The never-ending summer never ends

Hello again. I appreciate the fact that you're prepared to put yourself through yet more photos of my slowly emerging terrace. I look at the photos and find myself totally bewildered as to why on Earth it's taking so abominably long to create. I promise that I set to work on it every day, all day*. The initial harvesting of the rocks from the ground and from the ruin takes quite a while, and constitutes what I would call 'heavy labour'. I actually bend my knees and tighten up my core in preparation to lift particularly 'big boys'; sometimes it's touch and go as to whether or not I'll get it off the ground and into the wheelbarrow. Something painful happened today: while standing between the wheelbarrow handles, I plonked a large rock in the barrow; the barrow tipped over, its handles flinging me over sideways too. Why is it that if you fall over in the countryside, it always involves either nettles or brambles? This mishap involved both. Then there are the treacherous wheelbarrow journeys from ruin to terrace, where the laden barrow tries to run away with you. Positioning the stones and then either digging them in or building them up with hard core also takes a while. Then mixing the cement. Then moving all the carefully positioned stones to cement them in. Then waiting for the cement to harden.Then liming them in. Then wire-brushing errant lime from the surface of the stones. Then gathering people to marvel at my work. It all takes time.



The yellow bucket is my box of tricks for the job

My exhausted cement mixer



The 'water feature' has been created with a bit more of Kevin's shuttering. Twice a year, the men from the water board come to look in this hole. The hole is now quite a bit further down than before- I hope they don't mind. We've made a lid for it incorporating a recessed metal handle. The lid ensures that it's flush with the terrace. Planning ahead is such a blissful concept! Kevin decided to pave the lid with stones, but that's made it super-heavy. I can lift it, however, so the water board men shouldn't have too much trouble. A little part of me is hoping that they don't instruct us to dig it all up...





It won't be long now until I join up the two sections of paving!

 Well done! You've managed to get through that. You've earned a treat! Here are some photos of our recent days out and about:

 VIDE GRENIER AT ST. FEREOLE


Not the safest of balconies!


ROCAMADOUR





BEAULIEU SUR DORDOGNE









CATS 'N' BATS

I found this little chap when I opened up the parasol!








* Okay, apart from when I've got guests/family staying with us, which is quite often during the summer. Where are they when it's minus 15 degrees, eh?

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