Still hot and sunny ...

Its been quiet here as Paul continues with the plumbing -there's water upstairs now, and Marilyn gets ready to go to Malaga for a weeks work. The beds are ready for James and Viv who arrive next week -one in the caravan and another in the middle room. Our speckly hens have settled in, 5 eggs today, and we are picking young carrots from the raised beds. The drought is having an effect in the fields with deep cracks appearing and it seems our water supply has changed in the past few days . The blackberry crop is not looking good this year -some rain would be very welcome.

Taking shape

Progress on the chia... Tracey has done her bit (for now) and is on her way to a flight to UK and a weeks holiday. Paul says he'll be plumbing tomorrow and Marilyn plans to search Auch for something to wear to Bev and Andy's September wedding -watch this space!

The heatwave continues but under a few clouds today -the rain has missed Puycasquier and our garden is a picture of drought.

Another room and the next visitors ...

The hot weather continues ... and work focusses on the chai, making work surfaces, plumbing and finding space for a temporary kitchen. On Friday Nicki et al. arrived on their way home to Berlin via Portugal -how nice it is to have a house that can so easily accomodate 7 extra people. We shared a great meal -more tomato sauce, aubergine salad and blackberry ice cream were quickly made, a bottle of the Bordeaux 2001 opened and soon the children were ready for their sleep. This morning Lena and Zoe discovered 9 eggs in the rabbit hutch -evidence of flying hens, more wing clipping is needed.

Marilyn's birthday 2009

August 18th was another hot and sunny day -we had lunch in Lectour, visited the Lectour Bleu workshop, and then a gourmet supper at the Michelin starred Une Auberge En Gascogne. Jen is now on her way back to UK, with plenty of (local) foie gras for her friends -it was great having her here for a few days. Dagga in hospital for the day having a small heamatoma removed from his ear -lots of tlc will be needed when he gets home this evening.

the heatwave goes on ...

We're enjoying the heat -its tough going slow! The office has moved from the sitting room into the stables, leaving behind lots of room. This is ice cream weather -so I am making mexican milk ice cream tonight -ingredients include chocolate and pecans ...

Heatwave

The summer heat has arrived, and so has my friend Jen -now enjoying a post prandial nap on the deck. Paul has made electric socket holders from a chunk of Grandad Carpenter's wood -shipped from UK 5 years and well worth keeping to hold some very smart plugs -just one is proving a challenge to attach to the wall! The office is slowly taking shape ... Meanwhile I'm wondering if the kitchen is cool enough to cook in so that I can keep the ripe tomato population to a reasonable level and start some ice ceam -a suitable pudding for supper when its 30+C. We had the annual flying black beetle invasion two nights ago -last night it was just the frogs that inhabit the deck keeping us company and Dagga amused.

Stable floor tiled

• Celebrations on this very hot day for the finish of the stable floor. Well done, Tracey and Paul. It looks great -the result of much hard work, there are some very sore knees around here tonight! Cookie has just gone walk about in the sunflowers -at least she has had enough exercise today now, and Paul had to shepherd a speckly hen back into the run -it all happens around here, sometimes.

More tiling -but its nearly done

Well, the tiling is nearly finished in the stables -much preparation at the end of last week, including digging the doorway down to the foundations, lots of sweeping, and a layer of wonderful self levelling concrete. Tracey's design is looking great and the colour blends so well with the lime plastered wall. Paul and Marilyn spent a very long time in the burner shop on Friday choosing bathroom radiators only to be told later that they are no longer made -so that's a job to be redone next week! We've had overnight rain, a blessing for the garden -the tomato crop is almost at its peak and we are enjoying wonderful purple aubergines day after day.

Only one more floor to tile -for now

Everything is back in the newly tiled middle stables (except the inevitable donation to the dump -tough decisions were made!) and now work starts on the rest. First job is to remove the staircase so Paul & Tracey are relocating to the house for a few days -mainly because the dogs can't climb a ladder to go to bed. My bake day produce has now all gone -hard work needs lots of biscuits and the brown bread ice cream was also a hit. In the garden the rocket seeds have germinated so need a close watch in case they bolt, and the tomatoes and courgettes just keep ripening ...

Progress on the stable floor, lots of vegtables from the garden ... and Bruno has found a new place to sleep, effectively putting my tapestry out of reach! A more gentle day today, some clouds and I spent some minutes watching the guinea fowl bully the hens for some courgette peelings. The flowers by the front door continue to delight, making the 45 minutes to dead head them worthwhile.