Re-looking the colombier

during clearance work

logs resulting from cutting the bushes down to size

the view from the house after clearing the vegetation away

We've recently finished clearing back the overgrown bushes from around the coloumbier (dovecote) which had grown into small trees.  As it is a south-facing aspect it suddenly made the building appear with a warm glow of the sun in the morning.  The only sad thing in terms of appearance is the overhead power cable which runs across the fields to the house and we haven't yet found an economic solution for improving this look by putting the cables underground.

 Yesterday we did lots of fruit and other tree pruning, using a variety of different implements.

One vital implement that Bruce did not include in the photo is a wire brush!! This was used to brush all the lichen and moss off the branches and the trunks. Other "stuff" used included something called "bouillie bordelaise" to disinfect each cut and a very gloopy substence to cap/protect the cut area. First I cut out all the dead wood and then the branches that were crossing over others.  I also cleaned up at the base of the trees and removed all the ivy (and in the case of 1 tree, some mistletoe!!).  The 100s of ladybirds sheletering in the ivy did not like that so I have reproduced at the foot of the trees little shelters of ivy as I am sure that ladybirds are necessary in order to eat the bad bugs!  I have also left the dog roses which grow between the 2 main apple trees as I assume they have been encouraged there to attract bees ..and other insects which facilitate pollination. Lets hope that the trees will survive the onslaught.  I will be happy with just a few apples next year... as they may have had a bit of a chock!  The 2 apple trees done so far are a local species "Reinette de Chatellerault" and have been planted by my grandfather in 1940 (as indicated in the notebook in which he recorded everything connected with La Cote).  It's OK as apparently apple trees can live until they are 100!  According to the books, we should leave the prune and cherry trees alone until they have fruited.  We have found no instructions so far for fig trees... any ideas out there??

Anne pruning the apple trees

Le Monument aux Morts a Vaux sur Vienne

We decided that as it is a public holiday here today that we would see if there was any commemoration at the war memorial in the village of Vaux sur Vienne this morning at 11am and so we duly walked up through the woods behind the house and down into the village centre.  What we discovered was that the war memorial (Monument aux Morts) is not in the centre of the village by the Romanesque church, but is actually in the cemetery down the road and so we didn't find out if there was actually a ceremony of rememberence.  What is also intriguing is that the memorial is only for the 1914-1918 war (Aux enfants de Vaux morts pour La France).

The new bird hide at La Cote

Finally decided to move the bird feeder... and allow us to get good views of the birds from the new bird hide (otherwise known as the Coloumbier or dovecote)

Catrine and Chris visit

We're just getting back to working on the house and gardens after our last visiting friends left.  It's been really great as it helps us not to feel isoloated here at the house and its lovely to see friends from back home and to share with them what we are trying to do.

Anne working hard to clear back the long grass and scrub along the mur du clos and all of the way down to where we are planning to create our vegetable plot at the bottom of the field opposite the house.

Early morning landscapes

Some pictures I have been able to capture from our bedroom window overlooking the valley of the River Vienne