Staying busy

Staying busy during the lockdown. The symbiotic garden is mulched and starting to be planted.

The sheep are finally happy as the grass is growing faster than they can eat it...

...and the new TQ Architects home office is taking shape.

Rest in Peace Mr Quince

Our splendid cockerel Mr Quince, finally succumbed to Marek's diesease. The last 8 months have been a struggle keeping him healthy but he's slowly lost the use of his legs and the last few days we've had to carry him everywhere. Unable to sit up today, it was sadly time to say goodbye. He was a big character and we loved him, he'll be hugely missed.

Snow overnight and today, too little too late but nice to see after a dry warm winter.

The old workshop has now been vacated (home office here we come) and the newly converted woodshed moved into - lighting, power sockets and external cladding still to do. 

Susie's been using her time to master spinning on the new wheel, first bobbin full!

First morels...just within our permitted 1 km radius of exercise.

Been a while!

Not many posts recently because we've been rushed off our and had visitors (Jen, Susie's sister). Jen came just as the coronovirus was coming to a head and she was lucky to get one of the last flights back to the UK before the lockdown here in France. I celebrated my birthday just after she left and Susie and I lunched on the terrace with a fantastic chocolate cake Susie baked with sugared violets from the chemin.

With the good weather I've been cracking on with converting the woodshed into a workshop and 5 tonnes of concrete later, some timber framing and reuse of old windows, its beginning to take shape. 

The mammoth task of clearing and fencing the Pla d'Artigue is finally over and the sheep are enjoying the new field. Alas Hopi's baby died at 3 days old despite our best efforts to save her...our only loss in this year's lambing. I'll have to check Hopi for mastitis.

Make that 10!

8 lambs and counting..

Lamb number 4 "Apple"

Pic de Cabanatous

Susie was leading a group choreography workshop today, so Jasper, Ruby and I made the most of the lovely weather and their last day to get a day in the mountains. The circuit of Coumebiere, Pic de Cabanatous, Etang d'Alate, Port de Saleix, filled the time perfectly.

 first snow

 about 1m deep

 Etang Bassies frozen

 Steep descent from the summit but soft snow

 Comedy

 Snow a little harder in the shade

 Etang d'Alate frozen and snow covered

 Last snow of the day

Return to vegetation

Pumpkin after a piggy back ride from Al

Mum not interested either

Jasper and Ruby are here for a week, time for a rest for them and a catch up for us. Nice to see them both at the same time!

First lambs of 2020

Clearly William's apron didn't work, first lambs born this morning to Apache. A pair of twins, one of each.

Tuc de l'Adosse and Le Picou

 A spell of warm weather after some rain has saturated the snow and increased the avalanche risk so we opted for a walk with sun and views of the the mountains rather than being in them. Tuc de l'Adosse from near the Col de le Trappe fitted the bill!

We took a slightly different route from the last time we did this peak, contouring below Quer Martit and continuing until just before the col on the main ridge west of Tuc de l'Adosse, where we struck straight up an open rocky ridge to land on the summit.

Lunch on the summit in the sun, with spectacular views.

We followed the ridge eastwards to Le Picou before descending to the Quer Martit and regaining the path of ascent.

 Descending the craggy Quer de Martit