Gorgeous blue skies to wake up to, always good to see.

We had a bit of a catch up first few hours, things on the paperwork front piling up, never enough hours in the day.

Wheel off trailer which seems to have gone flat, strimming around out building done, mix of vinegar for ageing wood underway and a tidy up so we could move in our 3m square home!!! and the old internet.

Then we set to with the finale so we thought of the plasterboard, but not sure what was going on everything seemed to take 3 if not more attempts and a few total disasters so the outcome is we have a middle piece missing which has been repaired and waiting  placement tomorrow, another area which needs a baton sanding down before we can attach it, and we will then be there. At 5pm we stopped as things still not working and we headed down to meet Alison and Peter for an apero and met up with Jean Claude our neighbour too.

Rain set in so it was a quick drink before trundling up the hill, fire on and curry cooking for tonight.

Just got a mail from Lisa & Adam with a couple of piccys from their stay. Apparently no permanent damage done from the walk we inflicted on them, just short term tenderness going down stairs.

When the sun hit us the steam rising off the grass looked incredible.

Just after breakfast I left Breezy doing internet stuff for Ski Breezy and jumped in the van.  small list of chores to do around trying to catch up with Clive. I only got a few minutes away and came across Alison & Peter coming up the piste to catch us for coffee.

No luck with Clive in the village but did the recycling, filling drinking water up, rubbish and called my folks for a quick chat.

Managed to see Peter & Alison at the barn for a brew before Breezy & I set about another plasterboard session. Half an hour in and Clive turns up. He is gonna help us put the window in downstairs in exchange for me building him a website. He also had some great advise for finishing the ceiling around chimney openings.

The rest of the day was spend scaling scaffolding and fixing material to the ceiling. We did see a grasshopper shedding its skin though.

Rabbit stew yesterday was great; would not want to live off it every day but as a tasty change it rates highly.

After a good sleep and no alarm clock we got up just after 9am. Had lots of lovely fresh sfruits for brekky before tackling the day ahead.

After huge storms last night the water butts are completely full and the leaks are totally dry so we can now crack on happily with the last stretch of the never ending ceiling.

Most of the day was spent nailing batons into the ceiling to attach the insulation. With the sky lights it is a bit more fiddly so just takes time.  we had one final velux box to attach too which we did first thing. We had a late lunch, a delicious caesar salad on the top terrace before finishing the rest of the insulation off.  Good job done. Now just the final plasterboarding to go, not to forget the skimming and sanding but each day is a step closer.

Just got showers in before the mizzle came in, so the fire is on and we are cooking a rabbit casserole for supper for a change, something I have never cooked and Al has only ever cooked it as a scout many moons ago!!!

The overnight rain has topped up the water butts which is great and the roof seems to be leak free. Yippee!!!

Want to get to the market so decided to shop for supplies too. Early alarm and away before 8am. First stop is up at Ian and Nina’s new place they are working on to drop off a gas oven and cylinder. La Forgue to get a bag of white cement. Laundrette to fill a machine. Mr Brico for a new sander and some decking treatment. Farm supplier for a water hose junction. Back to the laundrette to gather wet but clean clothes. Walk across town to a destockage shop selling end of line appliances (closed down).

Then we walked about the market and picked up some trinkets and a few foodstuffs before doing the supermarket sweep on the way home.

Very small areas of blue sky appeared so we chanced the laundry on the washing line while we set about working on the ceiling. Breezy sanding and me plastering joints. Finished off preparing a couple of light fittings to go in the roof tomorrow before showering. Got that in just in time before the heavens opened (laundry already moved indoors).

Now listening to fat rain outside while snug with the log burner going. New fish recipe tonight with broccoli from the garden.

Another beautiful start to the day with a cooler wind so brekky in the sun was a nice way to start the day.

Stevie and Debs headed off after brekky for the next stage of their holiday near Perpignan before heading back to the UK. Sad to see them go, but very pleased they had good weather. Stevie has not been lucky weather wise on his visits so pleased they saw it at its best.

