The forecast was for sun but the day started overcast. The filler in the plasterboard joints is not yet dry enough to sand to we went for a forage up the side of the waterfall opposite the barn. Armed with a pocket knife each, a net for carrying mushrooms, a bag for fruit and some water (to drink); we set off.

It is very steep and somewhat slippery. The path is indistinct and mainly used by the hunters. Having worked out way up to the tree line we found no mushies but did come back with a bag of myrtilles for breakfast tomorrow.

We did manage to capture a fantastic butterfly on camera though and later identified it as a Scarce Copper.

Once back at the barn we set about a long list of small jobs before shopping tomorrow and visitors later in the week.

• cleaning stickers off windows
• rubbing down stools for painting
• taking the wheel off the mucktruck to get it reinflated
• weeding
• sweeping the chimney in the outhouse
• trailer down to the van for getting sand
• clean the floor in the outhouse
• menu plan for the week
• label up power tool cases
• fit an inverter to the main barn battery for 240v AC
• oh, and sand some plasterboard joints

All in all a busy day. Pasta tonight as the cupboard is bare.

Woke to overcast day but dry so plan of attack was to attack the joints and finish half the roof. It does not get any worse I can tell you. Not much to say apart from masks on and set too. By lunchtime half the roof had had it’s first sand and second fill and 1/6th of it lucky area had had a second sand!

By then enough was enough, showers and shake the clothes and get clean.

Pizza and salad for lunch was perfecto.

As we were nice and clean we tackled another section of Ski Breezy dreaded accounts before heading down the the village.

The piste has been closed for 4 days and we were down to the last 6 litres of water for drinking so good to see the piste open for us to drive back up. We walked down and collected Vinnie, collected water caught up with some of the locals for a few drinks and then back to the barn for a spicy chorrizo hot salad surprise.

Planning an early night and then finish the final sanding for half the roof tomorrow and clearing out the outbuilding flue, messy jobs and then a forage.

We are looking forward to the week of sunshine ahead and visitors and walks.

As the piste is closed at the moment we thought it was an ideal time to get ahead of the locals and go for a forage and beat them to the mushrooms, well nice idea. We found one huge cep and one tiny girolles, sadly once we cut the cep it had signs of maggots so that was a no go and the girolle on on its own looked a tad small to eat!!!

Anyway it was a nice little stroll before breakfast.

Then we thought we would get the bathroom ceiling painted. Surprise could we remember what colour we had bought for it…..a bright light blue. Anyway Al tackled the edges, me wielding the roller and jobs a good one, small area so done pretty quickly.

We did have a big clean the floor, mop the floor, clean the floor, mop the floor before replacing loads of kit back in it to make getting around the main barn easier as it was beginning to look like a war zone.

We had dry weather still so we decided to do the final bit of strimming tidy up around the out building and some nettle clearance before the mizzle set in again.

Time to get the second window box frame in before lunch, looking good another tick.

The afternoon was 3 hours of sanding and filling. Truly horrible jobs. Huge showers afterwards to de dust. We look like we are prepared for nuclear war. Hats on, masks on and safety goggles. Need to wear them to try and see, then get steamed up so can’t see blah blah blah!!! Anyway by tomorrow lunchtime all should be first sanded and second jointed then only one more sand to go….can’t wait!!!!

We had had a late lunch so we had a lovely simple supper steak with a roquette and blue cheese salad perfecto before bezique and an episode of All Creatures Great and Small. We have really enjoyed re visiting the Yorkshire life as a vet programme, good old English films!!!!

We woke to low lying cloud when it was forecast sun but actually it worked out well as it was perfect for outdoor work, not too hot, dry and no bugs about. Hoorah.

We cleared more great compost from under the terrace to fill the second raised bed. For once an advantage in being small, not many people can get under that terrace, yet along dig out compost! Second raised bed now full and ready for veg.

The area below the terrace has been a right old mess so we wanted to clear it from rocks, bindweed and nettles and create a new area there in due course. Some large rocks shifted and only one left which I cannot lift with Al so waiting for some strong men.

