Stormy and Wet

Shit

My house was converted from a barn in the late 1970's....I've lived here since 2005 and completely renovated the place...yet I've only just noticed tonight that some of the beams still have quite a bit of cowshit on them from it was a functioning barn - probably the 1950's!

 Snow!

A tidy up behind the house

Same view 10 years ago

Little Shutter

Rainy and cooler today - no doubt snowing in the mountains. The car passed its controle technique this morning and this afternoon I finished the little shutter. Also managed to find my missing opinel knife (under the sofa).

In the evening a trip to see Justin, Emily and the girls (who are going up fast - 5 years old and at school)

Thea eats her cous-cous for the camera

Snow down to about 1400m last night, photos tomorrow if the clouds clear.

First snow this morning

Despite the dusting of snow above 2500m it's remained warm today, but some wind and clouds are a sign that things are changing. After some work this morning, I finished strimming the last of the fields and built a little shutter for the tiny window in the kitchen. I'll get some hinges in St Girons tomorrow whilst the car is in for its control techinique (MOT).

Another beautiful day. Spent the morning working on the car trying to stop the jimny "death wobble" with some washers to load the king pin bearings...will see if it's worked tomorrow. Then a trip to see Sandrine and Virginie at Pinsou and a bit of strimming. Weather is set to change tomorrow with temperatures dropping 15 degrees, but it's warm and cosy this evening evening in the house.

Mont Valier (8)

With only a couple of days of the amazing weather left I decided to head up Mont Valier from the Col de Pause. I left at 7.40 just as the first rays of sunshine were hitting the mountain.

I reached the Port d'Aula in 1hr 20. The vague path after Col de la Tinderelle has been wiped away by avalanches and the tricky section before Petit Valier was more difficult than I remembered (think I descended to much to the right). There was still frost on the ground through this section as it wasn't in the direct sunshine, but nevertheless I never needed more than shorts and tee-shirt all day - even on the summit!

Cuns d'Aula just before the Port d'Aula

Telephoto shot of the Aiguilles de Trevessani far in the distance

The col at 2600m which leads to the tricky section before Petit Valier

Looking down the Couloir de Peyre blanc

As I neared the summit I noticed there was already someone there, laying out a parapente. Film below is his take-off!

I reached the summit in just 3hrs 45 (my second quickest time). I had the summit to myself for 25 minutes then 3 other climbers arrived, the only people I saw all day. After an hour lunching in the sun I started my descent.

With tired legs I was extra careful on the tricky section and eventually took longer on the descent than on the ascent (4hrs 10).

The way down through Spain leading to the Port d'Aula

Isard

Nice to be back in the Pyrenees

Yarner

Another trip to Yarner Woods, this time to try out the new camera. Nice to be able to get up close with stills and video.

Marsh tit

Nuthatch

Blue tit

My bird  

Autumn

Autumn has arrived and the UK that means stormy wet weather, always a difficult time for me as in the Pyrenees autumn is hot and dry (29 degrees there at the moment). I have a lot of work here presently which is keeping me in the UK a bit longer than usual. Autumn here also means fungus and here are some... 

 Pygmy Brittlestems (psathyrella pygmaea)

...and something to eat - Wood Cauliflower (sparassidaceae)

New Camera

After the very disappointing pictures of the marten I started looking for a camera with better zoom capabilities and discovered that Olympus had recently introduced the Stylus 1. 

Behind the lens it's very similar to the XZ-2 (the successor to my current camera the XZ-1) but with a built in electronic viewfinder. The lens is a 28-300mm zoom (about 10.5 x magnification) but with a constant f2.8! Not quite as bright as the f1.8 of the XZ-1 but to have f2.8 at 300mm is great. There's also an enhanced 2 x digital zoom on top of the optical zoom and 2 extra programmable buttons and a dial to customise the camera and put functions you use most often at your fingertips. The full HD video is also much improved from my old camera. Sizewise it's a little bigger but still much smaller than an SLR and the lens folds flat. All in all just what I was looking for. 

