Getting Closer to Watertight

Once the walls were well on the way to being completed, thoughts turned to the roof. Craig is not a great lover of heights, so we contemplated getting professional help - that is, until we had some quotes !! There were various options open to us - someone to do the job completely, maybe just the trusses, or perhaps the tiling. In the end, the decisions were made based on the finances, as is often the case. To have the trusses made and delivered would necessitate the need for a crane - and the costs incurred, so Craig called upon his professional knowledge, books and the Internet, and decided to do the work himself. It was hard and stressful at times, but as progress was being made - all worthwhile !

The larger, lounge 'end' is taking shape...

 

The whole house looks huge now - our elderly French neighbour asks if we are going to open it as a bar or a night club !



 

Craig is understandably proud of his work, and the fact that he is working so high despite his fears....

 



 

The inside of the roof looks great, almost a shame to hide it...

 



 

 

The local Fete du Beurre (Butter Fair) is an interesting afternoon out. It is held annually in the village next to ours - St Herbot - with many stalls - clog making, basket weaving, honey, butter (of course), cheese, cider making, Breton dancing etc. It is very well attended, and a good place to take visitors.

One issue that always tugs at the heart strings when you are away from home, is when members of the family are ill. At that point, the distance seems huge, and you feel very useless. Thank goodness for the telephone and Internet ! We have over time had various members of the family in hospital, so have had to rely on other people to give us updates and progress reports. It is a big tug on the heart strings though.

Our daily routines are often interrupted by visitors, which is great (most of the time !), and gives us the opportunity to stop, have a cup of tea, and catch up. It is nice to think that people are made to feel welcome enough to return for another visit - maybe it's the cakes that I have time to bake now ! We have made some good friends here - who can be relied on when we need help, and who we are more than happy to help out when they need us. The tendency is to gravitate towards the English speakers, understandably, but we have tried to integrate as much as we are able, and we are on speaking terms with all the French neighbours, and have been invited for coffee and aperitifs by them, on many occasions. We know that they are always there to help us too, and have in fact done that every time we have asked.