Hello From Copper Mountain

Hi Folks, having a great time so far here at Copper Mountain. Snow has been falling for the last 48 hours giving us the best skiable terrain in Summit County. Everybody is friendly and wants you to be a success. Accommodation is basic, but comfortable. Food is typical American, bagels for breakfast, potroast and mash for lunch then what ever you can scrape together for dinner washed down with a couple of beers.
Gave my first lesson on Saturday to two Chinese ladies and an American guy. All went well and was given an individual carton of Gatoraid as a tip.
Going to go and see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this afternoon as it is my day off. I was willing to work 7 days a week but they will not let me, making me take one day off a week.
I have been asked to credit the photo to Christer Sundberg who says he is the greatest Swedish skier here in Copper.

Au Revoir La Source

Oh no we start our journey back to Blighty this afternoon. Holly and Belle have extended their vacation until 18th Oct when Belle can officially come back to the Uk. La Source have a full set of instructions to maintain two happy mutts, Belle has a pair of my socks and a towel to cuddle upto in my absence. Holly can't wait for us clear off so she can put her feet up.
So that's it for now Ian heads to Denver Colorado in Nov so new posts will appear then from him. I'll keep updating the site and adding snippets from the past few months.
Will see you all very soon!!

Let's rock

Le Claps Via Ferrata and Mark's first difficult grade. Mum and Claire could not bare to watch so went shopping instead while Dad disappeared for a kip in the van. At lunch time I managed to slice my thumb after a fight with a crusty baguette and Mum thinks climbing is dangerous. Mark took the Ferrata in his stride and chatted all the way round with a few brief quiet moments on the scary bits. Ian however was quiet most of the way round as usual muttering to himself to calm his nerves. He loves it really, just scared of heights!

Any comments

I have changed the settings on this blog so any scoundrel can leave a message. Feel free to join in.

11 years today!

We got hitched, today though was slightly less nerve racking. Tried a few climbs but seem a bit rusty and have lost our edge after a particularly scary Via Ferrata in the rain the other day. The rain started after we left I would just like to point out. Boots don't like vertical rock and metal ladders when it's wet. Ian huffed and puffed to control his nerves and cursed all the way round scaring me more than the slippery rock did. He makes me lead the routes coz if I can do it so can he and I get to see the scary stuff first. He ain't daft you know. After a long two hours we were back on solid ground, headed back to the van for hot soup and a chill whereupon Ian declared how much he enjoyed the Ferrata.
Today was a lot less taxing, but we need to limber up a bit and get our climbing heads back on. Further along the crag a two year old was getting hoisted up a 4B he seemed to be enjoying it, though don't think he had much choice in the matter. We decided to do the Ferrata at Le Jarjatte too as the weather looked like it would hold out. We did this route last year so felt confident to try again in better conditions than the other day. It was a blast, had the crag to ourselves, the sun on our backs and big thunderous clouds looming over the craggy peaks in the distance. We'd forgot how demanding this route was though, already tired arms trying to pull us up another overhang, but hey it was good fun and you can't feel more alive than seeing a three hundred foot drop below your feet. As we finished the heavens opened and the thunder roared while we sat in the van having a brew. It's very civilized this motorhome lark.
We celebrated our anniversary with a pizza from the pizza caravan shack in Veyne. Ian did offer to take me out to dinner but a pizza was a novelty after so many months, he always say's I'am cheap to keep.!

Via Ferrata Will

Via Ferrata Will
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Will The Conquerer
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Back in France

We are back at La Source for a few weeks. Just time to get some serious climbing and Via ferrattas in before our return to England. Tracey, Heather, William and Thomas have been here a week on holday. A couple of days at the local lake ensured that Ian and I were dunked several times by Will and Thomas. We got them back mind when we dangled them on a rockface and took Will on his first Via ferratta.
Boy it's hot here but after getting soaked for the whole of August we're loving it.

