So, winter officially stops the day after tomorrow. It was
cold, as foretold, but we managed. It did look like it was all over last week
(We actually had lunch outside one day) but Winter had one more trick up his
sleeve and dumped about a foot and half of snow on the region in two days.
Forecasts say it’s getting warmer so once the snow has gone digging is back on
the agenda. Not the greatest news as I managed to hurt my back lifting 1 metre
pieces of oak! It’s getting better and perhaps the exercise will do it good.
Here’s hoping.
On the agenda this
spring are, duck/geese enclosure, build a poly tunnel, finish digging, set up a
permiculture garden (With some help from my friend whose blog I’m going to
attempt to put a link to on this page, watch this space) and plant lots of
fodder crops for the piggies. The Millevache Plateau have given us more work to
do. Our septic tank “does not comply” Well cheers for telling us that now
instead of in June when we bought the place. Apparently they couldn’t confirm
it because no one was living here. Having seen what it actually was they needed
to find why they couldn’t tell us then is a mystery. Poke a stick down it to
find the drainage pipe, it’s not there, it doesn’t comply. What a joke! So two
options, re place/upgrade it or change the system to not needing one. Composting
toilets and grey water treatment are our preferred options but knowing this
place it will be difficult as it’s different, but let’s see.
Mrs Powell finally has a Carte Vitale and the request for
photos came through today for mine. This means I can hurt myself and get
treated! Won’t be celebrating a la Joey from Friends, mind. Still waiting for
my social security number though. I can’t imagine the rugby result will speed
things up!
In the house, the upstairs toilet is now finished (Just in
time to be changed again if we go for the eco friendly version!!) Built nearly
everything using pallet wood so only had to buy a new sink. Downstairs the main
kitchen diner is a couple of steps closer to being finished. I’ve made a
worktop and a table from pallets. The table has a wobble but it adds charm. How
many French restaurants have you been to with bits of card holding up the table
legs. I’ve also put in another worktop made from some reclaimed wood that we
actually found in the outbuildings. As of yet everything in the kitchen is
second hand or reclaimed so keeping towards our goal of sustainable renovating.
All the animals are doing well. Poor old Bob2
(The Cockerel) got a bit of frostbite on his comb but serviced his ladies to
make up for it! It also turns out a snow covered pig ark is really quite warm,
not that I’ve slept in it, but I have got in with them to see!
So, with one of the best times of year for the garden coming up we should be back on
with lots of time outdoors which is why we did this in the first place. Must
finish True Blood season 5 before the good weather kicks in. Is Bill a goodie
or a baddie? A couple of episodes to find out! We sort of managed to play the
game Carcassonne with Little Powell (he teamed up with mummy) expecting him to
be beating us at it soon! I will endeavour to blog more often but without a
camera (But we get some when friends with cameras come to visit!) there is often not a lot to share especially during the frozen winter.
When we eventually get one I will try to get some shots of the handiwork on.
