The Christening

The twins, parents and Godparents

Yesterday was the christening of Justin and Emily's twin girls - Myla and Thea. With much to do and nearly 70 guests arriving for the party after the ceremony, a group of us spent the weekend helping Justin and Emily with all the preparations and catering. Weather was glorious, the girls were perfectly behaved, the spit roasted pig was cooked to perfection, there was live acoustic music and excellent company.

Hier etait la baptême des jumelles de Justin et Emily - elles s'appellent Myla et Thea. Avec beaucoup à faire et presque 70 invitèes à la fête après, nous amis aidions Justin et Emily avec toutes les préparations. Les temps etais beaux, les petites etaient calme, le cochon méchoui etais déliciouse, il y aurait la musique acoustique et les amis sympas.

I have the honour of being one of Thea's Godfathers.

Je suis parrain de Thea.

My God-daughter Thea and I

...and again (thanks for the photo Sarah).

Carrots and logs

I harvested the carrots yesterday, the voles got about 25% but they left about 12kgs for me. After washing, blanching and freezing them this morning, I dug over the kitchen garden.

Hier j'ai recolté les carottes, les topes mangaient 25 percent mais elles ont laissé 12 kilos pour moi. Après les lavent et gardent dans le congèleteur, j'ai creusé le potager.

The huge pile of logs from the lime tree (which fell in the storm last year) stacked behind the kitchen garden, fell over narrowly missing me! It's been threatening to topple for a while now. Time to move it to the log store - which took all day (there's probably 5 tonnes).

Les fagots de la tilleul (qui a abattu dans le tempête l'annèe dernier) etais gardé derrière le potager sont tombé presque sur moi! Ils menacaient de tomber pendant quelques mois. J'ai les importé à l'abri de bois, mais ça me prends toute la journée (il y a à peu prés 5 tonnes)

Pic de Lampau and Pic de Pomebrunet

Mont Valier (left), Pomebrunet and Lampau (right) from my house. I traversed the

skyline from Lampau to the lowest point in the middle of the photo - Col de Crusous

Pic de Pomebrunet (right) from Pic de Lampau

Set off from Col de la Core (1395m) at 8.30 this morning (later than planned) so pushed the pace to make up time. I climbed to the Col de Crouzette (2237m) and then descended to the Cabane Espugues where a helicopter was ferrying materials from the valley as it's currently being rebuilt.

Je suis parti de Col de la Core à 8.30 (un peu tardif) donc j'ai marché vite. J'ai ascendu au Col de Crouzette et puis descendu à la Cabane d'Espugues, la un hélicoptère etais porté materiaux de la vallée pour la réconstruction.
The stiff climb from there to Pic de Lampau (2477m) took under an hour and I was on the summit 2hr50mins after leaving the car. A quick snack on the summit and after admiring the view it was time to press on along the ridge to Pic de Pomebrunet (2569m).

L'ascension rude à Pic de Lampau a pris moins qu'une heure et j'ai été au sommet 2hr50 après avoir parti la voiture. Cas crôute au sommet puis après avoir surveillé la vue j'ai continué sur l'arête vers Pic de Pomebrunet.

I've stood here twice before looking for the route of descent from Pic de Lampau. It's scary - there's a steep grassy rake with a 1500ft vertical drop at the end, having avoided slipping you arrive at tiny gravelly notch. To your left the drop, to your right a nasty looking overhanging off-width crack drops for perhaps 10m onto some steep shiny slabs, straight ahead a wafer thin fin of rock inclined at 45 degrees overhangs the drop then seems to end above the abyss. I thought long and hard about the crack but it just didn't seem possible, so cautiously I edged along the fin. From the far end I could see it was possible with extreme care to descend steeply for another 30m of vertical and so reach the easy ground below - but the rock was rotten and the exposure seemed to unsettle me.