Ayla and Tim

We managed to get the van stuck today well and truely. The most embarrasing bit though after all the travels through pot holed muddy roads was that we were in the camp site about to leave. It took a while and snow chains to get us out. People in little tents around us were probably having a good laugh at us. During all this we got talking to a Ayla and Tim fellow full time travellers so we ended stopping another couple of nights for a few bevvies. Well a lot actually but it was an early night at 2.30am impressive for us light weights.

Slovenia Tatras Mountains

We are parked up in a campsite looking at the Tatras mountains, well the bits we can see inbetween the rain clouds that is. Weather here is grim as has most of August. We are surrounded by forest much of which was flattened in a storm in 2004, great for good views bad for the ecology. Holly and Belle enjoy our bike rides around the forest, particularly the first day where they ended up in a mudbath. Holly is determined to keep up with Belle and is doing really well considering her dodgy back.
We have a camp fire by our pitch and cooked dinner the other night, well what we had left after Belle managed to grab half the sausages off the counter top, she left us the skewers! You should have seen Ian’s face, it was a picture. He had ridden into town especially for the sausages. As we sat later on in the dark a chilled out fox walked past a couple of feet away from us. Later he came back found Belles tug mutt toy, tried to kill it then ran off into the forest with it. Ian reckons he’s running round the forest now showing off to his mates.

Do you think they'll be mad
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Am getting too old for this
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

I got it
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Holly made me do it
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

What!
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Vlad the Impaler

Aka Dracula is nowhere to be seen. In fact his castle in Transylvania was too pretty and he never actually stopped there. Ian spent the afternoon pretending he was Dracula but a dig in the ribs sorted that out.The weather here has been awful with severe flooding, we had some tricky driving at times and the satellite dish had a close encounter with a steal girder and the dish came off worse. Well it's knackered basically but was never much use to us anyway as we don't watch telly. No time for that.
Travelling across Transylvania we picked up a couple of sodden back packers who turned out to be English and Austrian. We all visited a communist prison together rather moving and then checked into a lovely quaint campsite with tiny log cabins and open fire where all the cooking was done. The vegetables were washed in the stream and the meat chopped on a log outside the kitchen. The food here is plain but very good and cheaper than buying in the supermarket. The village is famous for its Merry Cemetry where the graves have carved wooden crosses brightly painted depicting the deceased and how they died. With a humourous story attached about their death, just wished we could have read that bit but managed to understand some of the gruesome endings by the carvings.
Now we are heading further up the valley, we are right by the Ukrainian border in an area that is like stepping back in time a couple of hundred years. Everbody is out working in the fields or washing wool in the streams or trying to flog a woven rug to the odd tourist.
After today we are off to Hungary for a goulash!

Happy Birthday Lilly

Andrew-&-Lilly-Walking
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

How cute and Lilly too!!!

Chilling at Mamia beach Romania

Should I shave my hair darling
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Jac & Ian
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Buhusi Romania

We are currently stopping with friends we met while on the coast. Their home is in northern Romania at Buhusi. Gabi and her daughter Sara curently live in London and are taking a couple of months visiting family back at their hometown. Adrian, Anna and Bianca are neighbours. They were all camping at Mamia when we met. It's been non stop eating and drinking for four days. In return for their hospitality we cooked some traditional English cuisine, chicken korma and bread and butter pudding which they seemed to like. We had a great time meeting everyone including all the neighbours!
Photos of all will follow.

Cowgirl Gabi
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Now this is a good chip
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Your chips do taste good
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Sara
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Adrian,Anna,Bianca and Che Che
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Romanian delicacy Smoked fat
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Albena Bulgaria

We are in the most bizarre camp site at one of Bulgarias upmarket resorts. It's like a concentration camp, camping enough for two tents the rest are wood shacks. Very strange. Just been for an english breakfast our first in 7 months. It consisted of a large hotdog and onions, pickled mushrooms, large dried out beans no sauce. Ian to blame for the idea of breakfast, will stick to yoghurt.
Heading off to Romania now and hoping for a luxury camp site after 4 weeks wild camping.

