Autumn Colours

A big walk today - more in the next post, but here are some of the fantastic colours from the lower valley.

Un grand rando aujourd'hui - de plus dans la prochaine poste, voici des coleurs d'automne de la vallée en bas.

More roof works

Spent the last few days at Martin's finishing the roof trusses and erecting them together with the ridge beam and purlins (and quite a bit of temporary strutting in the photos above). All looking good...as are the autumn colours.

Je passais les derniers jours à chez Martin afin finir les ferme de toit et les mettre en place avec les pannes et la fêtiere (et des supports temporaire dans les photos ci-dessus).
Hopefully a day in the mountains very soon.

J'espère une journée aux montagnes bientôt.

Hunting

First day of the year hunting with the Aleu hunters "en battue". After getting the car stuck in deep mud I got a lift with Alain and Guillaume, then spent 6 hours standing on a steep muddy slope deep in the woods in the rain waiting for the dogs to flush out the game. The dogs never arrived. After being able to stalk deer during the summer (even though I didn't shoot anything) I find "en battue" mind numbingly dull.

I did manage to see a beech martin, a red squirrel, a buzzard and a crested tit (above) the first time I've seen one. Eventually when it became clear the dogs weren't coming our way and we retired, the sun came out and the weather was glorious.

Stuff

More rain here, which means more snow on the mountains - visible between the breaks in the clouds. My hunch is that it'll be an average snow year this year, but colder than normal.

Plus de la pluie ici, donc plus de la neige sur les montagnes - apparent entre les nuages. Je crois que il soit froid cette hiver, mais normale pour les quantities de la niege.

Living surrounded by the forest, I occasionally hear trees falling, but yesterday I was in the woods in light winds when a big tree (20m/70ft high with a trunk about 45cm/18" diameter) fell over barely 4m/12ft away from me! Fortunately it didn't fall towards me.

Habitant au milieu de la forêlt, de temps en temps J'entends un arbre tombant, mais hier j'etais dans la forêt avec un vent douce quand un arbre de 20m de hauteur tombe moins de 4m de moi.

Yesterday evening I made 12 jars of pickle - the air in the house is still heady with the smells of spices and vinegar. Ingredients: Marrow, onions, apples, sultanas, turnip, carrot, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, spices (cloves, ginger, coriander, pepper, paprika, chilli, nutmeg, cinnamon), salt. It's dark, not too sweet and spicy!

Hier j'ai fait douze bocaux de "pickle" - et l'air dans chez moi est capiteux avec épices et vinaigre. Ingrédients: Courge, oignions, pommes, raisins secs, carrottes, sucre, miel, vinaigre, epices, sel. C'est fonce et épicé!

Jean-Jeanie the sheep has made a miraculous recovery from her lacerations and is running around as normal.

Jean-Jeanie la brebis a fait une récuperation miraculeuse.

Premiere Neige d'Hiver

Roof works

Today I started work on altering two king-post trusses for a friend in the next village. The diagonal members are actually "crucks" - members with bend in them. The crucks are made from poplar or maybe lime and everything else is either oak or chestnut. The trusses need to be altered to fit a narrower span (6m/20ft) and support a roof with a steeper pitch (roughly 30 degrees), there's a new post to make and one of the crucks is badly rotten in two places and needs some new timber patched in. Some huge mortice and tenons to cut in very old wood (rather than the green oak I've been working recently). Should keep me busy for next three days or so.

Aujourd'hui, j'ai commencé à travailler sur la modification de deux fermes pour un ami dans le village voisin. Les diagonales sont effectivement "crucks" - les membres détour d'eux. Le crucks sont fabriqués à partir de peuplier ou peut-être de la tilleule et tout le reste sont de chêne ou de châtaignier. Les fermes doivent être modifiés pour s'adapter à un batiment plus étroit (6m/20ft) et le soutien d'un toit avec une pente plus raide (environ 30 degreés), il y a un nouveau poteau à faire et l'un des crucks est mal pourri dans deux lieux et a besoin de quelques bois neuf. Certains mortaises et tenons énorme à couper en bois très ancien (plutôt que le chêne vert, j'ai travaillé récemment). Devrait me tenir occupé pour les trois prochains jours ou plus.

