Some of what has been done over the past months is extremely difficult to photograph (or perhaps I forget!!) but I have to say that Gavin has continued to go out 'to work' virtually every day over the winter and work is accomplished. Even though it is work which will not show very much - it is certainly work which is producing the inner framework of our new home and will, in part, be holding up the barn!!

But to end with - just a little spot out side our rented kitchen door - which catches whatever winter sunshine is about and makes quite a colourful little corner.

I will certainly try hard not to leave it so long before I add more to this saga!!

Sorry Andrew . . . .

. . . . . A few nights ago we had a HUGE wind storm and when we got up a hole had been blown through the wall. I have to say that the hole was not nearly as big as these pictures would suggest. But more has had to be knocked down so that it will ALL be sturdier when repaired. We really do not want to take time to fix this at present. But, the property surrounding wall is important to us and so several half days of work will have to be fitted in to deal with this set back.

These things are just sent to try us . . . but after the first awareness we just knuckle down and get on with it.

We do have a fabulous dry-stone wall surrounding our property, of which we are very proud.

However . . . . .

Another major task dealt with recently is the reduction of the size of the chicken run. This are will now be pathed, dug over and prepared for being a major part of this year's kitchen garden. We are still using apples (stored), raspberries and blackberries (frozen), jam and pickles made with some grown and some purchased produce and of course we are still getting plenty of eggs from our nine lovely chickens.

But this year we hope to do even better!!

While we were in the UK there was a bit of a disaster!! The meter for the water and the ancient water pipe linking the Barn to the mains water supply in the road burst and our new cellar ended up with about three feet of water in it. What a nightmare to come home to!!

Anyway, water soon drained away and the boys managed to clear up all the mess with sawdust and time. I should add here that in due the cellar will be properly 'tanked' and sealed and will in future bad weather not enable water to seep through even if there is a broken pipe.

We knew that we were going to have to pay for the meter to moved to outside the front of the barn (so the meter can be read for billing purposes!) and that the local commune would have to replace the old pipe at the same time. But it appears that since the bursts were actually on the meter and caused by the weakness of the old pipe this work has now been done and will be paid for by the commune - so luck is really on our side sometimes!!

There was even time for Simon and Christopher to build a temporary staircase from the main part of what will be the main hall to the upstairs. This will be so much better than having to use a ladder over the coming months. Although I will probably have to remind Gavin once or twice that this is only 'temporary' and not the finished article!!