Home a bit battered!

Monday, 19th March

In to the village for something or other (Laundry soap!); these guys waved me off!

 

 Home to struggle through gradually improving (me) and a beginning sore throat (Ali).  Not too much to do, really; we haven't had a lot of dispersal of equipment this time!

Tuesday, 20th March.

A cold morning again - with some snow both overnight and on waking.  These two looked a bit "frosted".

Everything seemed to settle down fairly well and we were away by 13.15.  

 

Not the best picture but I took my varichromes off for once - and ended up peering!  And the wind was up so we sat on the step......

 

Definitely colder again.  We had thought of stopping at the car wash but therre was a long queue so I'm afraid "up-country camouflage" it was to be!

A lovely welcome at Rod and Wanda's - although we butted in to the middle of her very busy day - thanks as always, Wanda.  Spencer the dog was looking sad - and injured somehow.

 

Very long wait to board the half full plane and then an even longer wait as the snow fell and we had to head for the de-icing station.  Two changes of runway and the pilots having to re-do their calculations and away.  And wakened an hour or so later by really prolonged turbulence.  Not surprising, really!

Easy through immigration and baggage collection and then simply the wait for the coach - and home!

This has been a very quiet, very hospitable (three sets of guests) and very happy trip.  Wonderful.

Stasis

Saturday, 16th March

Slept badly - I suppose in part because we'd slept so much the day before!  And it was no less true today.  But I think I'm going down with something....  Popped in to the village for milk; good to be outside but not for long!

Sunday, 17th March.

Oh dear - coughing rather a lot in the night; broken night and really using quite a bit of cough medicine which we fortunately brought with us...  Didn't feel up to Grace I'm afraid and, since it had snowed again in the night, didn't fell like Ali going off on her own.  Very funny weather; rapid thaw but the snow settles repeatedly.

Feverish at bed time - feeling cold and shivering a lot;  Warmed up fairly quickly.

Ali has at last finished the "Marked Registers" and is working on her needlepoint :-)

A wonderful week!

Tuesday, 12th March.

A very similar breakfast and then to "The Tower" (Sentier des Cimes) for a lovely walk in + temperatures.  The Kids and grandkids made it all the way to the top; we were about three turns down before the wind chill got to us!


Home to a heap of Nachos then three rounds of that family favourite, "Town, County, Country", now necessarily retitled "Town, Country, Flower".  The grandkids really stuck with it, improving each round.

 

Wednesday, 13th March.

The ski party (Snowboard party) and I made our way to Mont Blanc for kitting up and the first lesson.  James found the prospect of the latter to be alarming but Guy has a way with him and Guy and the Instructrice between them made it all work.  Most of the way down the nursery slope by the end of the session.

Ali and Julie came to join us (Julie had been working most of the morning) for the last hour or so.

Supper in the Brasserie in St Jovite - where they sadly didn't seem to be on top of the "Gluten free" game......

 

Smores by the woodstove; my, that was hot!

Thursday, 14th March

A bit of a hurry to the slopes but no gear to collect, so a very enthusiastic rush to the "Magic Carpet" where the Instructor joined them again for some more work, and finally took them up the mountain (and safely down again)!  Lesson over, the intrepid team went back up the lift and came down all by them (3) selves.  Last run!

Brilliant.

 

A very jolly return to 1939 and eventually home to another round of TCF.

Friday, 15th March.

Same old, same old breakfast  and then awaaay!

I'm afraid Ali and I slept most of the day following.....

This has been a fabulous break;  here's hoping we may manage something in the summer!

 

Holiday Inn!

Monday, 11th March.

Oh dear!  Ali and I slept in until 09.00; a result of the hour shift I expect.  But breakfast was big and pretty healthy - if you ignore the huge dollop of Nutella in the sandwich and the obligatory both kinds of peanut butter, smooth and crunchy, just "because they're there", that is.........
No worries though, the kids spent an age out in the newly fallen snow; thank heaven we had a couple of inches overnight, the place looked a picture.  .....  Julie and I went into the village to shop, but it must have been 14.30 by then.  Guy and Julie had spent quite a lot of time working on Julie's online store until that point.  .....  Fajitas (wraps) for supper, very tasty, and then "tire sur neige" by guttering lamplight.  No decent photos.

 

 

Before nightfall, this guy (or girl, who knows) turned up in the trees at the back of the house.  A Barred Owl.  Lila saw it through her binocculars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Arrivals!!

 Saturday, 9th March.  ..... 

General cleaning and tidying as we change from one visit to another!  Tents (individual sleeping pods!) pitched in the guest room.  Bits and pieces. ......  And a major visitation from the turkeys; this is the biggest flock we've had at once!

 

Steady thaw - lots of  very muddy  sub-soil visible.

Fairly early night - clocks go forward overnight.

Sunday, 10th March  ..... 

The automatic clock change happened satisfactorily so we were up on time but early.....   To Grace where Bevan filled in for Ben's absence with illness.  Wanda - whose birthday it was - had made a magnificent simnel cake!  

 

Then to IGA for flowers (from Ginny) for Mothering Sunday and home to ziz for an hour or so before phone calls for Ali from both Ginny and Bryony.  Lovely.  .....  

 

6.00 pm and a rendevous, in early snow and falling temperatures, with Guy, Julie, Lila and James for supper at 1939.  Such a happy evening!

A snowy drive home - the MRC hasn't cleared des Mauves....

The least snow ever.....

Friday, 8th March.

The loss of snow is really remarkable; but it has the positive side of revealing the new rockery / scree garden to be.  It looks lovely.

Pass time in good company...

 Monday, 4th March.

A splendiferous breakfast and then off to Sentier des Cimes (The Tree-top walk) just south of Tremblant.  We've been before, last summer, but it doesn't lose its attraction.  Ali and Pam made it to the top of course, Noel and I kept watch lower down.....

 

Great views of Mont Blanc - all around in fact - but quite a breeze.

A small lunch, healthy and pleasantly presented, and home to a much more extensive supper, ending up with a great apple pie, courtesy of Peter T.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, 5th March.

Farewell to P and N who went down to Parc Omega to find that the bears have come out of hibernation!

I made my way down to the barn side to retrieve some wire netting, to find this "Instant garden" on the partly cleared roof, and to be entertained by two or more squirrels, in and out and around the barn...

Wednesday, 6th March.

Happy Anniversary, Guy and Julie!

To the car wash then up to the garage for the new fuel pipe to be fitted.  Back to CT - with no luck - and then to Rona where I found the galvanised wire I was looking for.  

The IGA for a few bits and pieces and home, pretty done for, to a huge pile of ham nachos which were delicious.  Sometimes the simple things are the best. 

Thursday, 7th March

To the village for ducting for the tumble drier, for some cash, for eggs and to post Pam's scarf, left in our car.

Then back to build a fence to deer proof (is that ever really possible?) the hydrangias outside the bathroom window.

AND, at last, I fitted the new ducting for the tumble drier exhaust.  I have had this for some time and have never been able to find it when I wanted it, but this time I did, and constructed a mount for it, and installed it.  Better late than never....

At dusk, a Racoon found his way to the bird seed..  Shall have to do something about that.

Whacked; chicken bits with bean salad.