Last night the first frost of the year and with the clear skies at the moment, more frosts are due for the next 4-5 nights with the temps dropping to -2/-3 at night.

Hier nuit le premiere givre de l'année et avec les eclaircies j'attends plus les prochaines nuits.

Sheep splints

On Tuesday evening I was giving the sheep their de-worming medicine, when Jean-Jeanie who's new to this panicked and tried to jump the barrier. It's way too high but she managed to get over bar her rear legs and in the ensuing struggle managed to partially demolish it and then get snagged on some tin sheet. She lacerated both her rear legs very badly and there was a lot of blood. Eventually the cuts clotted but it looked pretty serious. The next day I managed to catch her and give the cuts a good clean and spray with a catriciser. The wounds are healing well but I'm worried that she seems to have lost control of her hoof on one of her legs which keeps turning over. It's possible that she has severed a tendon/ligament. I'll give her a week and if it looks no better I'll have to build her sheep leg-splint or 'retire' her to the pot.

Le mardi soir, je donnais les brebis de leurs vermifuges, lorsque Jean-Jeanie qui est nouveau à ce paniqué et essayé de sauter la barrière. Il est beaucoup trop élevée, mais elle a réussi à franchir sauf ses jambes à l'arrière et dans la lutte qui a suivi a réussi à démolir partiellement la barriere et ensuite se faire accrocher sur quelques placques de tôle onduler. Elle a lacéré ses deux pattes arrière très mal et il y avait beaucoup de sang. Finalement, les réductions coagulé mais il me semblait très sérieux. Le lendemain, j'ai réussi à la rattraper et donner un bon nettoyage et de pulvérisation avec un catriciser. Les plaies se cicatrisent bien, mais je crains qu'elle semble avoir perdu le contrôle de son patte. Il est possible qu'elle a sectionné un tendon / ligament. Je vais lui donner une semaine et si elle ressemble pas mieux je vais devoir construire sa jambe moutons attelle ou "retirer" elle à la marmite.

Some momentum has been gained at the house at Pont de la Taule and the downstairs bedroom is slowly taking shape. I have some work over the next few days altering some old roof trusses for a friend then it's back on with Pont de la Taule and I'll take some progress photos.

J'ai pris de l'élan à Pont de la Taule et la chambre sur le rez de chausée commence a prendre sa forme. J'ai quelques travaux au cours des prochains jours modifier certaines fermes de toit vieux pour un ami.

Chevvy in my belly!

A delicious improvised supper tonight. I took a belly of roe deer (chevreuil) spread it with bacon rashers, then rolled it up and tied it with string to make a joint. I softened some onions and apples (home grown) in a little butter, then browned the joint in a hot pan. Dusted it in flour, transferred it to a casserole with the apples and onions. I de-glazed the pan with some red wine, then added it to the casserole with some stock, thyme and other seasoning. All this got popped in the oven (175 degrees C) for about 1hr 40mins. Served with home produced vegetables. Yum, yum. Definitely one I'll do again.

Un repas improvisé ce soir mais délicieuse. J'ai pris une poitrine de chevreuil et mettre les tranches fine de poitrine de cochon au dessus, puis j'ai rouler les deux ensemble et tiré avec de la fisselle. Dans un poêle j'ai mis de la beurre et fait fondre des oignons haché et fait dorer la viande et saupoudre de farine. J'ai mis la viande dans un casserole avec des pommes et les oignons. J'ai rinsé le poêle avec vin rouge et ajouter à la casserole avec bouillion et thyme, sel et poivre. Toutes dans le four à 175 degrées pendant 1hr 40 mins. Miam!

Port d'Orle

An autumnal walk into Spain via the Port d'Orle (2317m) today, with Sandrine and Françoise. It's a long time since I've been in the Orle valley, the last time was maybe ten years ago when I soloed the Cheminée de Cornave one winter. I've wanted to go to the top of the valley for some time and have a plan to ski over to the Val d'Aran one winter.