Sozopol Bulgaria

Finally we have left Sofia. We walked away from the apartment we liked as there were too many things to do. It had just been renovated and was very good quality but no heating no kitchen no boiler etc, would have meant us hanging around Sofia another month sorting things out and going to Macedonia to extend our visas. As we are now heading back to the Uk sept/oct we want the rest of our time to explore Europe not sitting around waiting for a plumber to turn up.
So now we are on the coast heading up to Romania. If we see a new build we like we might go for it but otherwise it's not to be.
Just off for some lunch now, prices here are soooo cheap. Cheaper to eat out than do it ourselves, plus it's too hot to bother with cooking.

Sofia Bulgaria

We are in Sofia looking at property in the center of the city, we think it's a better option than Bansko there's so much new build going on there that we imagine the slopes would be a nightmare.
The city is nice once you look past the scruffy bits and it's very lively. Last Sunday they had a grafitti festival near where we were parked, after been to the cinema we returned to the van. While we were sat there a really stupid probably out of his head idiot(am being polite) busted the passenger door lock. We have deadlocks on all doors so he got no further. Our ever alert guard dogs were busy having a sunday afternoon snooze as we jumped over them to get to the door.In a second the idiot had gone.
We have spent the past week parked in Bulgaria's most expensive secure car park at ten pounds for 24hrs a bargain by UK city prices, just by the main park so Holl and Belle are happy. Ian and I are going stir crazy and desperate to get to the mountains now but we have a few more properties to look at on Mon then it's time to decide.
Our travel plans are changing now. Ian has a job as a ski intructor at Copper Mountain Denver Colorado starting in Nov, so after Sofia we are now on our way back across Europe and back to the UK for Sept/Oct. The one slight problem is Belle, we cannot bring her into the UK before the 19th Oct due to her passport. So we have to work our way around that problem. Ian will head out and we'll follow if necessary.
My planned brief trip back to the UK is now cancelled and we'll all come back together soon.

Bansko Bulgaria

We have eventually made it to Bulgaria and are currently in the ski resort of Bansko. Two different worlds in one town. New 5 star ski hotels and apartment blocks at one end, old ladies washing rugs in a pit at the other with horse and cart for transport. We get our water from the same trough as the horses, good fresh mountain spring. If it doesn’t kill the horses it should be alright for us. Emptying the van loo has been a bit tuffer around here but where there’s a will and a bold front your in. We thought customs were going to dismantle the van at the boarder crossing, but they only had two screwdrivers in their toolbox and gave up when they couldn’t budge the first screw. Tonight we are putting on the glad rags again and I’m taking Jac to the 5 Star hotel to post the Blog and collect the E-mails, lucky girl. Keep you posted.

Quick note from Jac, Ian's glad rag's were his usual scruff's!! Men.
Hi to Lilly!

Greece

Ian and Belle Vikos Gorge
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Spot the Ancient Ruin
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

What a couple of babes
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Needs A Bit Of Work Love
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Greek Mobile Home
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Happy Father's Day

Sorry we couldnot phone and no we did not forget but you don't get mobile reception in the middle of the Greek mountains. Tried to phone from the top of Mount Olympus but battery went flat :-( Oops. So hope you both had a good day.
Speak soon. J&I x

Mount Olympus Greece 3000m

Yesterday we climbed the mythical mountain of the Gods, Ian said he was the only God I needed. It was the toughest trek of our lives, 6 hours straight up on very steep,rocky, loose paths. We really did not think pooches would be up for this one but no problems there. Another 6 hours back down was agony on the knees. Most people do the trek over two to three days as it's such a slog and stop at the refuges. Having dogs we did not think they were allowed in the refuges so we went for it. We managed to acquire the local stray dog of the mountain, a bit of a BOB!!Tag's onto friendly folk. Usually hangs around one of the refuges. He followed us for 3 hours down the mountain and spent last night asleep by the van. He seems to have the hots for Belle. He was still following us in the van as we headed back down to the main village. Hopefully he gave up and headed back up the mountain.
While in Greece we have been to Athens (awful), Olympia to see the ruins of the Olympic games 750BC, Vikos Gorge and a few days rest on the beach after our Albania escapade. Next we are off to the north to find some quiet beaches and then onto either Turkey or Bulgaria.
Sorry no pictures but technology over here is a bit behind so can't hook up with the laptop.

