After all the demolition some construction begins

 

More progress and a sorry time for Bam-bam

It's been a tough few days getting the huge roof  beams down in the barn. I must have dismantled and re-erected the scaffolding fifty times and a combination of saws, crowbars, ropes and chainsaws have been called into action to cut them into pieces and then carefully lower them to the ground.  At 9m long some of them are ridiculously heavy even when cut into four or five pieces.

Next I have the balcony roof to get down whilst the dry(ish) weather holds.

Poor Bam-bam who somehow survived weeks of blue-tongue virus is lame and has been recovering from a huge abcess on his foot. It seemed to be getting better after treatment, but has returned again. Whilst treating him today I found abcesses on both his knees...the poor boy has been on anti-biotics and anti-inflammatories for months, his wool is falling out and he is thin as a rake. He may have to be euthanised as his immune system is completely shot. It's so sad seeing him suffering so terribly.

 

Anna and Dan have been staying with us for the week and Dan helped me getting some of the heavier rafters down. I should be onto the beams soon.

A European wildcat on the camera trap - heavier set and with a thicker tail than a domestic cat and with very distinctive markings.

 

Wildboars - a young mother and three young of about three years old (stripes barely visible now they're nearly adults).

Roof stripping finally starts

 

It's been a long hot humid/wet summer. 

We've lost four sheep, three to FCO (Donnie, Hopi and Puffle) and one to Piroplasmosis (Valentine). At least another four sheep have had FCO and are recovering. Bam-bam had a long form of the virus lasting over two weeks and his recovery is slow. The vaccine doesn't offer any of the sheep protection until late September.

All the kingpost trusses for the barn have been built and disassembled. There's a few days of pointing to do before I can start removing the old roof. Two weeks of rain are forecast so it might have to wait.

Two dead

Hopi and Donny have both died of FCO and the delivery of the vaccine has been delayed...desperate miserable times.

FCO

A new form of the FCO virus (also called blue tongue) has been edging closer to the Ariège for a few months now. This new strain of the virus is resistance to the previous vaccine, so our sheep are unprotected. The blood borne virus is spread by flies and mosquitos and so it is almost impossible to protect against. A new vaccine has been developed but was only available in bottles of 150 doses with two doses 2 weeks apart required. Once opened the bottle had to be used in 24 hours. For our 23 sheep the price was astronomic. Last week a new vaccine has been made available requiring a single injection and available in a bottle giving 40 doses. It is on order and should arrive on Tuesday but even after injection it takes 30 days until it offers protection. In 2008 two sheep got the virus shortly after being vaccinated, one died.

This year we already have four extremely sick sheep in quarantine and being regularly injected with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. Hopi is the sickest and has been struggling for 10 days now, it is still touch and go as to whether she will survive. Chihero, Donny and Millet are also very sick. All we can do is wait and hope.

New chickens have arrived - three hens and three cockerels (we'll pick the best behaved and eat the other two). With the 4 foxes still around (and getting bolder) and the hunting season 4 weeks away, the birds are confined to barracks.

first king post truss dry assembled

7.5m span. Three more to go!

Col de la Core to Port de Salau via the Estanous

 

Isards on the Cuns d'Aula. Filmed in slow motion, so press the cog icon and select speed, x2, to see at actual speed.

Al and Breezy hatched a plan go up to the Estanous refuge one day then the following day to continue all the way to their place in Salau. I was game, so on Wednesday Susie dropped us at the Col de la Core. 

The weather was forecast to be extremely hot so we made an earlyish start leaving the col at 8.00. The path more or less contours the East side of the mountain ridge running North-South from the frontier to the Col until it reaches the Cabane Subra. Here the climbs starts, passing the wreckage of the Halifax bomber that crashed into Pic de Lampau in 1945.

Col de Craberous, top left

A short but steep haul reaches the Col de Craberous...and the first breath of wind on an already sweltering day.

On the descent we saw marmots and a fox amongst the boulders. 

On reaching the Etangs de Milouga we stopped for lunch and a cool off in the lake.

The onward route is the climb up to the Col de Pecouch over sun baked granite slabs and not an ounce of shade. My water soon ran out and the heat was energy sapping. We were relieved to reach the col and descend to the refuge for water and later a beer! 1550m of ascent and 15km.

At the col de Pecouch

A shower at the refuge, then a game of dice before dinner. Onion soup, veal and rice then chocolate cake. The clouds came for some great photos before sunset.

isards on the ridge

The refuge was not too full and our dormitory was not too hot or noisy, so a reasonable if intermittent night's sleep was obtained. 