We have friends arriving soon and they may camp so we wanted to strim the back terrace so it would be OK if they want to camp to put a tent there. I think once they see the state of inside camping may look a great option!!!! Looks much better. We have also cleared the area around where the back terrace window will go so that access is clear all ready for go when we plan to start in a weeks time.

Al did a quick strim around the front of the barn whilst I prepped some lunch. It is amazing how it feels so much better when things look tidier gives you space to work as such….

The mist came down and we had lunch outside and managed to get the trailer roadworthy again just before we moved inside as it was getting wet.

Al tackled the final sand we hope in the bathroom and I cleared the area below sky lights ready to get the sky light boxes in place. So another shift of scaff and we now have one of the box frames in place, looks good. Cup of tea and then time for showers in the mizzle not quite the same as hot solar showers in the sunshine!!!

Al concocting tonight a roast chicken casserole with apple, bacon and mushies should be good.

An interesting start to the day. I was still bashing away at the internet and there was a commotion up at the main barn. Bearing in mind that there is only me and Breezy; I was busy working; it had to be Breezy and a third party.

Breezy had been organising tools ready to start work inside the barn. She had reached up for a drawer full of sandpaper in the workshop and grabbed the drawer full of rawl plugs. The third party was asleep in the drawer.

At this point the commotion started. The drawer and content was ejected from the workshop and emptied on the steps. This did not bother the third party (locally known as a Loire) which carried on sleeping. It is sort of a large nocturnal mouse with a furry tail, though not as big as that of a squirrel.

Loire are a pain as the eat through any fabrics to make nests so I plonked it in a bucket and took it to the far side of the river and chucked it in a ditch. Hopefully it will find somewhere else to live.

After a couple of hours sanding ceilings and refilling joints we set off for a walk up to the Cirque d’Anglade with a picnic lunch.

After a failed attempt to get up at 645am we arose when the sun came through the little window at 8pm. We were both chatting about last night and how fab it had been to be outside with a delicous dinner, Ken’s brassiere going and wonderful views of the hills and not a bug in sight!!!!

Breakfast in the sun a perfect way to start the day.

We were on a mission day to get the 3rd bit of the ceiling finished so music on, windows and sky lights open and crack on.

By elevensees we had one of the two sections finished and all joints done.

By lunch time a bit more plasterboard gone up, some dodgy measuring skills from us both hindered some progress… and by 5pm we had all the plasterboard up and jointed too. Looks great, well we think so. Still got to sand it, re fill it and sand it again not to mention the paint. Not sure we have brought enough paint from the UK for it either aaagh. How many times can we move the scaffolding????

I trundled Vinnie to the end of the piste, as the piste will be closed for a few days to repair it after the landslides earlier this year. Cement mixers and all sorts arrive tomorrow for 2 days so we thought best to have Vinnie the right side of civilisation.

Al tested out the serviced strimmer which he says works heaps better, idles well and going like a dream. So we think we will also send in the gennie to get a good once over as that is proving to have a mind of it’s own too!!!!

Very, very, very hot showers lovely and a bottle of blanquette on the top terrace. BBQ is lit, brassiere too and wine is on it’s way. Been a good day and hoping to do a short walk tomorrow to check out Al’s knee.

Last nights supper of Rabbit liver salad.

An early start for us as we planned to go to Toulouse primarily to get windows and hopefully a work surface for the kitchen.

Alarm at 615am was a rude awakening but after an early nights kip not too bad. A quick brekky and out the door.

We stopped in Salau to ring Bricoman just to make sure they had the windows in stock before heading off to no avail. All was going well until we arrived at the address to find no shop!!!! Anyway, won’t bore you with maps and frustration but found a Bricoman in the end. On the way we stopped at Ikea to check out work surfaces for the kitchen but anything reasonable was out of stock so we stocked up on a few light bulbs and dull things and got out quickly. It really is a nightmare place to go especially for us two who HATE shopping!!!

Lots of luck at Brico, 2 windows into Vinnie, 2 lengths of beech for the work surfaces, paint brushes and rollers for the ceiling and all done. Now get us out of Toulouse!!!!

