Friday

Busy day today. I have back to back meetings and Matt is off to Toulouse to return some bits and pick up some other things. While he was out the new BBQ was delivered along with his super new office chair. They were too heavy for me to move alone so were dumped on the veranda and porch awaiting his return. The first of the hollyhock flowers came out though which was nice.

It was quite lonely being at home all day without Matt so I was very pleased when he finally got home. Seems he’s picked up quite a few good bits and pieces. Most notably a new above ground pool. It’s going to take some prep to get it ready but we need something while we await planning and finding someone to dig the hole for the permanent pool.

Job one was to mow the waist high grass. Apparently that is too long for the ride on mower so Matt needs to have a go with the strimmer first while I move the pretty birch logs out the way. They do have some lovely colours and lichens which I found particularly pleasing.

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Now we need to get the bbq put together so that we can have dinner. It’s definitely not as good as our one in London but it will do.

Time for dinner and some more work before bed as it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.

[11 June 2021]

Saturday

What an exhausting day. Matt was up first as usual. He was out on the mower clearing the extra space for the ‘pool’.

I however also had to be up early as we had to be up in Ausson by 10:15 to collect a sideboard thing from a lovely lady called Sophie. She was calmly sat on the porch as we arrived and pointed us towards it. It looked big but Matt’s strong. Turns out I am not however. She must have been chuckling as I tried to lift one end on my own, I was didn’t even get it a cm off the floor. Thankfully she and her partner helped us to carry it round to the trailer and load it on.

Next stop, another swimming pool place. These guys will do the whole thing for you which seems like a great idea to me. Problem it turns out is that they are fully booked until June next year and there are potential problems in Marignac. Something about the high voltage power lines and something else, so will be interesting to see what comes back from the Mairie..

Quick stop into Action to get a few bits and pieces and some more garden chairs, shame they only had one in turquoise.

There’s some big race Occitaine bike race today apparently which is closing the road down towards our place. We’re not entirely sure at what time and Matt is now telling me that it is 12:30 (it’s already after 12). So Matt and I split up. I head off into Super U for wine, beer, bbq items and their super lovely ‘mini crepes’. Matt goes to Rural Master for gravel and sand. We convene back at the car simultaneously but Matt is still worried about the road closures as we have 5 mins left, so throw things into the car, run trollies back to bays and jump in the car. [It was like rural France’s version of SuperMarket Sweep, if you’ve never seen it, you’ve not missed anything beyond this reference.] Turns out that the road wouldn’t close for another hour, Rural Master would have done though and it was a job done so I wasn’t complaining.

Back home and we are both already tired and need some lunch. After some quick burgers on the bbq it’s time to start preparing the groundworks. Firstly, Matt is much better at digging than I am. I certainly had a go though and did my best but we largely reverted to type, he made the mess and I picked it up, put it in the wheelbarrow and disposed of it.

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Once the grass and sod was out it was going to be a quick job. Or so we thought. I swear nothing here ever goes to plan. Gravels and sand now in and pressed down with the mower and Matt quickly finished off the extra part of the garden, we’re not going to want to do it when the pool is up. And eventually, the pool was up.

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It didn’t look too bad but the base was going to need someone… guess who.. to get in and smooth out the wrinkles. Just as I was about to jump under the shower Matt called me back to help with the ladder, ‘just 2 minutes’ was not 2 minutes, what a terribly designed contraption that was! We eventually got it together though and expecting that the outside water might be warmer than inside I had a quick ‘burning man’ shower [naked in the garden, it was too late for my clothes to be wet]. It wasn’t much warmer and I was very grateful that the neighbours couldn’t see me, they’d have really thought I’d lost my mind. All clean, we spent the next 20 mins looking for my glasses. Once found I showed Matt something I now call ‘pool yoga’.

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Wrinkles out it’s time to start putting a lot more water in and for Matt to bring back the ladder so I can actually get out of here. As Matt does dinner I get on with the dishes and tidying, we’ve been a little remiss over the last week due to work. Bbq pork and sausages, yummy. Time to get some work done while Matt clears up and sorts other things.

It’s now midnight and Matt is done with filling the pool so he’s off to bed and I should probably stop working. I do decided to update the blog though before bed. Disrupted by a mouse in the bin I took drastic action, I put it outside the back door for Matt to deal with in the morning. Finally though the update is nearly done and I am eventually off to bed. Night all x

[12 June 2021]

Sunday

So tired. Matt was up mowing the paths well before me.

I tried to lie in, but I didn’t really manage it. I was up before 11. It seems that the ground levelling was only of limited success.. It has about 16000 litres of water in it now though so not really sure what the plan is, will have to do more investigation to work out the potential damage to the pool vs. cost of emptying, trying to fix and refilling.

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Either way, it’s up and the weather looks like it’s going to be scorchio today. Time to kick back and relax with a nice swim ?

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Definitely a good day for a bbq.

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Another quick swim and it’s time to get on with some work. Quick call with OUH to discuss safeguarding processes and lots more work to do. Had a short break for another quick call and more work late into the evening. I’m looking forward to getting this one in so I can have a proper weekend again. Time for bed.

[13 June 2021]