thing as the new bit is so much stronger but frustrating at the time.

We then only had a small side to do which we have used some of Al’s old trapeze rope. We are pleased with the finished product.

Al made some courgette and bacon soup for lunch as it was pouring with rain and we were in need of something hot to eat.

Afternoon I was pooped so had a little siesta Al trundled on with building a table to go in the workshop. We then managed to get everything back inside in some form of order and lots more space. Should make life much easier.

The sun had come out again and I was in need of fresh air so we had a little forage and lots of brambles and bolettes to be had.

Showers and now got the roast chicken in the oven with garlic mushies en croute as a starter, looking forward to it. A night off the booze and an early night as Al has a meeting in Toulouse first thing tomorrow.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

1st Banister

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A normal start with internet and emails. Getting more enquiries through for the chalet in Chamonix which is great. Just means that more time is required to sort them out and to keep plugging away at the search engines.

The morning was spent rationalising tools and materials. Metal trunks and stacker boxes full of nails, fixings and tools were all sorted out before being stashed back in the tool store cum workshop. It is amazing; we can now walk in without tripping over fuel cans, power tools and boxes of miscellaneous gubbins.

After lunch we got the muck truck out and fetched the last of the wood from the tree we felled the other week and stashed it in the log pile behind the main barn. Then the first banister went into place.

We had been meaning to try and pop in to see Jean Claude our neighbour and thought it would be good to try again.

We wandered down the piste and he was in. Champers was opened, Pascal and Dominique called to join us and we sat down for aperos. All good for the French. They have invited us to St Girons for lunch at the local college for chefs which sounds excellent value and the food is meant to be great, we will see.

Back for a quick pasta supper and to bed.

 

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Shopping and getting organised

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Vinnie (the VW) had an appointment at the doctor in St Girons at 0830hrs. We had packed the van with rubbish for the skip and all the recycling so only had to remember the shopping list and the clothes to wash.

After half an our of crawling under the front of the van, the mechanic stated that the claxon (horn) is “mort” and needs replacing. Fortunately he had one in stock. Vinnie now has his voice back. Whatever else is wrong with your vehicle in France, if you do not have a working horn you should not be on the road.

Clothes in the washer, quick dash to Mr Brico, back to get the clean laundry and then off to food shop.

Back at the barn and chilled courgette & cumin soup. We are getting quite creative in the ways of cooking with courgettes.

The floor in the workshop looks great so now it is just a case of building shelving to get everything a bit better organised. Meanwhile Breezy fitted glass to a window in the outhouse and treated the manger bits for wood worm.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Odd Jobs day

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Matt departed after a hearty breakfast, not that he is odd at all. It was great to see him and share our little piece of paradise. And we were very appreciative of the wedding pressie & screwfix delivery as well.

A day of odd jobs.

I have been dying to get the floor of the workshop cum tool store painted for ages. Kindly Malc decor in St Gervais gave us a pot of garage floor paint that he had left over. Once we had cleared the floor and brushed it several times all that was left to do was slop some paint about and leave it.

Then lunch. Then more work on the banister/balustrade. One of the delivery items was a belt sander. Short work of the posts. Then back to wire brushes and hand sanding for the old manger bits.

Shopping day tomorrow so need to pick up some anti ver du bois stuff (woodworm treatment) for the manger bits.

A nice light gésiers salad for supper.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Matt arrives

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Today is the day that Matt Rose comes to visit.

I left Breezy sorting out web stuff and emails for Ski Breezy and went up to the barn to mix up mortar. Having got so close to finishing the end wall yesterday we thought we would use the last of the sand and crack it off this morning. One mix did it and got the area around the main door done too.

Matt was not due until late afternoon so we spent the rest of the morning sorting out the down pipe from the gutter at the rear of the main barn above the decking.

 

After lunch we went for a forage for mushies and brambles. No Mushrooms but got enough brambles for a tart for dinner. Sorted out food for supps and an early shower before Matt arrived. He came bearing a gift. A wedding present.

A fantastic relief map of the Pyrenees, a bit late but great for the barn.

Had a great night with fizz, wine, charcuterie, smoked duck salad, bramble tart & stewed rhubarb with ginger, cheese board and a game of cards.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project

Another Pointing day

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I set about a mix while Breezy was still bashing away at a keyboard sorting out Ski Breezy emails for the winter.

I confess that I am almost as good at mixing mortar in a wheel barrow as Breezy is at making cakes in the chalet.

By the end of the day we are but a gnat’s whisker from finishing the end wall downstairs and have run out of sand.

Categories: Summer 2011, The Project