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.

Lily pads in La Boivre 

The vista 

On our cess pit! 

Pampas grass

Selected views 
Isn't it magnificent?

The Folly at Bas Etang

Wendy House 
This was built by our predecessor as a rather large wendy house for his children. It has electricity, lighting and heating. Needless to say we have not spent any time in it yet!

Water levels

Water levels are dropping 

Almost gone 
The water level has gone down considerably in the Boivre, and the hosepipe ban is in force. The lower photo shows the tributary that has stopped flowing.

Our fruit harvest

Our fruit harvest 
Perhaps we don't take much care of the poor chaps, but this is as good as it gets at Bas Etang.