Durres Albania

We are now in Albania after spending a couple of weeks in Croatia and the last 4 days in Montenegro.The border crossing here was interesting, had to wait while the guards all had their morning brew. Two guards came into the van to marvel at the interior and the push button catches on the doors!! Oh they loved Holl and Belle too. In fact every where we go all these tough looking officials all go soft when they see them.
The roads here are like those in Romancing the Stone, dirt and gravel tracks with more pot holes than roads and these are the main roads. We had one lovely smooth drive on one tarmac road it was a real treat!! We are now heading along the coast road to Greece its about two hundred miles away but will take 8 to 10 hours to do, we hope there will be the odd decent bit of road.

Ian's First Blog

This is your first blogg update from Ian, Jac’s working on her photos tonight so I have hit the town, having a few beers and checking out the talent oops web. After leaving Omis we caught the ferry to the island of Hvar to find more climbing areas. A small fishing village provided a beautiful backdrop to some small crags for Jac and I. Not long climbs, only 8 meters but testing never the less. 40° in the shade and the only bar in the village was not selling drinks yet as it wasn’t summer!!! How hot does it have to get for summer to be declared in Croatia? But, we still had a good time. After parting with Tony and Carol on their wedding anniversary we spent the night again on the dockside waiting for the first ferry off the island next morning. A lovely drive brought us to Dubrovnik and Auto camp Solitude. The solitude didn’t last too long when the Hotel Disco down the road started to blast out YMCA and “Agadoo doo doo push pineapple shake the tree” and then it gets stuck in you head. Last night we joined the culture vultures for a concert by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra and it was fantastic. Hitting the road again tomorrow and heading for Greece, will keep you posted, get it!
Last minute update, I'm sat in a private party with a bunch of journalists flown in from Zagreb to promote T.com. Free booze and food and Jac don't know about it. Anybody who is anybody in Croatia is here including the National Football Coach. Its a hard life

Congratulations Nicola and Frank

Frank and Nicola had a baby girl yesterday, no name yet all doing well.

We are at a place called Omis on the Croation coast. Red hot it is. Sorry
After climbing yesterday we went to an outdoor restaurant for food done in trad way over open fire, big plate of mixed meat roasted and chips. Ian thought he had died and gone to heaven not a sniff of a salad. Cost 5 quid each and was divine, pint of lager a pound so had a few then when temperature cooled from 39 degrees to 30 we tried to do some climbing again, I gave up after two minutes my fingers are shot after 5 days climbing. Carol and Tony are with us from the charity trip
for a few days climbing.
On Wed to cool down in the afternoon we hired a little boat with a lawn mower for an engine and went up a gorge with cliffs towering either side. Holly tried drinking the entire river and Belle unexpectedly jumped off the boat into the river as we sped down it. She was suddenly a long way back before I new it half my kit was off and was about to dive in. Our captain Tony managed to get the boat round and I grabbed little un who looked terrified by now. Think she will have learnt her lesson from that one.
Am sat in a well funky apple mac internet cafe tucked away in a little medieval town. We are about to move further down the coast to Brela a quaint town with lots more climbing. I might sneak off and find a sun lounger instead! Bruised battered knees and hands from sharp rock will look really attractive on the beach.

