Just when the summer couldn't get much worse.....

Blue-tongue (or FCO) has hit SW France again. Our sheep have been vaccinated against FCO 1 in March and FCO 3 on July 24. Unfortunately it takes 4 weeks for full immunity and even though we're at 3 1/2 weeks that hasn't been enough to protect William who has a temperature of 42 and is laid low isolated in the barn. We're treating him with anti inflammatory injections and keeping him hydrated with honey and water but we lost 6 sheep in 2024 to the same virus.  

Sasha was under the weather 4-5 days ago but her temperature was normal and she seems fine today. Nouie was looking a bit lethargic yesterday and coughing this morning so we're treating him as a precaution and keeping a close eye on him.

Hoopoe

We don't often get Hoopoes here at Quélébu, but I spotted one hanging around the last few days and managed to get some photographs.

using its long bill to prob for grubs...

...got one!

Not so well camoflaged in the trees.

 

Augusts compared

2017 (after cutting hay in July)

2016 (without any cutting)

2026 (without any cutting)

Dry

Another ten days have passed and we've had two small showers, the temperatures remain in the high thirties....is there no end to this??

We've managed to get the sheep to stay in a field overnight so at least they have had some room rather than being shut in the bergerie. It's taken lots of evening walks to find forage, the promise of regular sheep nuts, better electric fences and me barking like a rabid dog to keep them in! 

Little has changed in the last two weeks since the previous post. The weather remains hot, there's been no rain and although the fire at Uchentein was put out another has started at the Col de Pause. The sheep have been in the bergerie living off hay and supplements for the past two and half weeks as there is nothing to eat in the fields. Rain is forecast this week...we 're keeping our fingers crossed, but it will be a long time before the scorched fields recover.

Drought continues

 

The weather is a little cooler today for the first time in over a month, but still no rain. This fire is at Uchentein has been burning for 5-6 days and is still expanding despite the pompiers best efforts including helicopter and planes dropping water. It's on the other side of the Col de la Core to us, but we can see the smoke.

Latest weaves

Latest garments designed and woven - a couple of doubleweave pashminas in merino, linen and silk inspired by kilim rugs.

 

 Still no end in sight for this heatwave and drought. The fields are yellow and dead. The animals stressed.

The crazy heatwave of the last 2 weeks with temperatures of 37-38 most days is set to end tomorrow. It's been a difficult time for the sheep and lambs and we've had to take them on walks to find moister grazing in the evening. Everywhere is baked.

Two little chicks are doing well and another hen is sitting, so maybe a few more to come?

Hopefully another loom arrives soon and we are gearing up for our first "market" at the 2 day wool festival in Mas d'Azil at the end of July. Time to weave a couple more new shawl designs in linen, silk and merino.

More from the camera trap

Our resident european wildcat and some of our pine martens

 

Dance!

Some photos from Susie's dance class. She maybe in her sixtieth year but she has the most energy in the room and gives a blinding 90 minute class twice a week.

 

Latest weaves

Shawls in merino, silk and linen double weave.

 

Tuc de Coucou

After the searing heat of the last week, a damp day heralded a change in the weather. We grabbed our opportunity to catch up with friends we haven't seen for good while and head into the mountains. It started out reasonably cool but as the day wore on the heat returned and with the damp from the rain the humidity was a killer! 

We headed to the Luentein valley and headed up Tuc de Coucou. A stiff 1000m of ascent from the bottom of the valley, but we all had plenty of talking to do to catch up on each others news.

Andy, Paula, Breezy, Alun plus Ruby and Susie in the background.

A riot of horned pansies

Griffon vulture

Ruby with Pic des Cingles and Mail de Bulard in the background

We had lunch at the col below the summit, which was a good call as the summit was full of sheep droppings and stank!

We'd planned to return via the tunnels, but opted instead to head straight down, dip our feet in the cool river and go for well earned beer in Castillon.

 

Introduction to Weaving Course

Susie and Ruby, neither of whom have ever woven before, are my guinea pigs for the beginners weaving course. The first day and some of the second was spent dressing the looms but by the end of day 2 they have both made some fantastic designs! Two more days of weaving and learning still to come.

Susie's

Ruby's

 

Day trip to Mirepoix and Camon

For our anniversary we thought we'd do a little road trip to the other side of the Ariege.

Mirepoix

The medieval town of Mirepoix for lunch and then onto Camon - one of France's most beautiful villages. Compact with a Castle and Abbey it has an annual Rose festival (which was a couple of days ago) as nearly every house has a different species of climbing rose outside.

House martins and swallows were everywhere

 

A spell of cold weather has brought fresh snow down to about 1300m. Yesterday Thelma gave birth to a little lamb Wilma and for the past few days this rather magnificent short toed eagle and his mate have been frequenting the birch tree in our field. Despite their impressive size they eat mostly snakes and lizards.

On the loom currently

Two more colourways for my "swirl" design. The combination of lighter colours has made for a subtle pattern, whilst the "less lustrous than silk" tencel, which is also slightly thicker, has altered the design slightly.

The blue and yellow, evokes the "seashore" imagery in the design. The all yellow is less successful.

On the second loom a couple of yoga blankets in our own homespun wool are underway. The blankets are woven folded in half (fold on the right, to loose edges on the left) so they will be double the width of the loom.

Two more shawls in doubleweave with linen, lambswool and silk and already being put on the first loom.