Je me suis levé sur la sommet de Pic de Lampau deux fois avant, cherchant pour la route de descente. Il fait peur - il y a une court pente raide et herbeuse qui finis avec une falaise de 600m, si on ne glisse pas on arrive à un petit col caillouteuse. À gauche l'abîme, à droite une fissure surplombante qui descendre à des dalles glissantes et raides, toute droite une lame de roche fine incliner à 45 degrées et au dessus l'abîme. Je pensais longtemps de la fissure mais enfin j'ai décide d'essayer la lame. De l'extremité de la lame je peux voir une route de descente de 30m, mais c'etais raide sur les mauvaise roche - impressionante!

The descent from Lampau: the off-width crack descends into

the red scar, my descent took the rocks to the right of it.

Carefully down, I followed the ridge for another 1hr 20mins, always narrow and exposed with a succession of rock towers to cross or traverse around eventually to reach Pic de Pomebrunet.

Avec prudence, J'ai poursuivre la crête pendant 1hr20, toujours etroite et arienne avec plusiers gendarmes à traverser ou contourner, enfin à arriver à Pic de Pomebrunet.

Retrospective view of the last section of the ridge before Pic de Pomebrunet

Amazingly there was someone on the summit! A french guy photographing vultures, he'd come up from the Etang de Crusous - my onward route of descent. A narrowish ridge, then a steep grassy descent but much easier than the ridge from Pic de Lampau. I thought of turning left to climb Pic de Caries but that looks pretty scary and I'd had enough.

Incroyable il y a un autre au sommet! Un français qui etais photographer les vultures, il a fair l'ascension de Etang de Crusous - ma route de descente. Un arête peu etroite puis les pentes herbeuse et raides, mais plus façile que la route de Lampau. J'ai pensé de fait l'ascension de Pic de Caries mais j'en ai assez.

Looking from the peak towards Mont Valier and the easier descent ridge

On the long walk back to the car I suffered from the earlier fast pace and lack of water (burst platypus). Only 1670m of height gain but I was knackered at the end of the day and my feet are sore.

Au retour j'ai suffri de l'approche vite et j'ai manqué d'eau. Seulement 1670m de dénivilée mais j'etais fatigué.

Windows

After all the recent carpentry (at Justins), today was all joinery. I finished the windows for Sandrine and John's gite in the morning, gave them a last coat of varnish (repairing some hazel fences whilst it was drying) and then installed them, complete with zinc flashings in the late afternoon/early evening. Just need to order the glass and do some internal linings then the "jobs a good 'un" (as they say in the west country).

Après toute de la charpenterie ( à chez Justin), aujourd'hui etait toute de la menuiserie. J'ai fini les fenêtres pour la gîte de John et Sandrine le matin, une dernière couche de vernis (j'ai répèré des clôtures en noisetier lorsque ils sechais) et puis J'ai les installé avec le zingerie. Seulement la vitrage à commander.

Weather has been ace today, should have gone in the mountains - oh well there's always tomorrow.

Les beaux temps aujourd'hui, je devrais aller aux montagnes - tant pis, demain?

Stuff

Yesterday I did some more field clearance work - clearing the low boughs and branches between my barn and Pauls (my winter tractor route to collect hay) and clearing a large fallen tree in Pauls field. Whilst I was at the sawmill in Ercé, La Panchard came and collected his cows (or at least put them in the woods). On my return I started to build John and Sandrine's windows from the wood I'd collected, before preparing supper for "the boys" - Ian, John and Jason came over for tea and scrabble - though we never made scrabble.

Hier plus de fauchage des prés - abattant les branches entre ma grange et la grange de Paul (la route pour mon tracteur en hiver) et nettoyant une arbre qui tombée dans la prairie de Paul. Quand j'etais à la scierie d'Ercé, La Panchard est arrivé et cherché ses vaches. En retour j'ai commencé de faire les fenêtres de John et Sandrine, et préparé le repas pour Ian, John et Jason qui seront arrivée le soir pour manger et "scrabble".

Today the rain from yesterday cleared so I did some scything, more window making and a late afternoon walk with the rifle.

Aujourd'hui la pluie s'arrête, j'ai fauché, fais les fenêtres et du soir j'ai fait une promenade avec mon carabine.