Un rando d'automne à l'Espagne vers le Port d'Orle (2317m) aujourd'hui, avec Sandrine et Françoise. Il est longtemps depuis j'ai visité la vallée d'Orle, le dernier fois etais il y a dix ans, quand j'ai fais l'ascension de la cheminée de Cornave toute seul en hiver. Je voulait visiter la tête de la vallée pendant quelques années et je voudrais skier à la Val d'Aran (Espagne) un hiver.

Cheminée de Cornave (left) and the Aiguille de Cornave (right)

Snow at the bottom of the Cheminée de Cornave (1500m), even after the hot dry summer.

The day started with low cloud (which we soon entered), rain, wind and cold. At 2000m there was even talk of retreat, but we pressed on over the port and into Spain for lunch. The sun came out (albeit briefly) and the second half of the day was dry, pleasant and the clouds lifted to about 2600m.

Le matin comencais avec de la brume, du pluie, du vent et le froid. À 2000m il y avais les mots de retraite, mais nous avons continué de traverser le port vers l'Espagne pout le manger. Le soliel est arrivé (pour deux minutes) et la deuxième partie de la journée etais sec, et les nuages montent à 2600m.

Pic de l'Homme Mort and behind the Aiguille de Cornave

The cabane des chasseurs close to the Pic de l'Homme Mort

Autumn Harvest

First harvest of apples and walnuts this evening...

Premiere recolte de pommes et noix ce soir...
...and the mushrooms from the recent hunt are drying nicely.

...et les champignons sont sechant.

The last couple of days I've been working at Pont de la Taule, I'm hoping to get some momentum going over the coming week.

Les derniers jours je travaillais à Pont de la Taule, et j'espère de prendre de l'élan pendant cette semaine.

This morning I had to go to a Notaire to get a copy of my passport certified as a true copy for Barclays Bank in the UK (who have lost all the security and verification information for a Woolwich account which was transferred to them when they bought the building society). The Notaire was asked by the bank to write "I certify that this is a true copy of the original" on the copy and sign it. But she flatly refused to write anything in English or even to write an equivalent phrase in French, but proceeded to write a paragraph of flowery legal French in bad handwriting which I'm sure no-one in the UK will be able to decipher. I had to wait nearly an hour to see her - what a total waste of time.

Bolettes

After a morning hunting for hare, during which we bagged a good sized one, I spent the afternoon with Alun and Breezy mushroom hunting. A bumper haul of 5 different species of bolette plus a few gypsy mushrooms and a chanterelle. A good introduction to 'shrooming.

Le matin j'ai chassé les lievres avec l'équipe d'Aleu, et nous avons pris un beau. J'ai passé l'après-midi avec Alun et Breezy cherchant les champignons. Une grande panier de cinq espèces de bolettes. Une bonne initiation pour mes amis.

Great Gable!

The gable before I started work on the exterior of the house

The gable rendering is finished and the house is almost finished (just the window and surrounds to stain). I'm so happy that I don't have to look at bare concrete blocks any more. I hate rendering and I'm glad I got someone else to do the job - and they've done it perfectly.

Le chaux sur la pignon est finis et chez moi aussi...presque, les fenêtres et encadrements ont besoin de la vernis. Je suis content que je n'ai plus dû regarder les bloques de beton. Je déteste de appliquer le chaux et je suis content que j'ai demandé les autres de faire le travaux - et ils le fait bien.

Weather

5 degrees last night and 43 degrees in the sun today! This time last year we already had a lot of snow on the mountains.

5 degrees hier nuit et 43 degrees au soleil aujourd'hui! À la même temp l'année derniere on avait déja beaucoup de la neige.

Pic de Mont Rouge

Pic de Mont Rouge from Guzet

Despite not setting out until 11.00 I still managed to cram in an 8 hour walk today. From Col d'Escots (Guzet) I descended to Casierens before climbing a 400m gully to the left of the cliffs to make the NW ridge of Pic de Mont Rouge at a col between the narrow grassy ridge and the rocky arete. I had hoped to follow the latter to the summit but it wasn't possible to get on it safely (too hard to scramble). So a long traverse around the mountain over difficult terrain (steep with bilberries, rocks and pot holes) was necessary to get on the ENE ridge and thence the summit for a late lunch at 3.00pm.

