1 Week until softball

Only a week to go now until the kick off of this years summer softball event. We already have 10 guests here and will, at its peak, have over 40 people sleeping here.

The roof is progressing very well and yesterday, with the help of Jeremy, we managed to get the battening finished and I got the first few slates up. Today may well see more progress if I pull my finger out rather than sit around drinking beer all day.

On the growing front, there is good news and bad news. The tomatoes are suffering from blossom end rot, caused by lack of calcium and watering at night. As the tomato ripens, the lower half turns black and mouldy before the tomato is completely red. The mange tout have been an outstanding success but there starting to lose productivity now. The chillis and peppers are doing brilliantly and will be ready to pick soon.

A picture says a thousand words

Actualy I'm just too knackered to write a huge blog. So heres a few clues as to why.

New Neighbours

After nearly 4 years of being empty, signs of life were spotted at the farm behind us yesterday. Josh decided to go and investigate as Jane and I were both out at work. When we got home we wandered up to say hello. It turns out that the family who bought the house live down in the Manche and are not planning to move in for 2 years. During this time they will have a new roof put on the house and the barn and get the farm back into a condition ready for them to start working the land again.

They have 3 dogs which could lead to some problems in the future. 1 white ankle biter thing and 2 gorgeous weimaranas. They also have 2 kids, late teens I rekon. Being as good as I am with names, I can't remember any of them.

The only negative I have found so far to having them is the fact that they have a right of way along our lane which I haven't bothered to maintain for 4 years. It seems now that I will have to prune the trees and bushes back along both sides so they can get there vehicles in and out without scratching them to bits.

I've made a start stripping the tiles off the roof only to uncover 2 wasps nests in the process. In typical Normandy fasion, because I'm working on the roof, the rain has started to fall, maybe for a week.

Back on the job

Well, Jane and I had a quick dash back to the UK last Friday. Although possibly our shortest visit since moving to France, it was also our longest visit emotionally.

After a few days of reflection I decided to kick myself and pull my finger out. Yesterday I went with our French friend David to order all the materials to complete the section of roof that I'm working on. All in, not including my labour, the bottom line for the first section looks to be around 2000euros. Based on this, I'd estimate about 12,000 euros more to finish the job. I think we'll spread this over the next 3 or 4 years. I'm hoping to start work properley on the first bit of roof next week and, all systems go, should knock it on the head in 10 days

I've also been working on number 2 pizza oven frame. it's all starting to take shape now and I'm very happy with the progress so far. I still have a couple of roof trusses to do at the back which involve complex angles. I'll have to wait until my brain is in the right frame of mind before attempting these though as I only just have enough wood to complete the job.

The softball weekend at the beginning of August is looking to be our busiest yet. I believe we could have up to 40 people staying here. Thankfully they're not all players otherwise I'd have to consider marking out a second pitch.

We had some extra kids to stay Monday night and to say thankyou, their dad gave us a bucket full of crayfish. Jane was in heaven.

A sad time for the family

Yesterday was a very sad day for us as my grandfather passed away.

A yorkshire man born and bred, he lived an immence lfe, travelling the globe with the merchant navy and being involved in post war mine sweeping exercises. He settled for some time in East Africa where he was harbour master and also a chief of police (i believe). It was there that he met my grandmother in a Polish refugee camp. They got married and continued to live in Africa for some years, bringing my mum into the world in the process.

When they returned to the UK, they bought their house in Datchet and Grandad started work as a security guard for Mars where he worked until his retirement. He used to keep his garden immaculate and we were never surprised to find him hoovering his lawn of a weekend.

No one could ask for a more giving, helpful, generous man to be part of their family and he will be greatly missed by us all.