Geo-caching

On Saturday a walk around the Dartington Estate with Susie and Dominic searching for geo-caches (hidden objects with a GPS reference and clue to find them). We found most of the ones we were looking for even though we only had a good old fashioned map and grid reference.

Sunday we took Jasper and Ruby to see the latest bond movie "Skyfall" directed by Sam Mendes it's one of the best!

Yesterday afternoon Dom and I wandered across the moor visiting the old rifle range in several tors in the Hay Tor area. Tomorrow we are all off to the Culm coast  (North of Bude).

Dark and damp

Despite the photos in the last post, the UK has to be one of the most dark, damp and sunless places on earth. I can almost count on my fingers the number of decent weather days this year. If it wasn't for Susie and my frequent trips to Quélébu I think I'd go mad. It's no wonder that Finland has the highest suicide rate in the world it's possibly the only place darker, wetter and more sunless than the UK!

Of course I'm not suicidal, but I'm shocked that I managed to live here for so long before realising that you only have to go a 1000 miles south to be in such a different climatic zone that you could be on another planet! Whilst this weather is great for slugs and snails, frogs and other amphibians, I can't believe it's good for the human body.

St Ives

A night away for Susie and I in lovely St Ives. A trip to the Tate and Barbara Hepworth's home and garden.

Ground floor nearly finished

 Myla and Thea watching the "spectacle"

On Sunday a trip to Massat to see Justin, Emily and the twins, who were there at the autumn fair doing a hog roast. All seemed to be going very well and the weather was balmy. The last two days has been spent mostly finishing off the entrance and kitchen as well as a little work in the fields. The ground floor is finally looking near to completion - it's been a very productive trip.

 Entrance lobby nearing completion

Kitchen also looking nearly finished

It's been absolutely glorious today and much of the snow has already gone. A big juicy cep for dinner. For the next few days the strong hot South winds are gonna blow - the leaves will turn and autumn will have truly arrived here.

Snow!!

Internet was down this evening so quickly modified the wine/vegtable rack to fit in the awkward space beside the fridge - perfect!

Wood store

All day building the new inside wood store in the porch. I used to store a few days of wood under the stairs but of course they've long since disappeared. In moving some wood I disturbed an enormous 'Camberwell Beauty' butterfly.

The wood store is built from oak offcuts, but looks the part and is good and solid.

phew!

All finished bar the varnish.

Changeable

All weathers today. After a clear start we've had heavy rain and thunder, then hot sunshine, now more thunder. Spent all the day working on the desk and tiling the floor beneath it.

More 'shrooms for dinner, this time horn of plenty, gypsy mushrooms, parasols and some amethyst deceivers!

Desk

More field cutting, some shopping, more mushrooms and the new desk starts to take shape.

Google Chrome - too many problems recently.

I've been a chrome user almost since it came out, but recently there are just too many problems and crashes, now it's developed a glitch that stops me logging into facebook and many other sites - returning an invalid server certificate message. It's been an on-going problem with chrome releases for many people since April 2012. Google aren't helping...are they listening? I'm switching to firefox.

France

Back home to France and the contrast in weather couldn't be greater. My flight from Bristol was delayed by the appalling weather but we arrived in Toulouse to 27 degrees of balmy late summer sun. It was dark by the time I got to Quelebu but I was greeted by the biggest wild boar I've ever seen in the car headlamps.

The leaves are starting to turn here so autumn isn't far away but the weather is glorious.

Today was very productive. In the morning I made the bookcase/divider that will separate the sitting room from the study area.

After lunch I went for stroll in the woods. There are mushrooms everywhere! So I took A fine selection for supper tonight.

In the afternoon I set about cutting the big field in front of the house. Its about three acres so it took all afternoon, until after dark in fact.

Sheep Tor

The ponies on the moor being rounded up

Stone circles

A short trip to Sheep Tor - checking out the rock climbing there. Pretty cold blustery weather and not at all inviting though the climbs looked like they'd be fun on a sunny day.

New Blogger interface absolute crap

Like most bloggers who use Google Blogger I am very unhappy. We have been forced to migrate to the new Blogger interface which is frankly a heap of shit. It's impossible to get decent equal margins around images, the interface is horribly clumsy and the amount of control is much reduced. I can usually modify the HTML to get what I want (very time consuming) but even this doesn't seem to work.

Google are also determined to try and get everyone on "Google+" which is another new, clunky and just downright irritating piece of lunacy.

Wordpress anyone? Heard Tumblr is worth a look too.

Shutters

Yesterday afternoon I went to see Ian and progress on his new house at Bincaresh which we has been renovating for the past year or so. He moves in next week! Then he and I popped over to Salau to see progress at Alun and Breezy's place, where I'd been invited for supper. Both places are looking fabulous.

I've spent the last couple of days making oak shutters for the kitchen. Haven't hung the middle ones yet 'cos a little storm rolled in - it's been hot and humid today.

Storm didn't last long so all done now!

Work and more mushrooms

Beautifully hot here (36 in the sun) which is nice after the awful summer weather in the UK. Work continues here at Quelebu with new lights in the kitchen, the front wall finished between the rafters, the curtains and window seat in the kitchen finished, the yukka in the front garden removed and the the old grease trap filled in.

Lots more viewings of the house at Pont, especially now I've reduced the price!
Visits from friends and neighbours and more mushrooms for tea - 5 different bolettes including a cep. I fried these with some garlic and bacon, the little cep (bottom) and the Boletus Erythropus (the little one in the middle with a brown velvety cap) were just amazing!

Pyrenees

Back to France and more building. Hot sunny weather and lovely haul of mushrooms for tea.

Last day

A nice sunny day on Monday (at long last) and Susie's last day before returning to work. The kids were busy doing homework so we cycled the rather hilly direct route to Blackpool sands (about 11 miles) for a spot of R and R. A longer but easier route home.

Off to France tomorrow.

Walks on the moor

A couple of recent outings:

Thursday walk up to Haytor at dusk with Susie, Dominic and Bridget. After watching the sunset we returned by moonlight.
On Friday an evening canoe down the River Dart from Totnes to Tuckenhay - the last part again by moonlight, again with Dominic and Bridget.

Yesterday an afternoon stroll with Susie starting and finishing at New Waste. We followed the River Yealm to it's source passing the tiny waterfalls at Yealm Steps before following the damp, tussocky moorland of the watershed, to descend the River Erme.

An ingot stone for casting tin at the ruined blowing house below Yealm Steps

lunch at Yealm Steps

A tiny dead shrew

Fish

At the weekend a short camping trip to East Prawle and a spot of fishing with Jasper on the only decent weather day but nothing caught.
Today the weather has been briefly good again so Susie and I made another short trip to Brixham and in 50mins 7 mackerel! Susie cooked a delicious slow cooked Japanese dish with them.

Out and about

Walking behind the waterfall

Susie and Emily

Mostly horrible weather here in the UK which is depressing. None the less we've had a few days out. Some fishing and walking around Brixham, a trip to the waterfalls near Ystradfellte where you can actually walk behind one of the waterfalls, a quick browse in some reclamation shops in Hereford and the inevitable trip to IKEA.