Malgre je n ai pas commencé jusqu'au 11.00, j'ai reussi encore de faire un rando de 8 heures aujourdhui. De Col d'Escots (Guzet) je suis descendu à Casierens avant monter un couloir de 400m hauteur à gauche des falaises afin arriver sur l'arête NO de Pic de Mont Rouge à un col entre l'arête herbeuse et l'arête rocheuse. J'avais esperé de grimper sur l'arête rocheuse jusqu'au le sommet mais malheuresment de là il etait trop difficile. Donc j'ai contouné la face Nord (terrain difficile avec myrtilles, grands cailloux et trous) afin arriver sur l'arête ENE et de là le sommet. J'ai casse crôute à 15.00.

Looking across to Pic de la Lesse, Pic de Puntussan and Pic des Trois Comtes

Descent was by the same route until the col. From here I skirted a rocky tower before following the grassy ridge for a while before leaving it to descend eastwards to the Etang de Guzet (more bilberry).

J'ai fais la descente pas la même trace (hors sentier) jusqu'au le col. De là j'ai contourné une gendarme avant suivre l'arête herbeuse d'une centaines metres, puis je suis descendu à l'Etang de Guzet.

I then followed GR10 all the way around the north spur of the mountain to climb past Cascade de Fouillet, back to Casierens and then the climb back to the car. Just over 1700m of ascent and 10 miles. My calves are scratched raw after all the trampling through bilberries.

J'ai suivi GR10 au tour de l'epaule Nord de la montagne afin passer par Cascade de Fouillet et Casierens encore. 1700m denivilée et 15 km. Mes mollets sont égratigné après les kilometres dans les myrtilles.

Cleaning up

The weather has been lovely for the past week and so I have been busy tidying up the land before winter. I've felled about 8-9 trees (and logged the wood for a winter far in the future - 2016?), scythed the bracken and brambles in the field in front of the house (not mine), dug over the vegetable plot and spread manure from the barn over it, cut the grass, etc, etc.

Les beaux temps la semaine derniere et je ms suis occupè avec la nettoyage du terrain avant hiver. J'ai abattu 8-9 abres, fauché les ronces et les fugères dans le pré devant chez moi (le prés de Lucette et Paulette), bêché le potager et metre des fumiers, etc.

The last piece of outstanding work here at Quélébu, rendering the north gable, has also begun and should be finished in the next few days.

Les derniers travaux à Quélébu, le chaux sur le pignon Nord, a commencé et le finirais en quelques jours.

I've set up a wireless network so I can sit in front of the fire on a winter's evening and with Clare's old laptop, do my blog posts.

J'ai fais un réseau informatique à chez moi donc je peut faire mon blog sur le ordinator portable devant le cheminée en hiver.

Plenty of mushrooms here still. Tomorrow maybe a day in the mountains.

Pleines des champignons ici. Demain une journée aux montagnes.

Autumn

The end of summer and the arrival of autumn is marked here by the Autumn Crocus and the woods are carpeted in purple at the moment.

Le fin d'été est marqué ici par le crocus et le forêt a un tapis de violet.

In the morning I finished the windows in John and Sandrine's gite, installing the glass with some help from John. All went very smoothly.

Ce matin j'ai fini les fenêtres dans le gîte de John et Sandrine. John m'a aidé installer la vitrage.

Mushrooms are fruiting and a walk this afternoon "off the beaten track" produced Cep, Shaggy ink-caps, Sparasis brevipes, Giant parasol and Chanterelles...a mushroom risotto for tea I think!

Champignons partout et j'ai fait une petite promenade hors sentiers afin trouver des ceps, coprin chevelus, Sparasis Brevipes (nom latin), coulemelles et girolles...je pense que je fisse une risotto des champignons ce soir.

Toad and friends

This morning I went hunting with some of the locals for hare. I had a shot at one and even though it was barely 15m away, I somehow managed to miss!

Le matin je suis allé à la chasse de lievre. J'ai eu un essaye à un, mais je l'ai manquè malgré il etais 15m de moi!

In the afternoon I shifted the dung heep outside the barn upto the vegetable garden by the house. Hard work despite using the tractor.

L'après midi j'ai bougé la molle de fumier dehors la grange au potager. Un boulou!