Godin Stoves - death traps!

After shopping this morning in St G, I decided to quickly sweep the chimney. The Godin fire in the living room has a back outlet which supports the flue. Most stoves of this type have a removable fire back which allow you to access the flue. You sweep the chimney from the top and all the soot etc ends up in the stove - you remove the fire back, clean out the detritus and hey presto, job done.

My nodel of Godin appears to have a removal fire back, but on closer inspection it can only be removed after removing the top of the stove. To do this involves dismantling virtually the entire stove. After two hours of skinned knuckles, searching for hidden nuts and bolts in the gloom, drilling out rusted fixings, and eventually having to dismantle the flue, I finally gained access to the hidden area between the firebox and flue connector. It was 75% blocked with soot and tar (and that was before I swept the chimney). It appears the designer at Godin forgot that fireplaces need to be cleaned regularly and as a result they have built a stove which is impossible to clean (without dismantling the entire fireplace or throwing away the flue connectors they provide and finding some that will allow for flue cleaning without disconnection). The stove is a potential death trap. If the flue is completely blocked one risks CO poisoning and if partially blocked there's an increased chance of a chimney fire.

I wondered why neither the literature that came with the stove nor the Godin website has any information about how to clean their stoves....you can't! My advice - think very carefully before buying a Godin.

Des grandes problemes avec la nettoyage d'un pôele marque "Godin", trop compliqué d'expliquer en Francais! - jamais achèter un Godin!

Then there was a stampede outside as 40 odd cows stormed down the road - escapees from Courex. I managed to herd them out of my front garden and away from the vegetable patch and after much effort fenced them into the field in front of the house. There's a mixture of females, calves, males and bulls and they're big animals all with horns, so one has to be careful. I called the farmer whose cows I thought they were, but when he arrived he told me they belonged to another farmer 'La Pancharde'. Unfortunately he doesn't have a phone!! Incredible. So the cows stay here until they realise there's no electricity in the fence wire, then they escape again.

Il y a un débandade dehors comme 40 vaches approchent chex moi! - elles ont échappé de Courex. J'ai réussi de les chasser hors ma potager et mon jardin et après des efforts j'ai les enclôturé. Il y a un mélange des males, femelles et petites, toutes avec les cornes! Donc prudence! J'ai appellé Alban mais quand il est arrivé il m'a dit que elles ont les vaches de "La Pancharde". Malheuresement, il n'a pas un téléfon! Incroyable. Donc les vaches restent ici jusqu'au elles aperçoivent de il y a pas de courant dans la clôture éléctrique!

Images of today

The view I never grow tired of

Field 5 after some tree clearance/felling this afternoon

The beautiful beech woodland below the house

An orange birch bolette found there this evening

Sheep in the barn

Stuff

Busy last few days.

Preparing plans for Philippe and Sophie.

Usual sheepy business.

Plasterboarding at Pont de la Taule.

Laying oak flooring on the balcony at Justin and Emily's.

Hunting for deer (none) and mushrooms (loads).

J'ai été occuper les derniers jours.

J'ai fait des plans pour la maison de Philippe et Sophie.

Soigner les brebris, comme d'habitude.

J'ai mis les placoplaitre à Pont de la Taule.

J'ai mis les planchers de chêne à chez Justin et Emily.

Chasser des chevreuil (rien) et champignons (beaucoup).

After the rain

Pic de Montabone

A big day in the mountains with Ian, Kaz and Patrick. We set off early into the Cirque de Cagateille following the classic circuit to the Etang Hillette and Etang Alet. Just before the Etang Alet Ian and I left the others to make the ascension of Pic de Montabone, keeping west of the Roches des Plagnoles. There are no paths and the going was tough over the rugged granite wilderness, but easier I think than the normal route via the Etang de Montabone.

Une grande journée aux montagnes avec Ian, Kaz et Patrick. Nous sommes parti tôt dans la Cirque de Cagateille suivant la boucle "classique" à Etang Hillette et Etang Alet. Un peu avant l'Etang Alet, Ian et moi avons laissé les autres de faire l'ascension de Pic de Montabone, restant à la Ouest des Roches des Plagnoles. Il n'y a pas les sentiers et le terrain granitique n'est pas facile de traverser, mais je pense que il soit plus facile que la voie normale vers l'Etang de Montabone.