Breakfast was at 6.30 and we were away by 7.00. Stephane the guardian had warned of a risk of storms in the afternoon and with much distance and many tops to cross, we decided not to visit the summit of Mont Valier but turn right at the Col Faustins to start the ridge back to Salau. 

We scrambled up Petit Valier, crossed the Col de Peyre Blanc, before more scrambling got us to the Col de la Pale de Clauère. 

Valier and Petit Valier behind us,heading for the Col de la Pale de Clauère

The onward ridge

We descended in Spain watching herds of isards on the cliffs. 

Tackling the ridge from here to the Port d'Aula had been discussed, but in the end given the already long day and the storm warning we tackled just the first part over Les Montagnols. It's a very narrow ridge but was a fun detour and probably didn't add too much time to the day.

On the narrow ridge of Les Montagnols

At the Col de Tindereille we left the ridge and continued on the Spanish side to the Port d'Aula (4hrs from the Estanous). 

Retrospective of he first part of the journey, Valier and Petit Valier the two peaks on the horizon in the centre, the Port d'Aula immediately below us. 

A Lammergier (bearded vulture or Gypaete Barbu), constant companions on our trip

The onward route was to follow the frontier over Tuc de Bignau, Tuc de Berbégué, Cap de Hoque Prégonne, Pic de Montagnol, crossing the Portenech Aurènere before Pic de Montaud, Pic de Portabère and finally Port de Salau. On the ridge it was hot but there was a slight breeze and below us a sea of cloud. 

Descending to the Portenech Aurènere

At Pic de Montaud we stopped for a late lunch. In the Salau valley the cloud was lapping the frontier ridge and it wasn't long before dropped into the mist. 

Pic de Montaud

After Pic de Portabère we left the ridge onto the french side before cutting across to reach the ruined buildings on the Port de Salau. 

Another bearded vulture dives into the mist.

A long descent in poor visibility finally lead to Al and Breezy's place were Susie was waiting for us.

Another long day with 1300m ascent, 2500m of descent and 20km.

Cabanatous circuit

The hay is finally safely in. Nathaniel's bailer broke down so I had to help him with his hay using my bailer and tractor, but he reciprocated, helping us transport our bails into the barn the following day. It was a very hot and humid day and the clegg flies were ferocious. At the weekend a huge thunderstorm rolled and cleared some of the humidity.

Today was fresher and so we ventured into the mountains in what seems like the first time in ages. Sheri has a friend staying (Jenny from canada) so he arranged to do the Cabanatous circuit - Sheri's favourite and and easy one for guests. Al and Breezy, back from their travels joined us.

A swimmer in the Etang d'Alate

Lunch spot

After lunch on the Pic de Cabanatous we descended to the Etang d'Alate where Jenny, Breezy and Sheri took a dip. Al spied that we were being watched....a lone Ibex on the ridge above the lake.

A cold beer in Aulus was a fitting reward for a great day out.

Summer update

The weather this summer so far has been very unsettled. Hay making is 3 weeks behind schedule. I cut it yesterday and in the afternoon contrary to the forecast it rained. Today is overcast. It's still salvageable if the sun shines for the rest of the week, but it nutritional value is already low.

Earlier in the week Valentine - one of our white sheep - became ill. A trip to the vet confirmed he had piroplasmosis from a tick bite. He died later the same day.

On a slightly more optimistic note, Pompom, one of our two remaining hens is sitting on half a dozen eggs. We selected them from eggs laid before the fox attack but we cannot be sure how many are fertilized. We're hopeful we may get 2-3 replacements hens.

The barn is progressing with the inside first floor 75% pointed and wood to build the new roof trusses (prior to removing the old roof) due to arrive in a week or so's time.

The oak tree that came down in the spring has yielded 4 stere of firewood so far with another 2 stere still to split and stack.

The foxes have made a number of visits but so far have eluded capture or shooting (the latter no longer being an option with guests in the gite for the rest of the summer).

RIP Clinton

It's been a sad few days. Lots of rain and on Tuesday when we went to close the chickens up, three were missing. Trisha was gone and I soon found Clinton and Maggie's decapitated bodies. A fox attack. It's heartbreaking.

On Thursday I took the rest of the kitchen apart. We can't live with trapping four or five mice a day. My efforts seemed to make no difference, but this morning I spotted another hole almost at ceiling level behind a wall cupboard. Today the mice have stopped thank god!

During a walk this afternoon I spotted four foxes in the amphitheatre field! The grey vixen we see sometimes on the camera trap has three cubs, already indistinguishable from adults. It explains the killings earlier in the week, she's probably teaching them to hunt. We ll have to keep our last couple of hens and any new chickens locked in the run until October unless I get a chance to reduce the fox numbers.

First scarf underway.