For tea tonight "toad in the hole" only the sausage was joined by several wild mushrooms and some courgette.

Pour le manger "saucisse au crôute" avec des champignons de bois et des courgettes.

Home

Back home, after my hols in Cyprus.

Je suis rentré après mes vacances en Chypre.

The sheep had been mis-behaving whilst I was away and I spent most of today rebuilding gates and fences around the barn (which the sheep had trashed) whilst they have been banished to Paul's field in the woods.

Les brébis etaient mauvaise pendant que j'etais en Chypre et aujourdhui j'ai eu besoin réperer les portails et les clôtures à côté de la grange. Pendants ce temps les brébis sont de le pré de Paul.

Plenty of mushrooms here particularly orange birch bolettes and parasols.

Pleine de champignons ici - les bolettes et les coulemelles.

Below some cheesy 80's ski footage which I found on another blog - look out for the descent in a catamaran, plus some great skiwear.

Au dessous un movie louche des anées 80's - regard la descente de la piste en catamaran - drôle, en plus les vêtements de ski de l'epoch.

Cyprus

Clare's House

I have been taking a few days holiday in Cyprus, staying with Clare in her lovely house here.

My first impressions of Cyprus on the journey from Larnaca were not altogether good. There was a lot of litter, not much green vegetation and a lot of ugly new villa developments which seemed to have completely replaced the local vernacular. Away from the coast however things improved and Clare's little village of Pachna still has a few of the old stone houses, Clare's among them.

We have spent the last few days in the Troodos mountains - the pine forested, rocky centre to the island. Here, development has been controlled and there seems to be more respect for the natural environment. The old centre of the village of Kakopetria is virtually 'unspoiled' and one can glimpse the original Cyprian architecture. The houses are built of rendered mudbricks, have large balconies on their upper floors and the houses are tightly packed together in a maze of tiny streets. No need for air conditioning with an architecture which has developed to respond to the island's climate. So sad that Cyprus has lost so much of it's heritage.

Kakopetria

...and yes Jon, Clare's house has a swimming pool.

Lifesaving

On Friday I saw a newly born calf in the field in front of the house, but something wasn't right. It was trying to feed from all the cows in the herd, each of which was pushing it away. It didn't really know what to do either, other than rub it's head under the belly. I didn't see the farmer come to check on the cows on Friday or Saturday and when I left for the christening the calf still seemed without a parent.

Vendredi dernier, j'ai vu un veau juste né dans le parc en face de chez moi, mais quelques chose etait pas bien. Il essayait de prendre du lait de toutes les vaches mais elles l'ont toutes réfusé. Il n'a pas su quoi faire, sauf de frotter sa tête sous leurs ventres.

This morning it was still managing to stagger around, but looked very weak and thin. Again no visit from the farmer (and he doesn't have a phone remember).

Le matin il etait très faible et mince. Pas de visite du fermier (et il n'a pas de téléphone).

When I returned from a walk this afternoon, I spotted the calf lying on the ground alone and away from the herd, barely moving. I climbed into the field and could see that it was very weak and probably wouldn't make it to the morning - obviously abandoned by it's mother or perhaps orphaned.

Quand je suis rentré d'un promenade cette l'après-midi, j'ai aperçu le veau sur la terre et tout seule, guère vivant.

I couldn't watch it die, so I picked the calf up, loaded it into the back of the car and drove off in search of the farm. I thought it was in Aliou and called into Alban's farm on route to ask directions. He told me it was actually in Cominac. So after about 25 km in the car I arrived and after asking several locals for directions found the farm and delivered the calf. It was whisked away to receive warm milk etc. and hopefully will survive.

Je n'ai'pas pu le voir mourir, donc je l'ai porté à la voiture et on est parti afin chercher la ferme. Je pensais que elle se situait à Aliou, et en route je me suis arrêté à chez Alban à demander la route. Il m'a dit quel la ferme etais à Cominac. Alors après 25 km de route, je suis arrivé mais seulement aprèes avoir demander plusieurs paysans le chemin, je l'le livré. Il a été vite emporté à recevoir du lait chaud. J'espère que il va survivre.

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