Zdravo from Croatia

Carol and Tony
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

We never got to the casino so Ians still stuck with me for now. Instead we spent an evening with an English couple Carol and Tony en-route to Croatia and Serbia with a charity group taking computers and supplies to local orphanages. It was quite a novelty to sit with company all evening and chat again, we don’t get much chat back from Holly and Belle though they do try.
The following morning Sun 15 May we say our goodbyes and hope to meet up again in Croatia. The campsite has been a treat for us but we are now desperate to getting back to finding remote spots with stunning views and go exploring again. We call in at Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia, just as the rain starts which resulted in all the tourists disappearing for cover so we walked deserted streets for 3 hours. A little old woman sat by the Triple bridge making small flower poseys, she looked like Micheal Palins mum. I wondered what her story was and what she had seen in the years of communist rule.
The next day we call into some caves at Divaca and walk deep underground to a cavern 100m deep & 300m long with a raging river flowing 50 metres below the little dimly lit walkway. Incredible, like something out of Lord of the Rings where Gandolf falls into the underground gorge. Luckily the bridge stayed intact.
Later we head to the coast to Piran, walk for a few hours in the sun and park up for the night.

Yesterday we crossed into Croatia and now we are in Porec. This was my first foreign destination twenty odd years ago back then it was Yugoslavia. Now it’s a very busy tourist resort so after a quick internet stop and walk round we are heading off down the coast to find a remote beach.
Dovidenja for now.

Divaca Caves
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Slovenia Julian Alps and Lake Bled

After spending a few days in the Dolomites hiking and getting snowed in we headed to Slovenia.The drive here up and down the mountains was fantastic. Yesterday we snowshoed(very slowly, very hard work)up to a summit of 1911m not the highest round here as they are all still covered in thick snow from the top we could see Italy, Austria and Slovenia. An 800m drop either side meant dogs were on their leads much to their disgust.
Today we are at Lake Bled at a campground by the lake. The site is luxury after wild camping for a month, there is even a dog shower! Had a gentle stroll around the lake and taking it easy for the day before we head back into the mountains. We have heard the first English voices in a month too, seems very strange suddenly being able to listen and understand off to find some English papers and books now. May try the Casino later with twenty quid to double our money!!If we loose Ian,s going to flog me for a million and run off with the cash.

Bolzano Italy

We called in here to get access onto the internet with my mac so I can update my website. We are about to put our best clobber on and go for a few drinks at the Sheraton and hopefully use their wireless access point.

Next we head over to the Dolomites.
Chow.

At the Swiss Border

At the Swiss Border
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

On Saturday we followed a track parallel to the road on mountain bikes with rucksacks and snowshoes strapped to us ( hardwork at altitude). Every so often we would hear a loud shrill and had thought it was birds until we nearly ran over a marmot. They were everywhere peeking out of their burrows, and standing up on their hind legs to sunbath and watch us. Holly and Belle were oblivious to all this. Belle preferring to roll around in any stinky, muddy, tick invested bog she finds and Holly just busy taking it easy as usual. When we reached the snow line we left the bikes and followed a stream up through the snow until eventually that disappeared beneath the snow too. With snow shoes on we headed up to the Swiss border watching and listening for avalanches, we saw four from a safe distance! The refuge and border patrol were all buried, ahead lay the Swiss Alps and Pisso Berninia at 4050 m high. We were the first people up here, we followed the road back down, the odd sign post emerging through the snow. Chunks of the road had collapsed and we thought that maybe the road is closed permanently now but next day the diggers went up to start to clear the road.


On another hike we saw marmots, deer and a golden eagle!

Ian Holly Belle
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Worn out Belle
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Marmot
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Bormio

We made our way up to Bormio, our usual first call was the tourist information office to find out if there was a laundrette in town as we were getting desperate for clean clothes and facing the prospect of washing two weeks of clothes and bedding in a bucket. This time we were lucky and headed to a small dry cleaners in the old quarter who also did a service wash at 5 kilos for 10 euros. After loading the machines we went up to the Bormio Therm Baths and spent two hours relaxing it was bliss.
For the past few days we have been parked up the valley from Livigno ( a tax free area, Smirnoff 50% 1ltr Vodka 5 Euros, Baileys 1 ltr 8 Euros well it would be rude not to!) We are parked at the end of the road literally. It is one of two routes into Switzerland and it is closed for the winter the location here is stunning.

