Sunday

I tried to ignore Matt for as long as possible but he doesn’t make it easy. I made it to 11am and couldn’t ignore the SDS drill any longer so figured it was time to go and help. It will be such a bonus when we are on to things that don’t make a lot of noise! Anyway, there’s not much to tell really, lots of breaking up concrete, putting it in bags, emptying them into the chicken coop and do it all over again. Layer one, then the metal re-enforcing, layer 2, layer 3, and finally the tiles.

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Finally get back to the joists across that end of the room. I reckon we are just over two thirds of the way through so must have moved over 4 tonnes for cement and bricks so far. No wonder we are exhausted!

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Matt’s taking a lot of pictures of the beams as it seems that the ones around the sink are somewhat rotten. There must have been a big old leak there at some point that has kept them wet for ages and just rotted them down so we’re going to need to look at potentially replacing some of them and work out how to fix the lintel that they are resting on.

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In the meantime it’s probably best to make it safe so we can start on the other end later in the week without falling into the basement.

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Plenty more added to the piles in the chicken coop today too.

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Time for the last of the tartiflette and some TV. Too tired today to write the blog so will leave it till tomorrow. I still have to finish prepping for my meeting tomorrow anyway so better get that done. Till then people x

[7 March 2021]

Monday

Good heavens. I feel like I need a weekend, or at least a day off just to lie in bed! Sadly I have this meeting so have to get up and get ready for it. Seems that what they need is actually not what I’d been told but either way, it’s a few days extra work and with all the additional house expenses it’s no bad thing.

Couple of days late but Matt noticed that Lidl has a nice rotovator for sale and little greenhouses so we took a brief trip out to go see if we could get one. 3 Lidl’s later and no joy. Thankfully they did have a few bits and pieces to cheer me up. Pretty excited to have a nice new cold frame so that I can start some of my seeds off soon and some little plug things for them so definitely not a wasted trip.

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Back to work as have lots to do. Managed to squeeze in a quick call to Tonia to see what the problem was with her sewing machine but seems she’d fixed it. Otherwise just worked through till about 10, watched an episode of Iron Fist (not too sure about it yet), blog updates and finally bedtime.

[8 March 2021]

Tuesday

Matt was up early this morning to head down to Luchon to see if he could get some stuff to fix the beams in the kitchen and maybe some workshop shelving. Seems it was a bust however and is going to require some specialist trips, and associated language skills…

Lots more work for both of us. But I did get a round of applause for my work today, it’s nice working with new teams. They can never replace the original and best boss though, Pete has been providing advice on the beams and flooring, thanks, love you!

[9 March 2021]

Wednesday

Delivery due this morning, between 7am and midday. Wasn’t entirely sure what it would be but they didn’t say Castorama so pretty sure it would be the new bed frame, and it was. They weren’t sure about making it through the trees on the driveway so I had to go help Matt to collect it. Blimey was cold out, thick frost last night.

Anyway, time for work. Had a brief wander out in the garden at lunch to see what damage last night’s frost might have done. I also found what I believe to be wild strawberry flowers out in the front near the bunches of daffodils, and managed to get a picture of a flutterby.

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Matt insisted that we go to check out the builders merchants up at Montrejeau to see if we could get the wood to repair some bits in the kitchen. Unfortunately it seems that these are no longer standard sizes so basically nobody does them.. Back to the drawing board.

Finished work outside in the last of the sun, it’s amazing how far the setting position has moved in just the past month. The sun now drops behind middle of mountain 2 at 5:55pm. (Sorry, still no garden book so this is the best I have right now as an aide memoir for next year).

After work we put together the new bed frame, apparently we had to make sure that it had all the bits. It’s not too bad but obviously going to get in the way as none of the rooms are decorated yet. If the problem with the floors can’t be resolved soon though we are going to have to move onto something else while we wait for, well I don’t I know what for you’d have to ask Matt, but I’m guessing a minor miracle. At least all the bits were there though, even if one of the bedside tables is a little bit wonk.

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[10 March 2021]