Another visit from Chris and a New Roof

Not such a shock for Chris this time when he arrived at the house - no major demolitions had taken place.  Lots of little jobs to do and he's here for 2 weeks this time.  He was pleased with the progress on the roof and soon got chatting with the roofers to discuss the finer points!  My life is easier because I don't have to do a daily report with photos to report progress to him. He is taking a daily walk around 'his estate'.  The weather took a turn for the worse, but at least it was substantially better than in the UK.

I bought some white mustard for the raised beds and lucerne for the orchards, to improve the quality of the soil while I am waiting to plant. Green manure - we're on our way to being organic.


A long weekend with Kate and Nico. 

Bergerac

The intermittant rain meant we spent a lot of time huddled in the caravan, though.  We still managed to have a good time, involving a lot of alcohol.  

Kate and her Dad bonding over a drink in Bergerac

Bergerac

A rare opportunity to eat outside - Nico, Chris and Kate

We had visitors on Saturday night, a horse trampling across the new Boules court and our first-ever molehill. [Yes, I tried making a mountain out of it but it's harder than you'd think!].
Sunday night we had another boules-loving equine and 2 molehills.  OK, joke's over! I spent the day researching ways of poisoning, exploding and otherwise killing them.

Monday bought ANOTHER speeding fine, from the day I was going to meet Chris at the airport [must have been keen to see him!]

The roofers continued to work steadily and we got an estimate from a plumber to put standpipes in the garden and to do some other work.  It seemed reasonable and we had had such a good experience with the French roofers that we decided to go ahead with the French plumber.  Everything seems to be such a gamble, my stomach is continually rebelling against all the stresses and strains.

Three weeks after they started, the roofers completed their work, it looks brilliant!

Chimneys all gone!

Front

Side view

Sadly, the day was spoilt by news from the people in charge of inspecting the micro station that Darren has installed it without permission and that refusal to sanction it is automatic in these circumstances.  We await a visit from the guy in charge.

The week was a mixture of working and catching up with old friends, Steve and Caron, Patricia, Tim and Teresa and meeting up with some new friends.  The plumber arrived to carry out a lot of smallish tasks but it feels as if progress is actually being made at last.

By Monday we should have 2 standpipes, a hot shower and some electric sockets in the house, water mains connected properly and repairs done to the caravan.   But, and there's always a but, Darren has not responded to our emails or phone calls and he still has to connect some of the downpipes to the water recuperation unit, finish the path and deal with the fact that the government has denied permission for our microstation, due to his mistake. 

Chris's last night was spent at the village meal, held in the open air opposite the mairie.  The beef was so rare it almost moo-ed, the wine was 'unusual' and the main act was an aging Charles Aznavoour lookalike, slightly balding, slightly paunchy and very lecherous, backed by four Spice Girls wannabees.  We left before the dessert - it was almost midnight by then anyway!

Making a mountain out of a molehill - an ongoing saga!

We had visitors on Saturday night, a horse trampling across the new Boules court and our first-ever molehill.

Sunday night we had another boules-loving equine and 2 molehills.  At first it was quite funny but it quickly became apparent that one particular Mr Mole was making his way around our newly acquired Boules court.  OK, joke's over! I spent Monday researching ways of poisoning, exploding and otherwise killing them. [The moles that is, not the horses, they leave us presents in the one-day-maybe-this-year-but-probably-not orchard]
By Wednesday, research was complete and we had decided on the expensive but apparently foolproof method of using un detaupeur, which is a little explosive gadget which kills them underground.  I popped along to the local agricultural cooperative to buy one and checked with the guy whether this was the only way to go.  He told me that there were other options but this was by far and way the best. I gulped and handed over the money.

When I got home I realised that we had some leftover outdated fuel for the strimmer [which broke down after 4 uses and has been held captive by the garden centre for 4 weeks under the pretext of repairing it].  So, following my intensive research, I suggested that Chris pour some of this fuel down the hole to smother Mr Mole with the fumes. [Another suggestion on the forum was to put stale male urine down the hole but even I balked at that!]
At the time of writing, 36 hours later, we have not seen any more molehills and the expensive detonator sits unopened.  Yay - go old petrol!

This post will no doubt be updated later.........

Three days later, still no moles.  This detonator must be magic.  I haven't even opened the packet and the situation is resolved!!

THREE WEEKS LATER, STILL NO MOLES.  THE PACKET REMAINS UNOPENED!

More visitors

The weather's turned hot again and the roofers have finally returned so no chance of sunbathing or dipping in the pool. 