The Too Small Barn

The Too Small Barn
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

We have spent the past two weeks in the Italian Alps at various locations usually in the middle of nowhere. The land we were interested in at San Guiseppe was a no go, we would only be able to extend the property by 10% and the road connecting it to the outside world was closed most of the winter so we would not be able to use as a holiday home. This we had not expected as there was a village further up the valley and expected the road to be kept clear, but the villagers all head back down the valley for the winter. There were also various other access problems so decision was made and we decided to move on.

View from plot of land
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

The white area is the snow covered Swiss mountains.

Ian cooks curry for six.

Curry for our last dinner together, typical Brits but hey it's now not the last supper as our plans to leave tomorrow aint going to happen. Spent four and a half hours trying to get an internet connection this afternoon to upload the final site. In the end I had to have a few vino's and transfer everything onto Ian's 'games' mac and then finally get connected. Throwing the laptop out the door was a serious option at times today. The site is finally uploading and I dare not look for fear of seeing error-5002 yet again. One month's work is uploading tonight and thats not including the time for the photos. So much for taking time out, it has been one of the most stressful jobs i've had to do. But as Ian says about his own curry 'It was bloody beautiful' so what the hell.
Belle is back at the vets tomorrow for her final rabies blood test. Holls will be waving her off and hoping she don't come back but she'd miss her really. She's pure entertainment, she ran off across the field with a pair of my pants ( freshly washed) the other day and yesterday she managed to pinch a roll of wallpaper due to be put up in one of the guest rooms. If it's on the floor it's fair game.

Soon be on our way.

Well we are a bit behind our planned schedule of departing mid March. The arrival of Belle had a knock on effect with my work on the website for my stock photography. I was meant to have the website completed while Ian was away doing his instructor training. Instead I was running around after puppy and keeping Holly happy too. I have just spent the past few weeks working flat out to get everything done. Ian, Mum and Dad insisted one lunch time I had a drink and forget about work, six hours later we were all spangled and my hangover started at 8pm!
The site needs to be functioning before we leave here so that it is ready to upload to on our travels. There have been quite a few headaches sorting everything out but thanks to Andrew & Tottenham Totty we are getting there. I am just awaiting the final site template design from a chap in America, then hope to have the site uploaded this week. Hopefully if all works well we should be on our way in the next week!

Is This The Way To Amarillo?

Is This The Way To Amarillo?
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Photographed by their grandmother!!

Friendly French Soap!

Hear Nowt,Say Nowt,Do Nowt and Know Nowt

Hear Nowt,Say Nowt,Do Nowt and Know Nowt
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

It's scorchio here and thats just the girls trying out skiing without the pain or exercise, just the alcohol. Kathy and Linda have returned to the Uk now and peace and tranquility has returned to La Source! Weather here is bizarrre, one day it was -8 degrees the next +10 and today its reading +41 all in the space of a week. Spring is definitly here finally, it is a month late and no rain and little snow over the winter so everything is late. The grass has suddenly turned green overnight and there are bugs, lizards and birds everywhere all up to you know what! Belle does not know which to chase first. She chomped on a wasp the other day , luckily the wasp came off worse. Holly sits and watches with as much enthusiasm to join in as a ballet dancer into a rugby scrum. Most of the time Holl and Belle get on fine but when Belle is excitable she tries licking and biting Hollies chops which understandably she's not keen on, so gets a warning growl from Holl and a bite on the bum if she persists. Training is going well and Holly joins in too knowing there's treats in it. Belles favourite toy is a plastic scrubbing brush, our old one of course and she loves digging up the garden too. She also sneaks into our bathroom and licks the shower tray dry and chomps on a bar of soap is she gets the chance. Strange creatures dogs!

