We lifted and winched beams high up into the air. We finally lifted the last one of the four purlins. I named this post ‘Flying Beams and Bees’ because on Friday 14th May we collected our long-awaited Buckfast Bees. All 10,000 of them! You can see the video at the end of this blog post.
The farmhouse has been soaked by heavy rain for two weeks and we needed one dry day to get the huge purlins into position in the barn. They were so heavy. What a CHALLENGE May 2021 has been so far! Already we’ve had adventures with flying beams and bees. I have to admit, there were some nervous moments working with these old lumps of wood. There are so many opportunities for one to swing around and smack you in the face or push you off a scaffold. Our priority is to reduce risk as much as possible.
When the rain came it was time to retreat inside and continue work down on the ground. When you add wet and windy weather the opportunity for disaster increases. Best avoided so, I spent some time in the kitchen updating the old lime plaster. Now, I like an uneven hand-made surface but I’m not a fan of huge holes and crumbling edges. These need a sympathetic touch to give a harmonious look to the room. My task was to mix up the lime plaster and work section by section to create a slightly smoother finish. I’m pleased with the results so far but there is still some sanding and finishing to be done.
The highlight of May has to be the collection of our Buckfast bees. We ordered this calm breed in January. Now it’s time to install the new beehive in our little woodland. We wished our son Alex could have traveled to be with us on this momentous occasion. Insects are his favorite thing and the reason why he’s studying biology and entomology at University. We can’t wait until he can visit us at last and see the Beehive.
We are DELIGHTED to see some difficult tasks completed. We can’t wait for the sun to shine and get on with the barn roof this summer.
We really hope you are enjoying our adventures in France as they unfold. It’s always a real boost to our motivation when people ask questions and leave positive comments on our blog, Youtube, and Insta channels. So don’t be shy, message us, give our videos a thumbs up or subscribe. We have so many projects and new ideas to share. If you like old buildings, discovering the past, cosey home-style, food, growing your own veg, living off your own land then you’ll love what we’ve got planned at Notes From Le Chassaing.
For more adventures similar to Flying Beams and Bees here are some Links we know you’ll love:
Images of daily life here in France Brocants, Gardens, Walks and Wildlife on Nicola’s Instagram profile https://www.instagram.com/nicola_mason2000/
Projects in progress and lots of woodwork with old beams, oak trees, ash trees, and walks in the wilderness on Simon’s Instagram profile https://www.instagram.com/simoncmason/
Join our mailing list for news of our next project, future events, or visitor days here at Le Chassaing https://notesfromlechassaing.co.uk/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/
Check out our Youtube channel recommended for lazy days when you are looking for inspiration and motivation to get your project started.
