Paradise

It's mid-December, there's hardly a cloud in the sky. The sun is shining, there's not a breathe of wind, the light is fantastic, the temperature has been in the mid twenties for most of the day and there's snow on the mountains. The only sounds are the sheep's bells and the distant baying of the hunter's dogs.

It's hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else...but a new adventure is afoot. Even 6 months ago I could never have imagined it...but Love is a wonderful thing and it will never be anything but the first consideration in my life. For a period of a few years I may be dividing my time between Quelebu and another location...fingers crossed...exciting times!

C'est mi-decembre, il n'y a pas une nuage au ciel. Le soliel brille, le vent ne souffle pas, la lumiere est fantastique, le temps reste a peu pres vingt dégrées et il y a de la neige aux montagnes. Les seuls bruits sont les cloches de la brebis et les chiens du chasse.

Il est difficile d'imagine que je voudrais envie d'être ailleurs...mais une nouvelle aventure est proche. Il y a six mois je n'ai jamais pu l'imagine...mais l'amour est quelque chose merveilleux et toujours le plus important dans ma vie. Pendant quelques années je vais partager ma vie entre Quelebu et un autre pays...les temps passionnant.

Pointing

Beyond the 2 posts will be two bedrooms, with a third this side of the them.

Spent most of this week working at Pont de la Taule. The attic conversion into three bedrooms is the last major job. Work has started with the mountain of pointing required to the stone walls. I've realised that originally the ridge of the roof ran at 90 degrees to its current orientation. Low in the current gable wall is the old wall plate and the in the wall either side of the chimney the old gable end can still be seen in the stonework.

J'ai pris presque toute la journée à Pont de la Taule. La rénovation du grenier de faire 3 chambres est les derniers travaux. J'ai commencer avec la montagne de joints de boucher. Aussi j'ai aperçu que la fêtière en epoque etais dans l'autre sens de aujourd'hui. On peut voir la vieux sablière dans le pignon, et la pente du ancien toit à côté du cheminée.

Goldfinches in the garden

All change

I may have been skiing on Saturday but today the sun came out and temperatures have soared. The snow is melting fast. Today at Quelebu in the sun, the temperature peaked at 33 degrees. Looks like the same weather for the rest of the week.

C'est vrai que j'ai fait du ski le samedi dernier, mais aujourd'hui le soliel brille et la température montée. La neige fonds et à Quelebu il etais 33 dégrées.

Tuc de la Coume (ski)

A beautiful bright sunny day and with my man flu almost gone I couldn't resist a first outing on the skis. Tuc de la Coume is nearby and with the snow down to 300m it was sure to be in condition. In fact there was 15-30cm of lovely cold powder on top of the old snow and it was a glorious ski.

Unfortunately I picked up the wrong rechargeable batteries for the ski-cam (the uncharged ones) so every time I tried to film the batteries cut-out...doh!

Why does you-tube mess up all the careful synchronisation of music and video images?

Snow

Been snowing all day - maybe 4" here by mid afternoon. Tomorrow looking good for a ski-tour!

Lost

More snow overnight. Had an idea to make a short ski tour late this morning but the weather quickly closed in. Saturday looks like being crisp and clear.

Three lost goats have appeared at Quelebu...phoned around but can't seem to find out who they belong to. The black and white billy has a red colour and bell and an ear tag no. 5007

Christmas Pudding

Today was the day to make the Christmas pudding. I never put peel in my puddings and usually substitute it with chopped apricots - this year for a change I'm trying cherries. 7-8 hours of gentle steaming this evening, then 4 weeks for the flavours to mature.

yum-yum

ill

A rough night feeling wretched...but the sun is shining and there's snow on the mountains!

Snow!

Just an inch or so

Food for the birds

Icicles on the thatch

First snow of the winter here at Quélébu overnight. Unfortunately I have English "man-flu", so am wrapped up in bed sniffing and coughing and feeling generally rough. With just under a metre of snow at 2000m the first ski of the year is now long overdue.

Spindrift blowing from the summits this evening

Totnes

Back from a week in Totnes visiting Susie and her children Jasper and Ruby. Finally got to see Susie teaching dance - she's amazing. A short walk on the moor, a trip to the cinema, a sauna and a swim, plus I caught up with Dominic and Bridget and Al who's also just moved to Totnes.

