Work to be done, 19th February 2008

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I don’t want you all to think that life is just a long succession of pleasant rambles in the Pyrenees, punctuated by splendid meals and enjoyable interludes in bars. Oh, no! There is work to be done too.

The potager requires urgent and unending attention. One edge of it overlooks a public footpath, courtesy of a high retaining wall, and a wretched shrubby ivy with a powerful root system is determined to conquer first the wall, then the world. It might have stood a chance of winning if the local gendarmerie hadn’t alerted us to the fact that Complaints Had Been Made about the lierre overhanging the path. It’s been a blessing really, as we now see that the plant, left to conquer on unchecked, would have loosened and finally felled the retaining wall. So we’re on the case, but it’s sweaty, physically extremely demanding stuff. We’re busy pruning fig, plum, apple and cherry trees, but we don’t expect much sympathy for that, and then there’s a plot to be created and dug over in time to plant spring veg. I love it and hours pass before I suddenly realise I’m quite exhausted and limp off home, where Mal has been exercising his considerable DIY skills in putting some other thing in the house to rights.

We’ve got workmen in this week, replacing the worst of our windows. We got in ample supplies of coffee, tea, milk, sugar and biscuits, assuming we would provide a running coffee bar. But they accept nothing, not even water. They work away from 8.30 - 12.00, and knock off for a 2 ½ hour lunch before returning till 6.00. They’re not coming tomorrow, as Wednesday means no school, and they have work to do there in the absence of the children. It’s actually half term, and the children aren’t in fact there for a fortnight, but if that’s how it is……

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