We are just back from France for a quick visit and I am just using my sons computer to say hi.
Things are really going well out there. I'ts really hard work but we are enjoying it.
First thing we did was build a chicken coop, no actually the FIRST thing I did was buy some chickens and Muscovy ducks..which meant John had to get his butt in gear and build a tempoary coop.
My friend is choock sitting while we are over collecting the last of our bits and when we get back we are going to a market to buy some rabbits, geese and possibly a couple of pigs..the pigs may have to wait till next spring.
Solar panels are going well. The temporary position is not ideal at the moment, and John is like a worried mother hen always popping in the shed to check how the batteries are going.
So many funny things have happened, I wish I had the time to share them with you, not least our taking turns to hold the solar shower bag whilst the other stands in a big bucket having a shower..praying the mayor doesn't take that moment to pop round to see how we are getting on!!
We are trying to get the veggies going and before comming over I planted 1,000 broad beans, as well as cabbages, cauliflowers and onions. That's rather a lot of broad beans I hear you say..wouldn't want to be sat next to her in the cinema! 99.9 of those are for feeding to the animals next year.
We've added 2 olive trees,1 peach, 1 apricot and 3 pears to go with our plume, hazelnut and walnut trees. We like olives but we also liked the idea of planting something that will hopefully still be there producing olives for hundreds of years to come.
The motor bike and sidecar have been great fun. Don't think we will be using it for long trips though!!
Besides collecting last bits we have been shopping for stuff we can't get in France..or if you can it's expensive. And as we have a large van we asked our friends if there was anything they wanted bringing back. Besides the obvious tea bags top on their lists are bake beans. We are taking back 108 tins of bake beans. If you hear on the news that a lady has been arrested for trying to smuggle bake beans into France you'll know it's me!!!! And if the customs do stop me I will tell them they are ALL for my personal consumption!!
And on that note I will say cheerio.
Take care
Jil
