Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

With the easing of restrictions on international travel Ruby has at last been able to visit - after 18 months apart. Jasper will hopefully visit soon too. No flights from Bristol to Toulouse yet so we had to fetch her from Beziers about three and half hours away.

The weather for the past  few months has been pretty awful, we even had to light the fire in the evening last week, but Ruby seems to have brought good weather.

After a couple of days of R and R, it was time for an excursion into the mountains and with the hot weather (30-34 degrees) we headed to the Etang de Reglisse from Gerac for a swim. 

Susie and Ruby looking fabulous

It was a bit cooler up high and in the event the lake just a little too cold for a swim, though semi emersion was a pleasant relief! A few vultures overhead on Pointe de Rabassère, but little other wildlife today.

In the early hours of yesterday morning we were awoken by cats fighting, Susie went downstairs to find Socrates stuck in the cat flap being attacked by another cat (probably Clarence our semi adopted stray) from behind. Susie tried to help but ended up being bitten twice, quite deeply by Socrates on her ankle. A visit to the doctor ended up with a heavy dose of anti-biotics, but these clearly weren't working when 36 hours later her foot started swelling up. Another trip to see an on-call doctor and then to the 24 hour pharmacy to change anti- biotics....hopefully all will be well.

After rebuilding the tractor last year, I think it is time to upgrade to slightly heavier more powerful tractor better adapted to the work we now do with it - hay making, harrowing, timber hauling, mulching, topping. The little Carraro is always doing tasks requiring 100% of it's output and some more. Some quotes for a bigger Carraro or Ferrari tractor proved too expensive but a 50hpValpadana 4655VRM seems to fit the bill. But trying to get a price is like pulling teeth. Unlike cars and trucks the price of agricultural equipment is a closely hidden secret. There are no published recommended prices - everything must be negotiated with the dealer/concessionaire...its a bloody stupid state of affaires in my opinion.

Our local concessionaire for Valpadana/Landini is bankrupt, the next two nearest are bloody useless and haven't even replied to my requests for a price, a fourth said he wasn't allowed to give me a quote as I m not in his sales area. Landini France who supply the tractors seem equally bloody useless and also have not replied to any of my e-mails. As the tractors are built in Italy, I contacted an Italian tractor seller who has been extremely helpful and even arranged transportation quotes - like when I bought my current tractor, it will prove much cheaper and easier to buy the tractor in Italy and import it than to buy from a French business. In my experience the French are hopeless at commerce, invariably 30% more expensive than the Italians, never read e-mails and require a face to face meeting to do anything at all - and as my nearest concessionaire is about 250 miles away that is an expensive trip which may result in nothing other than an inflated price! The remaining hurdle is getting the Italian seller to not charge VAT (this has to be paid in France under EU law) and selling my Carraro, though I've been assured they are highly sort after and I should get a good price.....though in keeping with tractor law, I can't possible reveal what that price will be!