Indoors & outdoors

This post is dedicated to John, who left us recently, much too soon. We were honoured to hear that he was a regular reader of our blog. The sunshine and the flowers in the photos, and all evocations of spring and warmth in the words below, are for Patti and their family.

We have been blessed with beautiful weather for the last three weeks: clear blue sky, low twenties, an occasional mild breeze. Some here are concerned about the water table, of course. Rural concerns are the same everywhere, it seems: too much or not enough water. I must confess that we are not giving it much of a thought.

For us, after the last few months of relative cold and damp while living in an almost-but-not-quite-finished house (and workshop), it has been a blessed relief to rise to sunshine and keep doors and windows open all day, day after day.

But it's not just the blossoms on the trees and the birds singing and nesting in the dry stone walls that have raised our spirits. It's also that we are both busy and seeing progress of our own making, inside and out.

First of all, the floors are finished, which has made it possible to arrange furniture and bring stuff out of boxes. All of a sudden, it's like a real home in here.

The living room, seen from the top of the stairs
through the new handrail.

The stone "tapis" (literally, "carpet")
in the foyer, at the foot of the stairs.

Nancy has been working hard outside, too, clearing bramble ...

Before Nancy started working on this area a couple
of weeks ago, the brook (known as the "ruisseau de Gaulejac")
was hidden under a veritable tunnel of bramble,
tall grass, bushes and dead trees (see piles on the right).

... and planting rose bushes, lavender, herbs and lilacs.

Meanwhile, I have been trying my hand at stonework ...

No, these are not centuries old stone steps.
This passage up from the driveway onto the terrace below
the front of the house used to be a muddy gully
where the stone wall had crumbled from neglect.

My new workbench. Ain't she a beauty?

... and - finally! - woodwork, too.

Yes, for those who have been following the saga of the workshop ("when will he stop talking about those d... cabinets, and start building them?!"), I am happy to report that the "atelier" is fully equipped and work has begun.

My workplace for the next several months, finally come together.
Building the cabinets (at the back), and the bench on the left,
was good practice. After years of not even going near
a table saw, I needed it.

So, outside and inside, we have been working everyday. I'm taking some time off today to write this post, but I'll be back in the shop, and happy to be, tomorrow.

The weather is supposed to cool down a bit over the next few days, and it should rain tomorrow. Apparently we need it.