Another hot start to the day. Al did a lovely naughty brekky fried eggs and fried bread to start the day. He was going to do his speciality egg window but the bread was too small to make the window!!! We had brekky outside and came up with a plan and as always a list!!!

Al set to with sorting out a couple more of the light sockets 2 more down, 7 more to go whilst I varnished the shutters and the window ledge.

We then came up with a plan on how to hide the few holes near the ridge beam where we had slightly mis judged our measurements but it was one of those things which would irritate us in the end. So we ended up putting up some wood along the ridge beam to hide the issues….seems to be good and was pretty easy with the scaffolding here.

A quick lunch and then Al cracked on with the rest of the lights whilst I sanded the shutters and window ledge before giving it a second coat. Al was on a mission so I weeded the raised bed which has a whole load of new salad stuff and herbs in there going well.

Hey presto Al connected the mains to the generator and lo and behold we have lights on the first floor of tha barn and they ALL work, not one dodgy connection. My husband is a total STAR! Now we, that will be the royal we!!! have just got to hard wire it to the battery and invertor and we have lights on command from the solar panels. All the lights look good and give great lighting we think. The whole of upstairs is lighted with 130 watts. Al was keen to have the whole place both upstairs and downstairs for under 300 watts so looking feasible.

Some what later finish than planned as we still have loads of internet stuff to sort so we both managed a few hours tapping away before supper.

The mizzle came from nowhere but we were determinded to eat outside as it was still really warm. So the parasol acted as a mizzle shade this evening as we sat on the top terrace with marinaded balsamic peppered pork on the BBQ, a delicious new bulgar salad with lots of home grown herbs amongst other goodies and a green salad with lettuce and broccoli from the garden and an avo from the supermarket thrown in too!!!! Bed!!!!

Woke up to another glorious day and we knew it was going to be hot. On a must do list was to get the shutters made for the back window to make it secure when we are not here.

We were aiming to get them looking like the other old ones in keeping with the old look of the barn. We had some old poplar left over which we had ear marked for the outside and old left over floor boards were ideal for the inside of the shutters.

We got cracking before the sun hit the terrace and when it did hit the terrace the parasol went up and so we could continue. Mainly cutting everything to size, then srewing the 2 sides together and offering it all up before lunchtime.

After lunch Al set too with the hinges whilst I gave thesecond half of the ceiling  it’s last coat. the paint literally just made it, the pot is now empty and the ceiling is painted. Looking bright and good well we think so.

Then went to help Al who was giving the shutters a weathered look by lightly burning the wood with a blow torch and then I was wire brushing off the soot as such so the wood comes out looking it is old. We got the effect we were looking for. Only thing left was to hang them in place et voila all is good.

Just need to fit some security bars and that is another big tick.

It was then quick showers and headed off to Lee’s for a BBQ. A lovely evenign with his new family all there, so great to meet them properly, and to catch upw with Justin and Emily and family and John and his daughter too.

Great food, good company and amazing views from his place. We got a tour of all his hard work on his extended house, which has tripled in size and it really is a cracking spot. Headed home and to bed. Had forgotten the torch so getting up the hill in pitch black was amusing!!!

Wow it’s hot!!

After the usual fruit breakfast and internet bashing session Breezy and I started making the frame and lintels for the 2nd window opening which is to go in the ground floor over the decking terrace. It will give loads of light in to the ground floor which is comparatively gloomy at the moment. Hopefully Clive is going to help us create the opening at the end of the month as there are no lintels in place at the moment. With random limestone walls just under a metre thick held together with dry mud it would be a shame to bring the whole gable end down.

Having just got that finished before lunch we retired indoors for the afternoon to escape the heat. First coat of paint on the other side of the ceiling. Bright Yellow!

Managed to get a couple of the light fittings in under the skylights before shower and eats.

This is or 400th web post on the blog. I know there are some random recipes and data stuff but it does mean that we have had at least a year of daily postings of activity on the barn and adventures on foot in the Pyrenees. When I reflect on that we have accomplished quite a lot from when we bought the place. And for the first year all we did was shore up the roof and try and gain permission to replace it.

Anyway, today is shopping day. List in hand we head down the valley. Vinnie has started making some concerning noises. Or I should say they are getting louder and demanding more attention. So one item on the list is a visit to the van doctor.

All ticks on the list, we get to the doctor and, low, all symptoms miraculously disappear.

Back at the barn for fresh prawns. A second coat of paint is applied and a bit of weeding in the afternoon and then Seared trout salad in the evening.