Typical granite slabs on the ascent of Montabone

Several parties where making the traverse from Pic de Lasaugede to Pic de Montabone.

Plusiers equipes ont fait la traverse de Pic de Lasaugede à le Pic de Montabone.

Climbers on the ridge

Montabone (left) and Lasaugede (right)

Having made the summit we descended back to the Etang to rendezvous with Kaz and Patrick and then descend back the car. 1970m (6400ft) or so of ascent but it felt much tougher with the heat and difficult terrain.

Après le sommet nous sommes revenu à l'Etang afin rendezvous avec Kaz et Patrick et puis nous sommes descendu ensemble à la voiture. 1970m de dénivelée mais ça sens plus avec la chaleur est terrain malcommode.

Latest progress at Pont de la Taule

The sitting room takes shape.
La salle de sejour avance un peu.

Before

After

Hottest day at Quélébu...so far

Today in the sun the thermometer read 47 degrees...I think that's the hottest I've seen here though temperatures are set to continue so who knows if we'll make 50 degrees. Amazing sunset after a threatening storm which never materialised.

Stalking deer between 6 and 9 this morning but saw nothing. So far all the deer (4) I've tracked since the start of the stalking season (comprising weekends in August) have turned out to be females - I only have permission to shoot a male.

Then field one got a good shortback and sides, before the heat became too much and I retreated for a siesta. Mini got her horn trimmed in the afternoon (it was growing towards her head) which she didn't like. Still no chicks.

This courgette may not be the biggest in the world, but I thought I better pick it before it deflected the earths crust! Its over well 50cm long and weighs 12 lbs (5.5kgs).

Chicks

Afternoon clouds spill over from spain

Still no chicks! Some more russian roulette of the most doubtful looking eggs produced only bag eggs and eggs. Took the broody hens off the nest but they were so distraut I didn't have the heart to take the eggs away. I culled those that looked doubtful and reassembled the remaining eggs (18) in two seperate nests, on which the two broody hens are now sitting. Hopefully the hen which has now been broody for nearly 4 weeks will be able to give it up, leaving the other hen on her eggs for another week.

Perhaps the hot weather has cooked the eggs, or maybe the first hen let the eggs go cold at some point? Of course Captain the cockerell's potency could be doubtful or as this is the hens first time sitting, maybe they haven't quite got the hang of it?

Yesterday I was helping at Justins and today some work at Pont de la Taule followed by an afternoon walk collecting mushrooms.

Still no chicks

Its been 24 days and still no chicks (they should be born at 21 days). There have been a few bad eggs which have exploded in the coup, so fearing that "captain" the cockerell was sterile I decided to take the eggs and candle them to see if any had chicks inside. Couldn't see anything in any of them so tried the russian roulette approach!

The first egg I cracked was just an egg.

The second was bad and exploded.

The third had a chick inside nearly ready to be born!

Hurriedly I washed the eggs and put them back under the hens.

The rest of the day was taken up with scything, tool sharpening and a trip to St Girons to see the DDE with Philippe. A definite return to hot weather after a few days of cloud and showers.

Potato harvest

90 kgs! Enough for the year I hope.

90 kgs! J'espère qu'il y aura assez pour douze mois.

A bumper haul of mushrooms this afternoon too - but no sign yet of chicks.

L'après-midi une grande recolte des champignons - les poussins n'arrivent pas encore.

Pic de Montaud and Lane Formente

A day in the mountains with Dommy and Iona. Up early and a climb upto the Port de Salau on the frontier with Spain before heading for Pic de Montaud. Iona had a few nerves/slight vertigo but she managed to overcome it.