I sold my old electronic viewfinder and XZ-1 on ebay for a profit and found a secondhand (but unused and stilled boxed) stylus 1 for only a little more than the proceeds! Just started to use it and the results are very promising. (Alas the video has been pixelated by you tube).

Barclay 100

A very tough 100 mile (160km) race through terrain similar to my part of the ariege. Desolée le film n'est que en anglais.

Lost knives

A beautiful day today with the temperature in the sun in the low 30's. I was up late and regretted not packing last night for a day on the hill.

Still, this morning I cleared and pointed the drainage channel around the bathroom extension (that's been on my to do list for years).

After a light lunch I realised that I'd lost my opinel knife. I've had it since I was 13. Another smaller opinel I found in the woods here 7-8 years ago, was confiscated on the flight from Bristol because I'd left it in a trouser pocket and it got picked up by airport x ray...so that's 2 opinels in under a week!  I retraced my steps from the last mushroom hunt but couldn't find it - looking for a wooden handled knife in 100,000 square miles of forest, deep in leaf litter, was always gonna be tricky. Next time I'll get one with a red handle.

I continued my walk down to the Moulin d'Aleu, then back up to the village, up to La Rouere, then continued along the chemin after La Rouere until it began to descend to Castet d'Aleu. Here I struck up the ridge until eventually, after much scrambling I reached the other end of the ridge from Joubac. The next 500m were hell - no path and waist deep bracken, bramble and broom in equal measure. I got ripped to shreds in my shorts and three times I startled groups of sleeping wild boar who crashed through the undergrowth all around me in a half-awake frenzy, trying to escape the intruder. Once I made the path the going was easy and I returned home via Joubac and La Bordasse. 600 or 700m of ascent, not bad for an afternoon stroll.

 The forest is carpeted with autumn crocus at the moment

Looking down from the ridge before Joubac to the Arac gorge and the road to Massat

Shredded

chim-chimney

With the summer almost over, this morning I cleaned the chimneys. I was most surprised when with all the fine soot came a little 'lump'. Closer inspection and a bit of cleaning and it was a bat. Long since dead and dessicated if not smoked!

Most of the rest of the day was spent moving firewood for the winter. A couple of stere of wood into the woodshed from the field below it - a mixture of walnut and ash from maybe 4 or 5 years ago.

A pleasant 27 degrees today, but still cloudy over the mountains - hope it clears tomorrow, my last full day. A short walk at the end of the afternoon to collect some mushrooms for dinner, then a dash to the garage with the tractor tyres, which were under inflated.

The barn conversion I designed and have been project managing for Gilbert and Nicole Coron in La Trappe is nearing completion - probably another 4 weeks to go.

Mr Martin

Watched a young male marten at lunchtime for about 20 minutes. Not at all phased by my presence and quite happy crunching on hazelnuts.

Crunching on the hazelnuts

New bench made from off cuts

Gone!

Nice to see the barn again! Three huge piles of branches to burn (two behind the hedge on the lower side) - probably in the spring.

Going, going but not quite gone!

Arrived late yesterday and there's a definite autumnal feeling here, with some leaves starting to turn.

After an early morning food shop, I set to work on cutting the hedge which is getting close to the electricity wires. I've laid it quite a few times now and it's so wide and thick, I can barely reach to cut it anymore without a very long bill hook or climbing on top with the chainsaw. It took most of the day to cut 2/3rds of it then rain stopped play, so I headed off to get some 'shrooms.

Happy Winter from Bjarne Salén on Vimeo.

Winter might be 3 months away but I'm already dreaming of skiing.

New House

We've moved out of town - from Totnes to Dartington. The new house is lovely, full of light and backing onto woods. There's a wood burning stove, a good sized garden and friendly neighbours. It's great to be able to step out of the house and into the countryside.

We're all cycling regularly to school, work, shops, etc. which also feels good. I managed to get everyone bikes, lights, locks and mudguards at knock down prices (through a combination of ebay, preloved and the local tip).

Just need to transplant veg from our allotment in the coming weeks.

House move

Back to the UK and a busy couple couple of weeks moving house and getting settled. No internet until tomorrow, when normal service will resume!