Xmas is coming

Amanda has excelled herself, and made up a superb tree with all the trimmings. We are going to be here in Lavausseau over Christmas all on our own, but that is no reason not to make the best of it.

The weather is turning

The morning was very fresh, with a dusting of frost on the grass. Though the day became sunnier and warmer, it still benefits from a good log fire. We have an abundance of logs - we inherited a number of log piles, and have built a huge one from the 3 trees that were cut down last winter. However, log fires do need a lot of attention, as the fireplace has to be cleaned out thoroughly every morning. Also, there is a glass screen that has be scrupulously cleaned too, as the soot staining is very noticeable after each fire. But it is a real benefit to have the fire burning, even though the central heating deals quite adequately with the chilly temperatures. It is warming just to see the colour of the fire, and we feel snug as a bug in a rug!

Tony's office is painted

At last the office exterior walls have been painted. The drab concrete has been transformed into a gleaming white. That pretty much takes care of the exterior of Bas Etang 2 for now. The side will have roses climbing all over the wall in the summer. The photos show the before and after, so the transformation is clear to see.

The water is rising here

We were away in England for a week, returning a couple of days ago. It rained in Lavausseau incessantly, raising the water level by about 6 inches. It has cleared the detritus of fallen leaves and mosses that grew in the summer. What a pleasure it is to see it free flowing. All the tributaries are filled, and flowing well. The muskrats and coypu are still well embedded in their river bank emplacements, and can be seen swimming between the various points.

The electricity supply

One strange matter about the land we have just bought is that 30 years ago the previous owners gave permission to a local farmer to have an electrical supply made available on the land. The electricity utility constructed a small shed to house the meter and supply (it is about 1 metre cubed), and is sited next to a small spring. The purpose was to run an irrigation pipe onto his land nearby. It has not been used for 18 years, and we would prefer it to be dismantled. Apparently, that can only be done by the electricity utility if the farmer (still alive) agrees, as he paid for the construction work. The Notaire has agreed to speak to the farmer about it, but has warned us that he is a rather irascible gentleman.

Another decorating stage is finished

We finally managed to finish the painting of the wall under the balustrade on the terrace. As can be seen from the before and after photographs, the wall had a lot of plant growth that needed to be scrubbed off with a wire brush. Then, as the wall has a very pitted surface, the painting had to be done in two stages. Firstly, a roller was used, then followed by a round brush that could be poked into all the crevices - a slow and painstaking task. The house is beginning to take shape. The next task is the painting of the cabin, which will have to be done soon as creepers will start spreading over the walls when Spring begins.

Newly painted gate

Tony sanded the gate to strip away all vestiges of the varnish - an operation that took days to finish because of all the nooks and crannies. I then painted it with 2 coats of undercoat, and one topcoat, of a superb material that should keep it protected for our lifetime. The gate looks as good as new, and the remote controlled operation works smoothly.

Panorama viewed from Bas Etang 2

Another view of the land between the two houses. The bridge is the only means of access for the tractor for land clearing. It is rather precarious crossing the bridge as there are only inches to spare on either side.

Bas Etang enlarged!

Yesterday we completed the purchase of the land between our two houses. It covers 0.8 acre, and has La Boivre running through. The land is designated for trees only, so building is out of the question. But the important thing is that we can walk through it to reach Bas Etang 2, without having to risk the roadway. The land has recently been cleared by the previous owners, and we have been keeping it in check with our tractor mower.

Where we are

This shows where in France we are. We decided on the location as we have friends in the region, and it would not take too long for our drive back to the Channel ports.

Winter is setting in at Bas Etang

Today I noticed the trees shedding their leaves continuously, even without any wind. The leaves are just dropping in a constant stream. I tried to take a photograph that
shows the actual leaves in mid flight, but never could catch them. The river level is higher than in the summer, after a few days of rain, but has many inches to go before it starts running swiftly. Meantime, I'm feeling a lot better after the operation, and have now been told that Tuberculosis has not been identified in the tests. But the doctors are still trying to find out the cause. Here is a site that touches on the topic for those that are not squeamish.

The doctors are baffled

The surgeon told us today that they have never before seen the calciferous condition of my lung. The only thing they can think of is that it might be caused by Tuberculosis. To that end they are testing the nodule for that condition. But that will take another month to determine. Needless to say, I am unaware of ever having Tuberculosis! Any readers with a medical bent have any other ideas?

