Gate Building

Gate Building




Over the last few weeks, we have been building a replacement gate: The old gate was a bit rotten!




Last year we built three new shutters for the "salon" downstairs, we had bought some wood which was too thin, so we did not use it.




I came up with the idea of using most of this wood with a frame to make a new gate, and thought that it would be a good project for my nephew and I to do, since we had worked well together last year.




The idea was to build a frame, screw the wooden slats to one side, and have diagonal "Z" 's inside. It was taking a while to do, everyone was telling us to hurry up and so on!!
We decided to scrap the diagonals, since it was going to take AGES to do, and it was going to be strong enough without! That saved us at least an extra day!




This is it, with just one slat to put on, and the second side will be complete; sandwiching the frame on the inside.
My nephew wrote a "message" on the inside, for ... Posterity? ... He wrote: "Uncle Roland smells!" and the date! I added: "No I don't!"




We saved all the metal-work from the old gate, painted it with anti-rust paint. (I think it was lead based, but never mind!)
We fixed it all temporarily to see if it all fitted, and measured/marked where the latch could go.
It actually looks quite good with the bear wood, and dark grey hinges!




View from the "inside" taken from my bedroom.




All assembled and two coats of grey paint!




Final assembly, all painted!
:-)))




As I mentioned before, we had built three shutters last year, but ran out of paint for the last one, so I managed to find some old jars of leftovers and stretched the paint out... Hoping that I would get some more paint this year and finish off the job.
However, when I was putting everything away on the last day, I nearly kicked some big pots which were on the floor, and discovered that they were grey paint for the gates! "Oh bother!" I thought! "If only I had spotted those before!" or other slightly more colourful words!




So this year, while I painted the new gate, I gave the last two coats to the shutters... It was a completely different colour! But from afar, it is all "grey"...




Here are the last two shutters in place. It was debatable whether they needed the "Z" 's, but the last ones needed some extra support to stop the slats sliding against eachother and drooping!
That will be a problem for the next generation I hope!
:-)))

Saturday - Departures, traffic, friends for dinner!

Saturday 4th - Departures, traffic, friends for dinner!
(sorry, I'm really late with the blogs!)

Today saw the departure of my nephew. After an early lunch we took him to the TGV railway station, he was catching the same train as my sister had, and we will on just over a week!
On the way, there was a traffic warning before we got on the motorway. My sister (driving) thought that we would be off the motorway before it, but, alas, it was just at our exit, for some reason!! Panic!!
However, we had allowed plenty of time and caught the train. We met the same conductor as last week with my sister!
We will probably meet him again when I go home with mum!


On the way back we stopped at the Livron bridge over the river Drôme to see how much water there was:
Here is a video of the water flowing:

It's so easy to add my youtube video!
:-)



I had bought some telephone wire and connectors so that we could have the broadband upstairs.
I spent ages wiring it up, passing the cable through a ceiling ... Before I could connect up and try, I was called because the guests were about to arrive, which they did, but half an hour later! So I could have finished!
When they went, I connected up the router, and got 3M on a speed test!! Don't know why it's better than in the primary socket, but hey, it's fast enough!!

We had invited some friends for dinner, one man since he was on his own, to cheer him up, and another couple. They arrived at the same time... But there were FOUR of them! Panic! The first chap brought his wife along!!
Fortunately, there was enough to go round. And we managed to sneak an extra glass in ... But after they were all poured, the lady said she did not drink alcohol! She could have said before they were poured!
Huh!
Number 33, supplied by guests!

During "after dinner chat" we heard the beginnings of a thunderstorm so brought in all the washing, and chairs!

Lumpy bed!

Lumpy bed!
No particular day...




Maybe another shot:




No, it isn't that it's not been "made", it is genuinely lumpy!
For the last month, (and every summer for the last 15 or so years) I have slept on this bed!
It is a sprung base, and a cotton filled mattress - fortunately not straw! We have put a (thin) plank of wood under it, to make it harder, but it is too flexible, and hardly helps!
Another thing is that the top sheet is just not quite wide enough to stay tucked in, and I gave up trying to do that weeks ago, so it is a pseudo duvet!
But, nevertheless, I seem to sleep okay in it, - with back-stretching exercises in the morning, but look forward to my bed at home!!
:-))


Early morning (well - about 10ish) shot of bed having been stripped on our last day!
:-((

Friday - Broadband, and pre departure of nephew!

Friday (3rd August) - Broadband, and pre departure of nephew!

