At the end of my blog last week, I said that my progress will be determined so some degree about whether our guests were pool lovers or beach-goers. They were mostly the former.
I did manage to get some project work done, and prepared on Monday by going to a DIY store and buying material for the wood store I want to build behind the pool house, Pavilion.
Over the course of the week I have managed to make a start when I hoped it would cause the least inconvenience for our guests.
I am pleased with what I have managed to do so far, and you can get an impression of how it will look. Cladding the rear wall will have a number of benefits not least providing our neighbours something a little more attractive than a grey breeze block wall to look at. We will have quite a large amount of storage but will also box in and insulate the pipework that feeds the pool water to the heat pump.
As we moved the pump earlier in the year the pipe run is longer and so liable to radiate heat in the winter when we want to keep as much as we can! By boxing it in and adding some insulation hopefully we will be able to minimise any heat loss.
I have been prevented for a number of weeks now doing any major work to clear out the garage as we have some tenants – swallows. It is lovely to see them around, and there do seem to be quite a few that make Saint Cadou their summer destination (and why not, there are some lovely gîtes …) and one couple chose our garage to raise 2 broods of chicks.
We have also seemed to become a destination for some of our neighbour’s livestock. Their young children used to have rabbits in hutches and they have a large chicken run, now however the seem to have allowed their animals to be free range as we frequently have 2 rabbits and 3 chickens enjoying the garden.
It isn’t a problem for us, and I am a little surprised that none of the animals are deterred either by the dogs or Mouse, but I am more surprised that the haven’t fallen prey to any of the other animals around. They at least provide entertainment to our guests.
This beautiful summer is also continuing with hot and dry days. It is actually moving into beautiful but slightly alarming territory as Finistère has joined many other départements at the crisis level of drought warning in the week with major associated restrictions on what we can and can’t use water for. Our biggest concern, short of the taps running dry completely, is not being able to top up the pool when required.
Thankfully, it doesn’t need too frequent replenishment and, for us, it is probably more the mountains of laundry that we do each week that uses considerably more water. The garden is beginning to look very parched but at least I don’t have to mow the lawn twice a week as we would in a ‘normal’ summer.
What constitutes a ‘normal’ summer is definitely changing, and it has become evident that things are warming up. According to the official data, of the 5 hottest years experienced since 1900, 4 have occurred since we moved to France in 2015. I promise we’re not responsible! Despite the likely increase in the number and duration of droughts to come, having the pool seems to have been a good decision, and we think it’s hot here, it will be even hotter and less bearable further south. Come to Brittany!!
There is likely to be less work next week as we enter another extremely hot week and our new guests look like pool users, we just hope they keep the water in the pool!!
Salut.