Normal service has resumed

I returned yesterday from hospital after having a nodule removed from a lung. They found that it was calciferous, but not malignant. I'm seeing the surgeon later today to find out more.

The hospital in Poitiers is first class. It is a very large operation, set in massive grounds, with lots of room for expansion. It has the very latest and best equipment sourced from all over the world. During the recovery period I had about 15 nurses working on me, all at different times, depending on their shift. However, the nursing was seamless, to the extent that each one picked up where the other left off, without missing a beat. The staff are scrupulous with their hygiene, and were all very cheerful and keen to help. I am very impressed.

Now that I am back home, I can live pretty much as normal. Though I need to avoid stretching the area where the surgeon's knife has been. The photo on the left shows me exercising with an oxygen bottle that is piped to me through the nose. I'm trying to increase the blood/oxygen level.

Normal service will resume

I am going into the local hospital in Poitiers for an operation today. I will be there for at least 8 days, and then I will need a couple of months to recuperate at home. I trust that I will be back blogging well before then.

The Tiling is finished at Bas Etang 2

At last, after so many hours of painstaking work, the tiling is finished at Bas Etang 2. It was much easier than I had expected. Maybe I should set myself up as a tiler here to earn pin money! The transformation is immense, as the previous tiling was cracked and dirty. The whole cost was about £400 - for just the materials. It was well worth the effort involved in laying the tiles. Goodness knows how much it would have cost to get professional workmen to do the job.

Tiling at Bas Etang 2

The terrace area is being completely retiled as the present tiles are broken and dirty. I've tried to resurrect them, but they are beyond repair. The new ones are half the size, and are specially made to withstand the climatic conditions here. The existing tiles were only designed for the interior areas, so it is unsurprising that they failed. The work of laying the tiles has taken a couple of weeks so far, but will be finished this week. The effect is remarkable, and the effort has proved worthwhile. The photo here shows both the old and new tiling.

 
 

New land at Bas Etang

We will be completing the purchase of the land that is between our two houses in the next month. We have started clearing it in anticipation of the Acte de Vente.


New land 

The Yucca by the pool

Here is a Yucca type of plant which has just flowered. The plant is 8 feet tall, and quite magnificent.


Remarkable flowers 

Cactus type flower 

Our resident frog

This little chap does his best in keeping us awake at night.


The resident frog 

Solar heating of the Swimming Pool

This is the system of heating the pool water. The sun's rays heat the water coursing through these rubber pipes, circulating through the filter pump, pool and back through these tubes.


Solar heating 

New views of Bas Etang flora and fauna

These photos have been taken on a 6MP Minolta by a good friend from England during this summer.

Bas Etang 

House from the riverside 

Palm tree by the river 

Wild Boar lunch

The village of Lavausseau held a communal lunch yesterday. The pride of place were 2 wild boar turning on the spit. You can see the contraption used for turning the boar below - a Heath Robinson design utilising bicycles, batteries and oil drums. I can vouch that it tasted delicious, and that the 5 hours of lunch proved to be a happy experience for all.

Wild Boar 

Wild Boar 2 

Wild Boar 4 

Bluetooth Mouse

Bluetooth Mouse 
I've just acquired this new mouse. It is an Iogear Bluetooth optical version. It is very small, and, best of all, it is wireless. I was fed up with the trailing wire of my previous mouse, as it was never long enough. I already had a Belkin USB Bluetooth adapter that was used for synchronising my Ericsson T630 'phone with Lotus Organizer, so, as the Iogear mouse comes without its own adapter, this was an obvious solution. It uses Nickel Metal Hydride batteries which can be recharged via a USB2 cable overnight. I am very pleased with the product, and highly recommend it.

Home grown fig

Fig 
There is a huge fig tree at Bas Etang 2, and here is a sample. It tasted delicious.

Swimming Pool Fencing

Pool 
Legislation was passed last year in France that requires all pools to be fenced and gated. Pools open to the public had to have them in place by Summer 2004, but private pools, such as ours, have to be completed by 1st January 2006. So we bit the bullet today and ordered ours. It is a black plastic mesh version (try saying that quickly!) which will be delivered in a few weeks time. I have elected to install it myself to save 700 Euros. I will need a diamond tipped drill, as the posts will be fixed into the slabs around the pool. I understand that I can hire the equipment quite readily, but I am worried about cracking the stone slabs.