I rang France telecom to ask why they had sent us the router, when we had already bought our own... It turns out that there must have been a mix-up when I changed what we wanted, and we will probably keep it, as it is cheaper than sending it back for a refund, if we actually get charged for it...
(It came with two ADSL filters which I will need, and I can't find anywhere else, so it's all good anyway!)
Then the lady tells me that we already have the broadband and don't need to wait for the 7th!
:-)))))

When I get everything connected and try it out, it all works!!!
Yeayyyy!!!
But we do a speed test, and our download speed is about 560kbs and the upload is faster! (which never happens!)
So that is very disappointing.
:-(((
It should be "up to 8Mbs", (16 X faster), but we do have old wiring for the telephone...
I get 20M at home, soon (july) to be 50M as promised by Richard Branson, but still not as yet!

Swimming today in 30'C pool!!


Pre departure of nephew!
(#32)

Thursday - Visits and birthday

Thursday (2nd August) - Visits and birthday

Today, we had a visit by one of our cousins, her hubby, one daughter, and her two children...
They came to "pic-nic" at our house for lunch, ...
Which actually means that they brought some food, by we made that up to a full lunch!
At some point, someone mentioned that they could "talk about that over 'aperitif' ..." so we had to supply that too!


So, #30, with the nibbles too.
After lunch we went for a swim in the pool, it has been consistently at 29'C for some days now, with temperatures in the shade of about 34'C.
The kids were great fun, very confident in the water, the boy had learned to swim without armbands only a few days before!

In the evening, OF returned for dinner, and an official re-birthday...


So, #31!
We almost had two bottles, but it had been a long day...

In the morning, we got letters from Orange (France telecom) and a package, which turned out to be an ADSL modem router, and the login codes, ready for the switch-on on the 7th August.

Wednesday - Gas ran out again

Wednesday - Gas ran out again
(1st August)

Not much happened today, that I can remember except the gas running out again.
The bottles last about two weeks with a "full house", they ran out on 21st July, so, just a bit quicker. I think it will be touch and go for the new ones to run out before we go back to England.
Normally we confirm that they have gone with a little "indicator" which goes red.


We have never seen it "half way" like this!
When I had my "after swim" shower, I coped the cold water, but I persuaded myself that it was hot!!
BTW, the pool was at 29'C!!


I had to take this one of the laundry basket collected pile almost toppling over! ... Now that we have a new machine.
:-))

Tuesday - Departure of sister and arrival of Washing machine

Tuesday - (31st July) Departure of sister and arrival of Washing machine.

The new washing machine was delivered this morning.


The guys were supposed to install it and take the old one away. However, I could not turn off the water tap, to disconnect the pipe. In the end, we had to turn off at the main valve for the whole area!
They set the thing to do a quick 30 min wash while empty to get everything working and went their merry way.

During lunch, in the kitchen, we had it doing its first official wash, so my departing sister did not feel left out. (long story) It seems to be much quieter than the old one.

We left straight after lunch to take my sister to the TGV station for a 14:16 departure. She got home safely after a total of about 8 hrs door to door, to be ignored by the cats ... "Oh! So you're back, are you? Hmm, well, I'm just going out ..." ... I'm sure that when it comes to "Biscuit time" at 10pm they will be all "We really missed you mum! ... Can we have our snack now? Purrr! Purrr! Purrr!"
After we dropped her off we went shopping in Valence main town, I didn't buy anything, but the others bought lots of clothes.


There was a merry-go-round in the town.
It was very hot, and I needed the shade!

I "stole" some Internet time from the McD, so could update some emails, scrabble words, and blogs! ;-))

We decided to come home sooner rather than later, for some tea and a swim in the pool... Only at 29'C, but before I could put my trunks on, mum asked me to help put the washing on the line. She had managed to put the second load in and start it all by herself! Way to go mum! Using the brand new machine with completely different controls! It seems silly to say that, but it is unfamiliar territory for her, and she did well!

Monday - Early morning start!

Monday
Early morning start!
There is only supposed to be one "7:15" in a day, and that is "19:15"!
I had to get up early, so we could find a new washing machine, and I could ring France telecom about the ADSL hookup, (re: Saturday's disasters!) and do some food shopping and be back in time to make lunch for Oncle Jo and Aunt Magalie.
The first place we went to had no washing machines, but told us about the industrial estate (shops) the other side of Montelimar. We found a likely shop called "But" and chose a machine. They said that they did not deal with deliveries but they would fax the order through and we would get a call from the delivery company in the evening or in due course! As it turns out, mum got the call about 10 mins before we got home, and the new machine will be with us tomorrow (Tuesday)



Pre lunch bubbly for Oncle Jo!
Bottles #27 & #28!



