April (Non)Happenings at Cousein Bas

We disembarked at Calais at 2.35pm, and chose the 'quick route' south via toll roads. The Paris peripherique kept us involved in its spiteful fury for three hours! This was despite taking heed of two intelligent, congestion-responsive (yet conflicting) sat navs. For some otherworldly reason, this 'stress' drove us to a McDonald's once we were free from the polluted clutches of gay Pareee. And we bought 'car sweets'. Paris will be the death of us.

We arrived back at our little Correzian farmstead in the early hours on Saturday. There were no mice to greet us, nor was there any weather-related damage to be seen. Our first port of call at 1am was our French neighbours' house; don't worry, they weren't there. They keep their wine in our cellar, as their cellar is too warm, but there is only one (giant and rusty) key to the cellar, so, to enable them to reclaim their wine during our absences, they are the keepers of the key. Unfortunately, the cellar is where we turn our water source on and off, so, if we were to be able to drink tea, wash and use the loo, this little night time visit was essential.

When the sun rose in the morning, we were greeted with a golden vista of yellow dandelions! At least they disguised the two hundred mole hills. We've discovered that castor oil diluted in water with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper nudges moles to move on. The solution should be poured around the areas affected, and this, apparently, makes the worms and grubs taste disgusting, forcing the moles to find pastures new. We're yet to try this, as the affected areas are multiple. I expect the moles will simply move to another section of the 8 acres, and we don't have enough castor oil or patience or time to soak the whole lot.

I've been mowing. You know how I love to mow, but this has been serious! We went slightly eco last year and decided to let two fields go natural. This was a mistake. Yes, we enjoyed bountiful wild flowers and surprising fragrances, but, underneath those flirty blooms we had inadvertently sponsored a rodenty paradise. I've unearthed a bumpy terrain of burrows. Could be a mole citadel, or maybe glis glis HQ. Due to the challenging length of the grass, I'm going to have to resort to a 'double mow'. I try to avoid this indulgence as it means twice the petrol, but Kevin needs to play golf. I put the mower on a short setting to do the greens. Sadly, the areas between the greens are all rough. And moley.

We have some serious work to do before the summer slips in. We must build the terrace, build our second dormer window in the master bedroom of cottage #1, and convert the piggery into a bedroom suite. By the end of June. Kevin also has an additional secret building plan that I'm not permitted to mention. Of course, we won't get all of this done. 

Due to having zero income, we eat what we grow. And I'm late. Today has been a day of seed planting. I've already dug over the potager and separated the mischievous strawberries. Leah, the neighbours' bohemian horse, has been leaving piles of fertiliser everywhere, including right outside the front door, so the potager is well nourished! And a tad stinky.

Kevin's been to Leroy Merlin today to buy supplies- wood and plasterboard. This means that work on the dormer window will begin tomorrow. It needs to match the other one, but there are no drawings. Well, there was a drawing, but it was just a childlike sketch on the wall of the bathroom, and that's now plastered and painted over. Kevin will have to use all of his cunning to replicate the existing dormer. I predict a riot.

Here's some cherry blossom for you to marvel at:

Reports on works very soon!