Une journée aux montagnes avec Dommy et Iona. Nous nous sommes reveillé tôt et avons fais l'ascension au Port de Salau et le frontière Espagnol pendant deux heures. De là nous avons suivi le crête vers Pic de Montaud. Iona a souffert un peu de vertige mais elle l'est surmonté.
From the summit a lovely grassy ridge with occasional rocky outcrops sweeps down to Lane Formente from where we descended steeply through the cloud to Cabane de Pouill and our route of ascent. 1800m of ascent in the day.

Du sommet une belle arête herbeuse descendrais à Lane Formente. La descente raide à la Cabane de Pouill etait dans les nuages. 1800m de denivilée.

Near the Pas de St Girons the ridge from the sub-peak after Pic Montaud in the background

The start of the descent

Onions

Strung up in the kitchens.

Potato harvest today, first signs are for a bumper crop...more later.

La recolte des pommes du terre plus tard aujourd'hui.

Visitors

Dommy sings "the sound of music"

Bridget doesn't

Dommy, Bridget, Martha, Oscar and Pearl are staying here for weeks holiday, camping at the barn.

Dommy, Bridget, Martha, Oscar et Pearl sont ici en vacance pendant une semaine, faire du camping À la grange.

Yesterday we went for a walk and mushroom hunting and in the evening Bridget cooked some mussels whilst Dommy barbequed some sea food.

Hier nous avons fais un promenade et trouvé les champignons. Le soir Bridget a préparé les moules marinier et Dommy les poissons sur une barbeque.

Update

The weather has stayed mostly hot this week (though today is cooler). At Pont de la Taule the new chimney is taking shape (photos soon). Here at Quelebu there's a new toolstore/composting toilet taking shape down at the barn - almost finished.

Les beaux temps (chauds) toutes la semaine. À Pont de la Taule j'ai avancé les travaux de la cheminée. (images plus tard). Ici il y a un neuf abri/toilette sèche à côt&é de la grange - presque fini.

Yesterday Justin came over with a ham, a liver and a pigs head, left over from a recent order. The ham went straight into salt to cure and today after a little more work on the bog and harvesting the rest of the onions I made some sausages (pork, wild boar and venison).

Hier Justin m'a visité avec un jambon, des foies et une tête du cochon. Le jambon est entré le sel tout de suite, puis après la recolte des oignons, j'ai fait des saucisses (porc, sanglier et chevreuil)

Hottest day of year so far

36 today, but not humid like the previous weeks.

36 dégrées aujourd'hui mais moins humide que semaine dernière.

More mushrooms

Hot again today. Early in the morning I adjusted the rifle scope after taking some shots at a 50m target, then after tidying the ruin ready for iminent rendering of the gable, I harvested half the onion crop and dug over the ground ready for the second sowing of spinach. The dried cep from yesterday were threaded on a string and hung up in the kitchen.

Il fait chaud encore aujourd'hui. Tôt le matin j'ai ciblé ma lunette à 50m et après nettoyé la ruine à côté de chez moi, j'ai recolté des oignons, et preparé la terre pour un deuxième semence des épinards. Les ceps d'hier, sont mis dans une ficelle à sécher.

Through the middle of the day it was too hot to do anything. The clouds came in in the afternoon and things cooled a little, so I did some exploring and was rewarded with some cep, boletus queletii, some hedgehog of the woods and a tawny grisette.

L'après-midi il etait trop chaud à fait quelques chose. Plus tard, il etait moins chaud et j'ai trouvé des ceps, des boletus queletii, et pieds de moutons et une grisette.

Today I passed 40,000 visits to the blog since Nov 2006.

Plus que 40,000 personnes sont lu mon blog depuis Nov 2006!

Hot

It's been hot, hot, hot these past few days. Strong southerly winds last night brought even more heat. At Pont de la Taule (the confluence of two valleys) the hot air arrived from two directions and it was sweltering.

A short walk this evening and I found half a dozen ceps which are now sliced and drying in the sun. At last one of my hens is sitting on some eggs, so who knows in another two and a half weeks I might have some chicks!