The Knights arrived with no problem and we sat up talking and drinking into the late [or, rather, early] hours.

Lovely sunset and a few glasses of wine

Wednesday was Lucy's 6th birthday.  So presents had to be opened after breakfast and we took things easy.

After a slow start then went out for lunch. Once Tom had got the filter working and the ladder assembled, the girls played in the pool, despite the noise from the roofers.

Third chimney coming down

Close up!

It's good to see work going ahead so quickly [for once!]

Cement mixer arrived

Heavy rain Thursday held things up on the roof but it cleared up later.  We spent a lot of time just mooching around and had another very late and boozy night.

Tom [my Knight in shining armour] managed to get the adaptor on the gas bottle, so finally after a couple of months, I was able to use the flame thrower which Chris had adapted from functioning to non-functioning in an attempt to save money!!

Friday the Knights headed off for the coast and I watched the roofers start the actual tiling whilst merrily killing weeds with my flame thrower.

Genoise

Lynne leaves and I'm on my own again

Thursday - Really hot night and morning, very debilitating.  Ian came to do some work in the garden with the digger.  We got quite a lot done although it was bloody hot and uncomfortable.  Salty sweat running into the eyes doesn't assist you.  After I said a sad farewell to Lynne at the airport and returned home, the weather cooled down considerably which was much more comfortable. My darling Beth Skyped me [OK, I know her mum actually pressed the keys on the computer] and I had a lovely chat with her.

The next few days were cloudy and warm but so much more comfortable than previously.  The gardener finally came to cut the grass, well, not all of it.  He only cuts the bits he feels comfortable with, so the other bits are shoulder high now as the strimmer is being repaired [allegedly].  I received a speeding fine, my first ever.  So I thought I'd pay it via the internet.  At that moment, the internet died.  The phone wasn't working either but the electricity was still OK so I beetled off to Mme B to find out whether she had a working phone.  Hers was still functioning but she explained to me what I needed to do.  Anyway by the time we had exchanged all the pleasantries etc and I got back to the caravan, the phone and internet were working again, so I had no excuse not to pay the fine. The afternoon turned hot and sunny so I went to a little village on the edge of the Dordogne and took a walk by the river before a couple of hours spent in the hammock. I was reading 50 Shades of Grey which is the talked about book of the season but it's pretty much Mills and Boon.  I believe that it's very erotic but the hammock broke just as I got to what is supposedly the  'good bit' .   Don't think I'll carry on with it. 

Much time was spent waiting for workmen who didn't turn up - good job I enjoy my own company.


On Saturday, Darren delivered far too much shingle so there was a big pile left over. 

Seating area just waiting for a bench.

I decided that it could go around some of the raised beds so I got a wheelbarrow, rake and shover and that took care of the afternoon. My arms are going to be so strong by the end of the summer!! I had a visit from Madame B, who wanted to check that the tarpaulin was properly attached to the roof of the house as the weather forecast was for a tempete.  She was dressed in just a nightdress, but she had put a jaunty little scarf around her neck!   I was truly exhausted by the evening and crawled into bed to listen to the rain pounding on the roof.  [Yep, la tempete had arrived, right on cue.]  The night was disturbed only by my yelps of pain as I tried to move my muscles in order to turn over in bed.  The last time I can remember anything like this was when I tried to take up ballet again at the age of 59, which was a bit stupid.

Sunday was my weekly visit to the laundrette then out for lunch.  I had a chat with Kate as she's spending today preparing for her interview tomorrow for a Masters.   A big day for her.  The weather was cool and cloudy so I decided not to have a day off but instead to move more crap around the garden - I'm aiming for fewer, but bigger, piles of rubbish.  The continued use of shovel, wheelbarrow and rake has the effect of tightening up my arm muscles even more [not in a good way - my thumbs are now covered in lumps and they are numb in parts, I'd rather this did not extend to my arms!] until they are even more painful than yesterday. It also exacerbates my sciatica.  Yep, just what I want along with arthritis and gout.  I take my poor mishapen, aching body to bed.  Then the scallops I had for lunch made themself felt.  Monday I stayed near the caravan.  The roofer came to supervise a delivery of about a million roof tiles - good job we've got a big garden.

Boys playing with their toys

The vents being installed -  a lovely feature for the garden.

Darren came to finish off but he couldn't insert the pump because it hasn't arrived because the company Chris ordered it from won't accept orders from non-residents. Oh well, if our money's not good enough....

Shame they didn't put the tiles nearer to the pool, we could have used them as a diving board!

Roll on Tuesday.  Can't wait for the Knights to turn up!