August – First Week

It has been so long since I updated the blog and so much has happened over the month of August. Sometimes there isn’t a lot to blog about. Changes in the house are going on all the time, but much of the work that Robert is busy with is the ‘finishing off’ and ‘filling in’. Pieces of plaster board, wooden batons and also preparing a wooden backing behind the plaster board where a cupboard, or even a sink, might need to be attached. There is a huge amount of forward planning that needs to be done, and compliments to Robert for thinking out most of them.

One thing that didn’t happen, is we didn’t have a lot of rain. Not much at all, in fact. This has meant a lot of carrying water to the wildflower beds down at the road. But it was worth it as they have flourished.

Delighted to see a number of butterflies and bees visiting

Inside the house – Robert has been busy 

The guest toilet is now equipped with a basin and cupboard and a door !!

and the guest bathroom is taking shape.

A new ‘whirlymajig’ clothes line put up

AND…….  a line of bird balls for the wild birds to feed on – only took them a day or so to test them out.

I decided to build a shed with all the extra blocks that we have. So, I laid down these paving stones for a floor, carried some blocks from the front and placed them where the outer wall would be. Surveying the scene, I then decided that this would not be the place for a block shed. (1) It would be in view from the media room window, (2) it would be too permanent a building if anyone in the future might want to extend out of the back of the house, and (3) I just didn’t like it in this position. Back to square one! 

One week after raking out the whole eight tons of gravel, grass and weeds started appearing! I cannot tell you how annoyed I was. The people at the DIY store directed us to buy the membrane assuring us it would not let growth through. I thought, at the time, that it looked too ‘soft’ and ‘light’ to do the job, but with new and improved products appearing all the time, I accepted what I was told. At our last house, I laid a more sturdy membrane on top of a lawn, then topped it with bark mulch. We didn’t see anything come through for years. Neither the manufacturers or the store are interested in my complaint.  ‘Buyer beware’ isn’t that what they say?

Before I could hardly turn around, one afternoon, Robert put up another five sections of fence. 

This has made a huge improvement.

I found two things that I have not come across before in France. First of all was this handsome old ‘Stick Insect”

And, the second thing was this curious looking ‘Poo’. Anyone got an idea what animal it could have come from? 

One observer noted that there are seeds in evidence. It was quite big, similar to dogs poo. There are no stray dogs running about and I haven’t seen a fox anywhere locally but that is a possibility. I discovered it when mowing the grass to the front of the house, close to the fence.