Something for the weekend

Dodgy fencing

Man making hole

Shame only one person at a time can use it - it has safety warnings as well

You just go along the line bashing (with a bit of lining up here and there)

Since the huge conifers came down last Autumn the state of Gorgon's fence has become one of the jobs that is in desperate need of replacing. It has so many patch up jobs from trying to keep the ducks and chickens in over many years that a metal merchant would be happy to come a calling to ours I'm sure.

Finally the replacement fencing could not be put off any longer. With avian flu here in the south west of France all commercial breeders and productors having to cull all their birds, clean their buildings and keep them empty from 16th April to 16th May and domestic fowl needing to be kept enclosed. As our Khaki Campbell's can't read they don't know this and are free ranging at the moment (the large white ducks cant fit through the many escape routes so stay put). To police this ruling the Maire can send round his workers to check up, I guess there will be a fine if a stray chicken, duck, turkey or goose is found wandering as they haven't laid enough eggs to sell yet they will not be rich enough to pay a fine so rather than making little camouflage outfits for the ducks we will fence them in - although we may have depressed ducks for a month.

This morning farmer J went up the road to pick up a bit of kit that goes on the back of the tractor which saves an enormous amount of hard work (for him) it's a fence post basher inner (technical name there) which is owned by Cuma of Najac, a agricultural organisation which we belong to where you can buy into various bits of machinery you may need or want to use during the year.

As this handy basher is in great demand there has been a wait and we (farmer J) can only have it until Tuesday afternoon. We had a count up before he cut fence posts this year that around 400 are needed to be replaced around the farm, now it could be a very busy weekend or we will prioritise as to which bits of fencing need to be done. Guess we choose the later with pigs field and donkeys fields needing doing first, which having completed all posts in Gorgons field, the donkeys will be done next.

So just a few posts were lifted into the filed, holes made, posts dropped in and bashed then onto digging a trench to bury the fencing, putting up said fence and securing in place. repeat for donkeys field .Voila something for the weekend.

Comments

2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

Eight years ago today Franklin came into our family, a rescue dog from the SPA in Rodez we drove to see if they had a dog to re home. He had been there a month after being left tied to a bin in the town centre, chosen because he didn't bark, he came to us to say hello and was completely different from the dog we had lost days before Christmas. 120 Euros he cost, a young boy still a pup, very thin but with a look of take me home please. A collar put round his neck, forms completed, cheque handed over and a kiss from the manager and he was ours. Five minutes down the road in the car he threw up. Five minutes in the house and he had weed up the settee and collected an assortment of treasures including socks, toilet roll inner tubes, tissues and soft toys all placed in a pile under the table and garded. He ate at an amazing speed, fearing he would loose it to our other dogs. Then he started to bark, he has a fine bark on him. He barks for his tea, when a visitor arrives, the

Parisot lake

As it is a holiday today here in France (Bastille Day) we took the afternoon off an popped over to Parisot lake for a walk with Sorrel. It has all changed, since the lake was emptied and cleaned up this year you can now swim in it, as well as inflatable toys to play on, a life guard, bikes to hire, a new fenced in play area for small people and a total spruce up. But there is a price we were charged! 3 euros an adult, which I guess is OK if you are using the facilities but Sorrel didn't fancy a dip. The cafe is still open but that would of been too much for Sorrel to cope with being so close to people and music so we opted for a bench to sit on in the shade before walking around the lake. Sorrel opted for being Billy no mates and laying by herself, if be it for a short period of time before bikes and people went by. We are now waiting for the free firework celebrations over the chateau tonight - if we can stay up that late.😃

Lavender

One plant that does grow well around the gites and garden and that I don't seem to be able to kill is lavender. In the summer the bushes are swarming with bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies and other flying insects, lot of holiday photos have been taken by keen photographers, some setting up chairs and waiting for ages with big cameras and lenses waiting for the right moment and right insect to land. It does give a lovely show and smell as well, its picked and placed in vases in the gites by guests. Its very tactile and difficult to pass without a rub of a flower that's if you like the smell. I think its very much like marmite you either love it or hate it, a smell of memories of grans and old aunts who use to get given Yardley's old lavender smellies for presents. I like the smell but it can be quiet overpowering, especially when this year I have finally been able to save the dried flowers. Previous years other things have got in the way and its bee

The English Paysanne

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