A little too much work at the moment, with regular round trips to Hastings (6 hours of driving each way) and some major demolition at Tigley as we have knocked through the half metre thick stonewall between the extension and the existing house.

Stonehenge from the A303, I drive past every time I go to Hastings

The weather remains summery and Susie and I have been making the most with walks around Dartington and to the coast.

Backlit Copper Beech leaves

 Cornfield at Coleton Fishacre

Summer in full swing

Elderflower Champagne fermenting

A bumper broadbean harvest this year

Pic de Crabere

With the weather forecast for a sunny cloudless day, I got up early and packed for a day in the mountains - an ascent of Pic de Crabere. It took about an hour to drive to the parking at Anglade close to Frechendech and at 8.30 I set off. There was plenty of morning low cloud but the sun was already burning it off and I needed only shorts and T-shirt.

It took 2 hours 30 minutes to climb upto Etang d'Arraing. The path is never too steep and climbs steadily, mostly high above the river, through broadleaved forest. A little before the lake you finally emerge from the trees and the huge face of Pic de l'Har looms overhead to the left.

The lake is held back by a dam which also generates some electricity. I was amazed that the water level was very low, I thought at this time of year it would be full with snow melt. Just before the refuge I stumbled across three people (engineers I assumed) who were sitting on the ground each studying laptops which had been plugged into sockets mounted on a post in the middle of the mountain. Evidently some of the electricity is made available! 

After a spot to eat I pressed on towards the summit about another hour and half away. My lack of fitness began to show after the col d'Aueran and the endless zig-zags leading the last 400m to the summit were exhausting. The weather briefly changed as clouds welled up from the valleys (yesterday evening's rainstorm evaporating no doubt) and I was sometimes engulfed in cold cloud. Near the top I disturbed some Ptarmigans.

Amazingly the path to the summit avoided the snow, though the summit had a cap about 30m x 30m. The peak is famous for its great views of Pico Aneto and the Luchonais Pyrenees, but I was in and out of the clouds. I descended a little on the Spanish side to eat my lunch out of the wind.

The descent of the zig-zags was much quicker than the ascent and I meet a party of three ascending, the only other people I saw all day. As soon as I was down and back at the Col d'Aueran, the sun returned and temperatures climbed all afternoon. I took a longer way back crossing the Pas du Bouc (2170m) and descending to the Cabane d'Uls. I had meant to then climb to the Col d'Auarde but I mistook an earlier cabane for the Cabane d'Uls and climbed to another col by the Etang d'Uls. 

At the Col I saw an Eagle which I have now identified as a Short-toed (or Snake) Eagle, so called as it eats mostly snakes.

Having realised my error I decided to press on, descending steeply to the Trous des Maumats then attempting to contour northwards to pick up my planned route at the Cabane des Pugues. I eventually gave this up and descended more directly towards the Chapel d'Isard through the Reserve Biologique d'Isard on difficult pathless terrain. Descending towards a snow field I saw a Red deer doe happily sitting on the snow to keep cool. Eventually she saw me and fled off into the woods.

The flowers on the walk and particularly through the Reserve, were stunning today with too many species to list - but everywhere was carpeted in blooms and the selection seemed to change at every turn.

I headed for the Chapel d'Isard, a curious chapel high in the mountains far from any habitation, but alas is was locked because of storm damage.

From here I picked up my path of ascent and returned to the car - hot and with sore feet. It had been 17 miles, 7000ft of ascent and nearly 9 hours of walking! I got home at 6.30 where the thermometer in the sun was still reading 42 degrees!

Tomorrow is my last day and I have the last of the clearing out to do from the garage at Pont and some work to do here also.

The weather has been lovely and hot with clouds clearing early in the morning then slowly building again in the late afternoon....this afternoon we had a torrential downpour but it only lasted 40 minutes or so until the heat returned. 

The fields are full of flowers - orchids, ox-eye daisies, sorel, rattle, etc

I spent a morning having a good clear out in the woodshed, cutting the huge pile of small wood into kindling and re-stacking the logs to make room for the two wood working machines that have been in storage at Pont since I bought them for a song about 5 years ago. I cast a concrete slab to support the bigger 5 in 1 machine.

The field down in the woods which has been much neglected is destined to become my "edible forest garden" soon. I spent a morning topping it with the scythe -  a surprising amount of grass under the growth on the upper two terraces.

Work - trying to sign off Gilbert and Nicole's barn conversion at La Trappe and finishing the plastering and painting around the windows here at Quelebu has kept me busy.

Loading, moving and unloading the machines was destined to be a job and a half. In the end it took 2 full days a lot of grunting and the purchase of a 1/4 tonne winch to move them on rollers, on and off the trailer.

Tomorrow I'm heading for Pic Crabere - it's the western most peak in the Couserans and amazing that I've not yet climbed it.

France

It's been half term in the UK so Anna planned a lovely evening walk to the The Maltsters on Monday and on Wednesday Susie cooked an amazing spread of Indian cuisine for some friends at our house in Dartington.

An early flight this morning and I'm back in France. Gloriously hot and lovely sound of a thousand crickets in the meadow. After some much needed grass cutting, I went for stroll to check on the fields and bumped in Paul.

Nearly 91 and still driving his tractor up to his barn at Le Sarrach and climbing through the woods searching for mushrooms most days. He gave me the sad news that Louise (Annie and Lucette's mother and Minsou's sister, died last week).

The fields are full of orchids, some photos:

 

Project updates

Slating and leadwork complete at Laura and Guy's

 The random width chestnut boarding on the facade

The project at Hastings 'slowly' progressing

The latest building project, a kitchen and bathroom extension for Laura and Guy taking shape.

First shots with the new camera which Olympus sent to the replace my old one.

 Looking across Dartmoor on my way to see Anton Coaker for some chestnut.

Lovely weather yesterday, so we spent the afternoon in Dartington Gardens.

Our little garden in Dartington

Camera problems and France

It's been a while since my last post. My Olympus Stylus 1 developed an annoying intermittent fault and as it was still under warranty I sent it back to Olympus for repair. Two weeks later it returned having been to Portugal to be repaired in little more than a plastic bag! It was missing the viewfinder shroud and had a load of new faults! After writing an angry letter to Olympus the camera is once more with their repair facility, supposedly with a senior technician. I'm still awaiting it's return.

Another timber frame building project is under way in Devon, this time a kitchen and bathroom extension for friends near Totnes. Photos soon.

A quick visit to France at the weekend is now coming to a close. Final works at La Falaise, emptying the barn of rubbish, strimming and extending the ventilation from the septic tank to the roof ridge.

A Quelebu, some long overdue works: 

Lowering the basin in the bathroom

 Double glazing for the old part of the house

 Kiwi plants showing signs of growth at long last

 The rose of the pergola expanding

Susie's onions and strawberries (after a marathon session of dock removal)

 Plants from Pont for the porch

  The lime tree doing well

An unknown beastie about 3-4 cm long...maybe a type of digger wasp?

Scabbacombe

Lovely spring weather in the UK at the moment and when we got home Susie and I worked on the vegetable garden which is full of life at the moment - potatoes, onions, garlic, broad beans, shallots, blackcurrants, raspberries and lettuces.

This afternoon I went for a stroll to Scabbacombe Bay. Clear weather and waters. A spot of fruitless spinning from the rocks and some photography.

In the next bay I sat in quiet spot on the cliffs and watched a pair of Peregrin falcons patrolling the cliffs.