The Alps Latest Ski Instructor

Ian Arrives at Aspre
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Ian has passed after the completing the final two weeks of his course. He is now qualified as a BASI – British Association of Snowsport Instructors which means he can teach throughout the world apart from France that is, they don’t give skiing jobs to outsiders! He’s off getting spangled tonight which as we all know don’t take much doing. He should arrive back Sat afternoon and I can’t wait for his return as there’s loads of dumps to poop scoop up! Well I had to save some of it for him!

Home
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

A Typical Day at La Source

Holl & Belle
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Well Ian is back tomorrow after his two weeks away and glad to say I have survived. Holly very confused a pup arrives and Ian disappears (a strange swop but she is cutier) so sure she’ll be happier when he’s back and so will I, he can get up in the middle of the night for a bit. Belle is now van trained though it has not been without some interesting stomach churning incidents. Spent the first week getting up every 1-2 hours (Nic & Frank you lucky people!) often not getting Belle out quick enough so she would jump around in her mess in her cage. As I gingerly picked her up holding her out at arms length she would insist on trying to cuddle me. At this point I would remember the marigolds and pooh proof coat but too late. Finally I get Belle outside and then she would insist that I start to play with her not bothered that it is soooo cold outside. Holly through out all of this is curled up in bed snoring.
One night I managed to miss-judge the cleaning operation and stuck my hand straight into her mess and not a marigold insight again. All I can say is anti-bacterial wipes are very handy in emergency situations, funnily enough they are called Mr Poupre out here. Suzanne your right you should have come out here and resumed your dog sitting duties!
Belle only needs to be up at 4am now and then she and Holly insist I get up at 7am for breakfast then the cheeky buggers go back to sleep. Spoke too soon Belle also known as ‘Little Un’ and Holls are awake so I am being taken on a walk to sniff out deer, wild boar, hares and chew rocks and stuff. It’s a dog’s life out here!
Two hours later….
Just had a deer jump across the path in front of us. Too quick for Holl and Belle mind. We had a fox walk across the back field 50m in front of us the other day. Our professionally trained gun dogs were quite oblivious to this and continued their sunbathing and rolling around in the mud session. I could see the snigger on the fox’s face. You pedigrees… (in a French accent)
The wild boar have been busy last night in the forest. You can see where they have been snouting around. Luckily we have not bumped into one of these yet no doubt our ‘gundogs’ would know just what to do in this situation- Scarper

Poohey Parka

North Face Parka now back to glorious cream after a wash with ‘Skip’ and two days of drying. Has to be said it was minging even before the puppy pooh episode. Anyway glad the episode has given such joy in your lives. Lee you’ll have it to come one day with Labrador puppy pooh. You could house train on your Astro turf, oooopps sorry for swearing!!

La Faurie-Frozen Waterfalls, Rockfalls and Fossil Hunting

Frozen-Waterfall-La-Faurie
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Spring is here at least we hope it is. The temperature has risen above zero degrees. Apart from 3 or 4 days of cloud it has been blue skies out here since Christmas and bitterly cold but not in a miserable damp uk sort of way so that’s ok. Had to go and fill the van with gas so we stopped off at a gorge for a brief walk. Three hours later we returned so Belle has had a taste of what is to come! We followed a gravel track up through the gorge, in several places there had been rock and ice falls across the road so stayed alert ready to jump out of the way. Some fossils had been exposed where the rocks had cracked open so Belle tried to eat the rocks as I searched for the perfect fossil. Holly just sat and watched probably thinking what are you two muppets doing. At several points there were huge frozen waterfalls down the sides of the rock faces, the ice was so pure it had a blue tinge to it. It would be tempting to ice climb them but as that particular activity is the biggest killer in the Alpes we’ll give that one a miss! Mother will kill me for even thinking that one!

Lilly-Pot

Lilly-Pot
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Hi Lilly by special request here you are on tinternet, hope your better soon.