Torrential rain overnight.  Don’t think we shall have a problem with running out of rainwater capture this summer.

No alarm this morning as we have been working hard every day for a while and fatigue is setting in. Leisurely breakfast with fruit, boiled egg and bread. Feels more like a Sunday than a Monday.

Having set our minds on a leisurely day we are both desperate to get some paint on the ceiling. Started brushing down walls and beams of dust then armed with roller and brush we open the tin. Well, actually a screwdriver and stirring stick but we had the roller and brush ready.

As we started each bay we also fitted a blackout blind for each skylight. These we bought in the UK over the winter from Vale Blinds and got clients at the chalet to bring them out to Chamonix. It proved about half the cost of using Velux own blinds.

As we had a late breakfast we only needed a mug of tea and yoghurt cake for lunch then a trip down to the village for some chores and to see Anouk at the Auberge.

BBQ duck breast and salad for sups before an early night.

Enormous storms overnight and a huge amount of rain. We had set the alarm for 7am hoping to go up for the Pujada to the Port de Salau. Although there was blue sky about at 7, we logged on and the forecast was for rain at 2pm so we decided to do it another year as the thing was meant to go on till 3pm then a 2 hour walk back down again, in the rain was not appealing.

So after brekky we decided to get the barn into a state to be painted, no more dust after today was the plan.  We still had a fair bit of wood beams to sand down, half the ceiling needed it’s final sand, the wall where the new window now is needed pointing in and brushing down so yes the word dust was an under estimation!!!!

By lunch time the rain had come in so we were quite thankful we had opted out of the Pujada. We both resembled snowmen covered in white plaster dust and other dust and almost needed showers before we could have lunch!!!! but a quick wash had to suffice. We had the window pointed in,  all the wood sanded and only the final lower 1/4 left to sand and pointing to brush out!!! I do seem to use the word sand a lot…well we are a bit over the word and the job too now!!!!

After a delicious salad lunch with lots of goodies in which from an empty fridge was not bad! I did a quick trip down to Salau for water, rubbish and recycling. Al cracked on with the sanding and then I came back and finished brushing the pointed walls.

On my way down to Salau, huge works on the piste been done now resembles the M25 smooth as anything and on the way back I passed loads of very wet Pujada hikers on their way back to the cars. I was pleased to be in Vinnie as it was torrential rain and I got pretty drenched just getting up to the barn. Vinnie is really not sounding healthy some serious noise coming from the back wheel MUST get it looked at sooner rather than later.

By 5.50pm nearly drinks time we had got everything done, place swept up, tools away and even had a cheeky look at the colours of the paint since we had forgotten exactly what we had bought back in December!!! Bright is the name…exciting.

Rain coming down in large amounts so hot showers but quick ones and I think an early night and no alarm tomorrow, bring it on.

Having got the window framework in place yesterday, we cracked on with rebuilding the wall around it.

It all seemed to go swimmingly well with Breezy on the inside building up walls and me on the outside mixing mortar and passing rocks in. Then low and behold the window fitted the gap in the middle. Yippee!!

A celebratory drink of wine and a lovely hot sausage salad. Knackered!!

By 11.30am we had done the web stuff, refilled plaster joints and sanded some more of the beams on the 1st floor. We were waiting to see if the weather improved before tackling a window opening at the back of the barn. To start the day it was that heavy mizzle which soaks you in a matter of minutes.

It got better so we cracked on. Breezy had started ripping the wall apart before I had finished filling plasterboard joints.

Having had the forethought to put the lintels in the wall when we put the roof on it was relatively easy.

• take the wall apart under the lintel
• move the stone onto a pile nearby
• make a frame for the new window using old oak from the original roof (mortice & tenon joints)
• fit the frame to the lintel
• rebuild the wall
• fit the window to the frame

Having said that we got as far as fitting the frame to the lintel by 6.30pm.

Tomorrow is another day and my hands hurt now.

Having worked with Mr Cockup yesterday, he was distinctly absent today, which just left the 2 of us.

After the usual fruit breakfast and internet session for Ski Breezy we set about the ceiling again. But you have probably had enough of that (as we have), so here are some random pictures from the last few days.

The grass hopper had just shed it’s skin and was proceeding to eat it.

The boiled egg was part of Breezy’s breakfast yesterday served in an egg cup turned in oak by my Father.

And the pork curry was yesterdays supper. It was a Hugh Fernley Something recipe which was supposed to use chicken but we had pork. Anyway it was absolutely delicious and shall be served again; probably with beef.