the dog who knew too much...

someone knows more about the cottage than anyone else. every corner, every wire, every hole has been inspected and passed fit for use. he knows all the guys who've worked on the house - and through them and the husband he now has a good understanding of the basics of plumbing, tiling, plastering, gardening, bricklaying, re-wiring, roofing (well, the safe use of ladders anyway) painting & decorating and pretty much anything to do with pulling a house out of the dark ages and into the light.

he has a small obsession with power tools and no fear of noise. he has agreed that the walnut floor was a good buy - though he much prefers it to be dirty. 

good work daddy
bon travail papa

he particularly does not like it wet!... getting your paws wet inside is horrid 

Messy? Moi?

Messi? The Husband? Don't call him Lionel... or it can get NASTY ...
We have reached a tipping point where everything is getting put back together, the awful rubble stage is well and truly over, the plaster dust stage is coming to a climax, and yes, joy of joys - the house is now ripe with paint fumes - not gloss you understand - we're not that far. And so the great tidying has begun. All those tools that won't be needed anymore have been gathered, and, well, dumped on the kitchen table.
They'll find their way home eventually - or they'll get dumped in garage

ma table de cuisine
my kitchen table

look! paint...

attention! peinture...

for the price of a skip...

how is it possible that such a little cottage, and such small renovation dreams can create so much rubbish! There are occasions when only a skip will do - but they cost an absolute fortune, get filled really quickly, and worse of all the contents get tipped into the local landfill - and that's not a legacy we want when the house is finished. So, we have become rather clever, cheeky even. 

We have sacrificed the cleanliness and suspension (and probably future road-worthiness) of the husbands darling golf and turned it into a mobile rubbish remover... The local tip is fantastic, they have a great recycling thing going on - and we are actually quite friendly with them now - did you know you can recycle mdf?!


the car is full
la voiture est pleine

just what the doctor ordered...

the good doctor ordered some fun... and it came in the form of snow! again! that's twice in one year we have been snowed in, and all work has ceased and we've put on as many clothes as is reasonable and headed to the hills... well, the golf course actually. There is nothing quite as much fun as dogs eating snow...

the dog and the snow
le chien et la neige

holiday blues

We are bad company today...  Our little fact finding trip to France is over and work must begin again. Noel, our cross staffie, is as happy as a spring lamb though. Much as he doesn't mind it too much his trip to “the spa” was only a short one this time. He goes to the rather fabulous Hammerpond Kennels just outside of Horsham.  Much to our surprise they all adore him... We spied him through the fence when we went to collect him wagging his tail off, oblivious to us. He’s absolutely exhausted and slept through a log delivery which is most unlike him.


We’re pretty tired too – in France we stayed just outside Mirepoix within sight of the pyrenees and did a little walking to get a better view... The rolling downs of Sussex and regular dog-walking don't prepare the body for the mountains - though the view was pretty spectacular...

the mountains
les montagnes

all work, no play...

all work and no play... would be very dull... especially when you are stuck indoors all day long - painting, tiling, sanding. It is freezing outside of course and jumping jack frost is well and truly out and about. But it is magical. Days like these are few and it's best to make the most of them - for an hour outside at least... We ditched the work and went for a walk - nice and early to see the mists rising

the fog le brouillard

apples - no leaves...

it must have been an incredible year for apple growers, judging by the famous (in our house at least) tree of many apples but no leaves... even after the incredible storms we've had! they look like they're hanging on for christmas...

l'arbre de pomme
the tree of apples!






we'll have to wait for the frosts until they fall!