We had the usual stuff to do on the way home another 7 sheets of palsterboard should see us through, more filler for the joints, collected the strimmer, weekly shop and weekly laundry run before back to the shack around 4pm.

This gave us time for some cold drinks before 10 trips up and down the hill with unlaoding the van but the sun was out so no problem there and everything is in the barn ready for being put in place in due course.

Hot showers are working a treat with the new solar shower bag from the USA from last year and on hot days like today almost too hot.

Planning a hot rabbit liver salad tonight, should be different but Carrefour was lacking in food so something new to try!!!! Forecast good for next few days and into the 90’s by Wed hoorah bring it on!!!!

No Alarm set this morning but still awake at a reasonable hour. A true Sunday morning breakfast of Egg Window.No big jobs to be done as we are well and truly out of materials and it is not worth starting anything new. Spent a bit of time planning what we want to get done and allocating person days to everything. It all seems manageable in the couple of months that we have along with walks and explores so that is great. Then we started a list of materials required and it looks like a trip to Toulouse is in order sooner rather than later.

After lunch we sowed some veg in one of the new beds so that we have some coming on when we are harvesting others. Also had a big clear up in the main barn sorting a sack of stuff to bin. Now that the skip has gone from between Salau and Couflens we shall have to be a bit more organised about putting odd bags in bins around the village more often rather than doing a skip run. It also means that booty from skip diving has ceased.

As it was Sunday and overcast we lit the fire and watched the DVD “Australia” with our feet up in the late afternoon. Had cheese on toast for tea; read a bit and retired early, ready for an early start to get more resources.

Sid the snake was again present most of the day. Having looked on the web I think he is an Adder or Northern Viper, the only poisonous snake about. Not sure if we should evict him or just ignore him? It should mean that won’t get ants nesting in the hot box while there is a resident snake I suppose.

Another grey day but it is the 14th.

After an early start we set off for Salau about half 8. Having dropped off rubbish and recycling, first port of call was the Auberge to find out what Rene & Anouk wanted help with for the Commune meal. Then up to Raymond’s house for his “vide grenier” or attic clear out. His house is on the market and he has a huge amount of stuff to get shot of. Alison also had a car load of stuff for sale. Breezy picked up a book and DVD and I was very restrained and only came away with a couple of folding chairs and a foot stool. There is a great advantage in having a limited amount of liveable space as it does restrict how much stuff you can put in it.

We had time for a coffee at Raymond’s and a few phone calls before starting helping with the meal at the Auberge. 45 people for a 5 course lunch for Bastille Day; cooked by Dutch and served by Brits (us). It was great fun working with Rene & Anouk serving out and clearing up and will not have done us any harm in the community to be seen helping out.

On the way back the Mayor stopped us to thank us as we drove past. He also mentioned about the platform in the trees which caused him quite a bit of concern when he found it over the winter. His immediate thought was that the hunters had built it to shoot from which is highly illegal. Once he found out it was us he was less concerned and was laughing about it with us. We apologised profusely.

Breezy managed to slip into the conversation the windows we want to open up in the barn and check that we are still OK to go ahead.  That is still OK so we can start planning all the materials etc.

Back to the barn for bread and cheese, a nap and a read before heading back down to the village for the meal at the “Maison de Chase”. This time we were invited. Patrick had organised a dinner for the celebration with the notion that it would be about a dozen people. In the end it was over 60. It was a great atmosphere and we have made some new acquaintances. Must get the note book out and write down everyone’s names.

Saturday and as predicted blue sky. However we postponed our planned walk as my knee is not up to it. Too much kneeling down cutting plasterboard has aggravated it and I am hobbling. Going uphill and the flat is fine; it is just the downhills that would be a pain.

So it is back to odd jobs about the place. We dug over the area for the 2nd raised bed, assembled it and put it in place.Then wrestled some more insulation into the roof and finished up all the plasterboard. That is it for the ceiling now until we get more materials.

Roast chicken for super using a recipe from my Mum. Chinese five spice and  honey over the top then cooked in a casserole with red wine, soy and chicken stock. Delicious served with couscous and stir fried veg.