Lambing

5 births so far this year including a set of twins for Apache. Alas Thelma's baby ram (first photo) was "wrong" from the start and despite all our care and medication he died this afternoon at just 40 hours old. Thelma is distraught and we are heartbroken. Another 3 or 4 lambs expected, hopefully they will be healthy and strong.

Port de Barlonguère (ski)

At the weekend, an overnight ski trip in the mountains. Ambitiously (considering how little skiing I've done this year), I hoped to get to Pic des Trois Comtes. The first day we made the Cabane Trinqué in good time to dig it out, as only a little of the roof was above the snow - but after more than 2 hours of digging we were unable to open the door, so had to retreat back downhill to the Cabane de Peyrelade. Next day we re-ascended reaching the Cabane de Barlonguère before we were engulfed by the rising cloud. We pushed on to the Col and lucked out with a brief clearing of the skies. Most the descent was in little or no visibility....but good to get out with a new group of people.

Today its been snowing and our first lamb of 2019 was born.

Que 4 places for les pro-danseurs locaux

Chateau Mirabat

A stroll upto Chateau Mirabat to look at the fire damage from the recent mountain fire and of course the view!

Quite a few square kilometers of scorched earth beneath the beeches and oaks which seem mostly to have survived, though some older and dead wood was still smouldering.

Chateau de la Garde, which has undergone some surrounding tree clearance in the last year and is now much more visible - does someone have plans for it?

Sahusset

Alet Valley 

Cirque above Etang Hillette

Swallowtail butterflies where already flying at Mirabat, but then the sunshine temperature was 35 degrees at Quélébu - a new record for February.