Spring into Action

So, winter officially stops the day after tomorrow. It was cold, as foretold, but we managed. It did look like it was all over last week (We actually had lunch outside one day) but Winter had one more trick up his sleeve and dumped about a foot and half of snow on the region in two days. Forecasts say it’s getting warmer so once the snow has gone digging is back on the agenda. Not the greatest news as I managed to hurt my back lifting 1 metre pieces of oak! It’s getting better and perhaps the exercise will do it good. Here’s hoping.

 On the agenda this spring are, duck/geese enclosure, build a poly tunnel, finish digging, set up a permiculture garden (With some help from my friend whose blog I’m going to attempt to put a link to on this page, watch this space) and plant lots of fodder crops for the piggies. The Millevache Plateau have given us more work to do. Our septic tank “does not comply” Well cheers for telling us that now instead of in June when we bought the place. Apparently they couldn’t confirm it because no one was living here. Having seen what it actually was they needed to find why they couldn’t tell us then is a mystery. Poke a stick down it to find the drainage pipe, it’s not there, it doesn’t comply. What a joke! So two options, re place/upgrade it or change the system to not needing one. Composting toilets and grey water treatment are our preferred options but knowing this place it will be difficult as it’s different, but let’s see.

Mrs Powell finally has a Carte Vitale and the request for photos came through today for mine. This means I can hurt myself and get treated! Won’t be celebrating a la Joey from Friends, mind. Still waiting for my social security number though. I can’t imagine the rugby result will speed things up!

In the house, the upstairs toilet is now finished (Just in time to be changed again if we go for the eco friendly version!!) Built nearly everything using pallet wood so only had to buy a new sink. Downstairs the main kitchen diner is a couple of steps closer to being finished. I’ve made a worktop and a table from pallets. The table has a wobble but it adds charm. How many French restaurants have you been to with bits of card holding up the table legs. I’ve also put in another worktop made from some reclaimed wood that we actually found in the outbuildings. As of yet everything in the kitchen is second hand or reclaimed so keeping towards our goal of sustainable renovating.

All the animals are doing well. Poor old Bob² (The Cockerel) got a bit of frostbite on his comb but serviced his ladies to make up for it! It also turns out a snow covered pig ark is really quite warm, not that I’ve slept in it, but I have got in with them to see!

So, with one of the best times of year  for the garden coming up we should be back on with lots of time outdoors which is why we did this in the first place. Must finish True Blood season 5 before the good weather kicks in. Is Bill a goodie or a baddie? A couple of episodes to find out! We sort of managed to play the game Carcassonne with Little Powell (he teamed up with mummy) expecting him to be beating us at it soon! I will endeavour to blog more often but without a camera (But we get some when friends with cameras come to visit!) there is often not a lot to share especially during the frozen winter. When we eventually get one I will try to get some shots of the handiwork on.