Al and I got the place back to normal as such. The main table back inside as our food storage area, beds away, sorted fridge,  cleared the barn ready for final roofing work etc etc.

We had an early lunch before Al headed to Salau to try and meet up with Clive, do the recycling and phone a few people. I cracked on or tried to with the sanding of the ceiling. Sander has had enough and after 40 mins it packed in, need to buy a new one as doing it by hand is not an option!!!! Bit of a pain but hey ho.

Clouds rolled in we got excited for a big storm to fill the water buts but 10 mins did not really do the trick!!! It would be great if we had a huge storm tonight to get the final roof check done and then we can just crack on and get the messy work over and done with.

Early showers, a bit of a read, internet catch up and some paperwork.

Planning a hot chicken and chorizzo salad tonight. We will be on salads for the next 2 months as the lettuces are really looking good and we have plenty of them!!!!

Chilled day much needed.

Started the day with breakfast in the sun outside the outhouse. Stevie & Debs just wanted a chilled out day at the barn and a play in the river. Before the sun got too hot I got Stevie to give a hand with three small jobs. First off was to get the log burner up to the first floor of the main barn. It weighs a ton and so the chain hoist came out. Making the stair well over size and open under one of the main roof beams was a great bit of forethought as it meant that we could man handle the stove to the foot of the stairs then hoist it straight up off the perlin; then just swing it over the floor and gently lower it onto a couple of boards.

Next was to get the 2 oak beams out of the ceiling that we need in order to make the window openings. These had been slung under the first floor beams out of the way. They were salvaged out of the original roof structure and measure about 7-8m each.

Lastly there is a big rock by the terrace that Breezy and I cannot lift between us. Between Stevie and I we got it into the muck truck and I dumped it where we will be rebuilding the wall at the back of the barn. The wall got demolished when we put the main roof on as we needed easy access to a lot of stone to rebuild the walls of the back of the barn. Once we start knocking through for the new windows we shall start to rebuild the wall.

Stevie & Debs headed off to the river to build a pool and have a dip while Breezy & I set about wiring in 3 light pull switches upstairs that Debs kindly bought out from the UK. France don’t seem to sell these so Debs went into Wilkos in Matlock for us.

While Breezy sorted out some lunch I went with Stevie & Debs to see the waterfall. Just below there were signs of dried out ceps but I did find a few bolets which I believe are good to eat. I think they are Bolet Porphyre (Porphyrellus porphyrosporus).

Very quickly the clouds rolled in and it started to rain so it was indoors for lunch.

In the afternoon our guests went down to the village to get phone reception and have a beer at the bar leaving us to sit down and plan marketing for Ski Breezy and the chalet in Chamonix for the coming winter.

I cooked super for us which we ate outside as the skies cleared again. Sort of a paella with chorizzo sausage and chicken. It seemed to go down OK and all went (even if I finished it).

We finished the evening off by paraffin lanterns.

As we have a week of guests this week we set about a massive tidy up. I started with a broom while Breezy logged on to the internet and sorted out enquiries for the chalet in Chamonix. I had brushed down some of the walls yesterday when I had finished sanding but the floor upstairs had a thick layer of plaster dust on it.

Having put all tools away and brushed though a couple of times the place looked so much better. You certainly would not want to hold a yoga class in there but it is fine for glamping.

On the list of must do’s for the day all that was left was food preparation for the evening so we decided to profit from the favourable weather and play with some compost. We had gathered 6 old van/car tyres from St Girons on Monday to make some beds for fruit bushes. We set some cuttings of blackcurrant and red currant last year that have taken and should bear fruit in a year or two. Clive also has a goosberry bush for us as well.

After a light salad lunch we set about moving the trestle table out onto the deck and preparing food for the BBQ & salads.

Adam and Lisa turned up about 7.30pm and we had supper outside and chatted until gone midnight.