What's been going on

Seems like a while since I was here. What's been going on?

More visitors. We've just worked out that we will have had 10 weeks of visitors in 2009 and that's with no visitors because of builders for the first 4 months! And I love it. Look forward to them coming and enjoy having them. So far we haven't had any of the problems that are a constant topic of conversation on the internet forums. Just nice people who all seem to relax into Le Calme!

Him Outdoors has been working away at a lovely dry stone wall around part of the pool and now an added bit around the pool shower. More of the little touches that turn it into a loved house rather than a holiday home. He's repointed some of the barn walls and house wall. Decided to patch what's there rather than take off the crepi (render) and completely redo. Looks great.

Begun planting on the house walls with a pomegranite tree and a beautiful climbing rose as well as retying in the wisteria. On the look out for a reasonably priced espaliered apricot but because that won't happen it will probably be a tiny one and then we wait and prune with the book in one hand! Peaches/nectarines seem to be prone to a lot of disease but the apricot we have has grown very well without any sign of any problem.

Round the front have begun planting and cut down the fig tree that covered that side of the house. Lovely leaves but no sign of a ripe fig. It just doesn 't get any sun and even here you need that to ripen the figs. Him Outdoors was also worrying about its proximity to the fosse septique. We have several other figs and apart from making jam, we don't really like them so I don't think we'll miss it. The virginia creeper that will cover the wall one day should come on fast with more light.

Planted half a dozen hedging plants this week in what turned out to be solid chalk. Him Outdoors had to get the masonry drill out to get down deep enough to put two of them in. Hopefully with lots of muck and water they'll get a hold. Eleagnus ebbingei for those that know. The much situation was much improved by a huge trailer load from M. Mazet in exchange for the hay from our field.

Lovely bright sunshine today and colder and right on cue the cranes have made an appearance. Wonderful sight. You hear them first, and then spot them much higher than you think. Huge numbers in V formations travelling southwest to Spain from Germany I think. Other wildlife has been a praying mantis which I have never seen in the wild and the usual deer and hares.

Tame wildlife has seen the arrival of 9 new chicks. One of the hens disappeared for 3 weeks and reappeared with 9 bundles of fluff. They are very very cute. Apparently she lays one egg a day in a nest and she can leave them cold and then when she has enough she sits on them for 21 days and hey presto! Clever stuff eh.