Whilst there a beech martin got into the chicken run here and killed all my chickens. There's been a good fall of snow on the mountains down to 1000m and it's cold. The Rayburn and stove are both alight to rewarm the house.

Tuc de la Seube, Cap d'Auternac, Tuc d'Eychelle (10 peak watershed)

An enjoyable circuit in fantastic weather starting and finishing at Col de la Core (1395m). Ian, Ben, Arto and I set off a little before 9 and on reaching Col d'Auèdole followed the ridge over Tuc de la Seube (2105m), Sommet de Peyre Blanque(2176m), points 2224m, 2256m, 2314m, 2331m and Cap d'Auternac (2361m). After a descent to the Col de Crouzette we climbed upto Col d'Estiouere and followed the other side of the watershed over Tuc de Quer Ner(2389m), Tuc d'Eychelle (2315m) and L'Aubague, before descending the ridge (and some tricky, iron-hard steep snow below Pene Rouge) back to the Col de la Core. Ice axes were indispensible, crampons would have been useful but we managed with some step cutting.

First summit and a quick bite to eat

The peaks on the ridge to be climbed before our descent to the Col de Crouzette

Ian heading for peak number 5

Ben strikes a pose

Lenticular clouds warn of the on-coming poorer weather

Le Mont Valier (left)

Ian descending from Tuc de Quer Ner

Hot

A beautiful day today, 28 degrees in the sun. A walk in the mountains planned for tomorrow.

Current state of snow

There's enough up there to ski, but there are strong winds forecast tomorrow morning which might spoil it.

Cabane d'Eychelle

The Indian summer continues (a reward for a tough first half to the year) so today Ian and I went for a leisurely stroll up to the Cabane d'Eychelle from the Col de le Core.

It was hot and we were post holing through the crusty snow. Not a cloud in the sky but plenty of gossamer threads of spider's web glinting in the intense sun and drifting on the gentle breeze. Meantime the valleys remained under a sea of low cloud. At the Cabane d'Eychelle we found an unopened bottle of Bordeaux and couldn't resist. We progressed no further and snoozed in the sun. In payment we took the litter left at the hut back down the mountain.

Too much wine!

Golden day

High pressure has reasserted itself and the days are hot and golden. The colours of the trees change so fast.

Aujourd'hui etait chaud et dorée.

Even the sheep like looking at the colours.

Book binding

My little book is finished. A hand made book with an original tale and a combination of watercolour and photo illustrations. "The Trial of True Love" is (of course) a romantic fairytale!

Mon petit livre est fait. Faire à la main, un histoire originale, et les croquis de aquarelle. "l'essai de vrai l'amour" est (biensûr) une conte sentimentale!

Bacon

Two days of heavy rain have kept me house bound, but I've been busy preparing the bacon, and doing some book binding (something I haven't done for a while).

Today the clouds have cleared and there's a good covering of snow. 30cm at the Port d'Aula weather station, so a tentative 'first ski tour of the season' might be made tomorrow.

Il a plu pendant deux jours et j'avais rester dedans. j'ai fait la poitrine et un livre. Ce matin les nauges ont disparu et il y a de la neige sur les montagnes. 30cm au Port d'Aula...peut être un ski demain?

Terrace

Another day at Pont de la Taule. Today was terrace day. There was a lot of faffing about to get main beams level, then quite a bit of shovelling muck, but once we (Chris and I) got into the carpentry it sped along. All done in a day - phew! Knackered!

Encore à Pont de la Taule. Aujourd'hui la terrasse. Il y avais beaucoup de trevail de faire les poutres horizontales, et quelques terrain a battir, mais lorsque la charpenterie a commencé toutes a passé vite. Toute a fait.

South wind

A strong hot (24 degrees) south wind has been blowing all day. Producing amazing cloud formations.I swear I have been able to see the colours of the leaves on the trees changing before my eyes from minute to minute.

Le vent fort et chaud de Sud soufle toute la journée. Il a fait les nauges encroyable. On peut apercevoir les coleurs des feuilles changeant chaque minute!
Sometimes the natural beauty of where I live is overwhelming.

La paysage ici est souvent trop belle pour ma tête!