Storm

Pic de Seron (4)

Today dawned beautifully clear so we made the most of it with the ascent of Pic de Seron (2489m) and then a circuitous return via Etang d'Aube and Col de Cerda. Windy in the morning then very hot in the afternoon. Saw a frog, a vulture and a ptarmigan.

Still snow below the summit

Thirsty?

Visitor

Clare is back at Quelebu for a week. After a fairly lazy day in the sunshine on Monday, today (Bastille day) we went for a walk in the woods and collected a bumper haul of mushrooms (mostly chanterelles and Hedgehog of the Woods) and a punnet of bilberries from beyond Coumes. A tasty Risotto and Fool for dinner.

Clare est revenue chez moi pour une semaine. Après avoir passé une journée assez feignante au soleil le lundi, aujourd'hui on est allé se promener dans la forêt et ramassé un panier de champignons (principalement les girolles et les pieds de moutons) et une boîte de myrtilles de coin de Coumes. Un risotto délicieux et une crème de myrtilles.

Just one more clue still to get on the Financial Times Cryptic Crossword.

Il ne rest q'une seule indice a résoudre des mots croisés du Financial Times.

My Rayburn (for Weequizzie blog readers)

It's 27 years old. I bought it on e-bay from N Wales and after some loving restoration I brought it here in my little trailer. The story from the original blog posts in 2006 are here and here

Elle a 27 ans. Je l'ai achèté sur e-bay et je suis allé la chérché du Nord du Pays de Galle. Apr&egraves avoir la restoré je l'ai amené ici dans mon petit remorque. L'histoire de cette affaire en 2006 se trouve ici et ici

Makeover

Yesterday was a productive day at Pont de la Taule - kitchen is now 95% finished.

Hier c'etait une journée productive à Pont de la Taule - J'ai presque terminé la cuisine.

Back at Quélébu, after changing the bathroom door a few days ago, today it got a coat of varnish. The bathroom got a mini makeover too. Fresh paint, pictures and towel rails rearranged, windows washed.

À Quélébu, après avoir changé la porte de la salle de bains il y a quelques jour, aujourd'hui je l'ai mis une couche de vernis. En même temps j'ai refraîchi la salle de bains. Avec la peinture, les panneaux et j'ai aussi nettoyé les vitrages.

And now the weather...

Low pressure sat over Norway means we will have a second week of hot, very humid and very thundery weather in the Ariege.

Une dépression rest au dessus Norvège donc une deuxième semaine de temps chauds, humids et orageuse en Ariege.
Yesterday evening and this morning I busied myself in the house, I got rid of the horrible flush door to the bathroom and made a new ledged and braced door and frame and installed it on the kitchen side of the doorway so there's more room to get in, you don't bang into the central heating pump, and the door lines up with the threshold between the wooden floor in the house and the tiled floor in the bathroom. I'll finish the door once the humid weather has gone and the wood has dried out a bit more.

Hier soir et le matin je m'ai occupé à chez moi, J'ai enlevé la porte de la salle de bains (moderne et moins chère) et j'ai fait une nouvelle (renforcé en 'Z') et installé sur la face cuisine du mur - comme ça il y a plus d'espace, et plus propre. Je vais vernir après le temps humids sont passé et les planchés sont seché un peu plus.

On the bike

Skipped the mountains today in favour of doing some laundry and then cycling to Pont de la Taule to do some more work, just as well as the mountains were full of thunder and lightning this afternoon. The climb back up from Castet to my house is still a killer, 450m (1500ft) of height gain mostly at 1 in 6 and 1 in 7. The profile below is from my house to Pont de la Taule - left to right takes an 1hr, amazingly right to left takes 1hr 10mins, thought it would take much longer. Je ne suis pas allé aux montagnes aujourd'hui (heuresment parce que il y a des orages), plustôt j'ai lavé des vetements et puis allé à Pont de la Taule en vélo afin continuer les travaux. L'escalade entre Castet et chez moi etais très pentu - 450m de denivelée à 18% et 14% le pluspart. La silouhette au dessus est chez moi à Pont de la Taule - gauche à droite me prend 1 heure, droite à gauche (seulement) 1 heure 10 mins