Pre dinner bubbly for my sister's departure tomorrow (#29) ... Only one, we could not face two!

We cleaned the pool; it had many leaves at the bottom, and a few dead spiders and lizards! It was all clear blue, and as still as a mill pond for our bubbly!
:-)))

Not much else happening, but we did some "gate building" ... More of that later.

Swimming and O.F. birthday

(Sunday)
Swimming and O.F. birthday

We were invited to Gazavel today for tea. When we got there we found that they had organised a birthday party for Oncle François, he will be 82 later this week. (Mum had been told, but forgot!)

Therefore:


Numbers 25 & 26!
(Between 10... those with keen eyes will count 12 glasses... The two children present were counted in the "glass laying out" but did not have any. The person filling the glasses just filled them all without counting!)
We had cakes an fruit and stuff with the bubbly.
After that, we went swimming, and I sneaked some Internet time!


A view from the pool!


This is where we used to swim. The "grand bassin" is about shoulder depth, about 30m long, was filled with continuously flowing fresh water at about 17-19'C and was filled with goldfish ... descendants of some fish which my aunts (when girls) once won at a fair, and my grandfather released into the water.
This pond was cleaned every year, and the fish rescued into tin baths!
Sadly, the trees cracked the walls and it has leaked ever since, and has not been used for perhaps 15-20 years!


This is a side view of my uncle's house. I used to spend every August here when my grandparents were still living there.


View from the front... The sun was just setting, so the lighting is not so good.
There used to be about 6 trees in this courtyard, but they gradually died and had to be cut down when my uncle took over... You now get a much better view of the chateau. :-))
We used to sleep on the top floor, under the roof, so you could hear the rain on it... and sometimes feel the rain through it!
There is a railway track about 100m away, and the vibrations were not always good for the tiles! (so they sometimes moved)

Disaster!

Disaster today! (Saturday)

Today there were several disasters! The overall disaster was that there was no bubbly today! :-((
;-)))

Another, was that we had decided to change the way we would get our broadband. I had various conversations with the France telecoms people, ... Actually, they asked me if I would like to speak to an "anglophone" (someone who speaks English) I said yes, but when the chap tried to put me through, he found that that part of the office was closed and they had all gone home. So we muddled through!
My French has deteriorated so I speak with an obvious English manner ... :-((((
With much too-ing and fro-ing, I established what we wanted to do, and confirmed with my sisters.
I thought I had established that I could ring them back until 8pm to change the contract, so rang back at 7pm, but the lady said that they were already closed. It must have been that the phone lines are manned until 8pm but the office was open til 18:00 !!
Still, I managed to sort it out on Monday morning, but we won't get BB until 7th August now, only 6 days before we come back, but just in time for my father's birthday, when we were going to "Skype" him!

But the major disaster was when we heard this almighty bang. I thought it was a door slamming in the wind, but actually it turned out to be the washing machine drum opening and jamming during its spin. Mum had hand-washed a woollen cardigan, and had put it to spin dry. She said that the catch was stiff, and perhaps it was not correctly fastened, so came undone. The spin was really violent, since her cardigan must have been all in one place so ...
We managed to get it out, but the machine is kaputt!


We fished out all these broken bits... The opening of the drum, generally at the top, is right at the back! We also found lots of spare bits underneath when we moved it!

Olympics Opening Ceremony

Olympics Opening Ceremony
(Friday)
Oncle François came for dinner, this time with my aunt; she was back home. (They had also come for lunch!)
We had the obligatory in the evening (#24)!


This time, it was really OF's bottles, I got it mixed up before.
(He brought two, but we only had one!)


We watched the olympics opening ceremony here, with incessant French drivel, sometimes inaccurate! They were talking about the poppies, and explaining that everybody wore them on 1st November, not the 11th. ... 1st November is All Saint's day; an important for the French (Catholics) and a bank holiday!

At least this time they stopped talking over the children singing, which they did not do for the little Chinese girl in 2008!

Otherwise, we loved it, and the Olympic flame was a surprise. We had wondered what they had been carrying, and thought it was some sort of symbolic flower basket or something. !!

However, I think that they cheated, and only the first 7 were actual flames from the original, the rest looked like they were ignited by sparks... I suppose the original flames could have been sucked down, and sent up the other pipes, but that would have been such an explosion risk! (?)

:-))

Yet even more!

(Thursday)
Yet even more!


OK, this is getting ridiculous!
Bottles numbers 22 & 23!
We had the usual nibbles too!
My sister saw someone driving past who did a massive double-take at the sight of 7 people sitting by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere in front of a corn field! She was half expecting him to turn around and drive past again for a better look!

My aunt (Henriette) has now joined us, effectively replacing Hugh. She is staying until the 3rd August, I think. ... she was only going to stay a couple of days at first, but then asked to stay longer. She caught my mother off guard with that one! But, they only see each-other once a year...

We were busy all afternoon and did not get a chance to go swimming today, so my sisters an I decided to go for a midnight swim! At 11pm!
The water was delicious! Quite easy to get in, and still about 28'C (I couldn't see the thermometer since it was dark) and the air temperature must have been only about 20-25'C, so it was difficult to get out again!

Leaving and sunbathing!

Leaving and sunbathing!


Bottle numbers 20 & 21 are for Hugh's departure tomorrow morning. Drunk in the usual place, with the usual "nibbles" watching the sunset.


Quite dark (to me on this iPhone) but on a big screen, it may be better :-))
Quite often, the sunset is much more colourful, I'll try to get a better picture.
:-)


Digit-Al decided to take in the sun on the inflatable sun lounger in the 34'C heat, but decided he couldn't be bothered to have a swim since the water was only at 28'C. Besides, the pool has a leak, and the water was dirty, so needed a clean!
;-)))

In the background, you can just see the main part of the house. Not the pink house, but the house covered in virgin vine.

We have just been to Oncle François's house to use the Internet to download and print some email attachments. And book some train tickets... Success on the first count, but failure on the second. :-(
We will have to try again when we drop off Hugh.

Oh dear! Not another one?

(Tuesday)
Oh dear! Not another one?


This one (#19) is the second bottle supplied by Oncle François, he was not up to having it last night, and opted to have it today.

We had a nice swim in the pool in the afternoon and postulated a midnight swim. As it turned out, we did not have time, and everyone went to bed early.

After dinner, Hugh and I went to Gazavel with Oncle François to access his broadband, and I was able to upload a weeks worth of blogs!
Tee hee!

Friends, Bears, Mascots!

Friends, Bears, Mascots!


This year I brought Digit-Al to France, seen here with two little bears. The last few years, Teddy, my favourite, hasn't made it to France: no room, and she is feeling a bit too old to travel! Especially being stuffed into a bag; most uncomfortable, and undignified for a bear of her age!


Two years ago I brought a few more! Dodo, Louise Little Bear, and two small bears, one of which you may recognise from my black "man-bag"! Seen here with new acquisitions! Two bears and a crocodile!


In 2006, there was a visit by Peeklebub, to help with a difficult Sudoku puzzle! Teddy, Astra and the Dodo could not work it out on their own!


2005, I had a new (exotic dancer) zebra and Peeklebub, with Teddy in the middle!


2004, just Teddy and a small zebra friend!

No pictures of before ... No digital camera!

All Work and no Play! (Not!)

All Work and no Play! (Not!)


Okay, so this is a lunchtime bubbly (#17) for the departure of my brother-in-law, James.
He got his train to Paris alright, but there was a power problem with the underground and he did not get across in time to catch his Eurostar. He had to pay €200 for a new ticket since they would not honour his existing one!



This "Monday evening bubbly" (#18) is to "lift the spirits" of my uncle who has just had his first session of radiation treatment. We all hope and pray that it is going to work.
:-|



James and I installed this gate in 2004. This year it is a bit "saggy" so I took it off to straighten it up a bit... But, it has too many rotten bits, so when I tried, it crumbled!


Last year, Matthew and I rebuilt three pairs of shutters for some downstairs windows. There was lots of wood left over, so this year we are going to build a new gate with it! That should keep us out of mischief for a few days!
We also have to do a last couple of coats of paint to the third pair of shutters, since we ran out of time and paint last year... Only to find a large pot hidden away, but it was too late. Bah!!

Sunday, a day of rest! (Not)

Sunday, a day of rest! (Not)


This is outside the church. Last week there were three times as many milling around (all the way across the road) when I was trying to fetch my mother. (By the time I took this picture, most people had already gone.)


This church is in Mirmande, a village quite close to us, on a hillside.


Some views, not the best, I would have had to go to the top of the hill for those.

Our car has some sort of rust on the roof, no one knows how come.


I sanded the patches, and put anti rust paint on them.


Then I managed to find some white paint, which seemed to be for metal. It does not look too bad from far away, but close up you can see it very well! But it is better than it was!
:-)))

More fixing, this time it is Matthew's bed: The leg broke off!
=:-O
Or, at least, the bit of wood that held the leg came away from the frame.


We had to peel away the lining/covering material to expose the staples etc in order to fix the screws to hold the block of wood for the leg!
A few screws later, and you would never know it had been broken at all!
:-)))