Is it running yet ?

 Is it running yet ? well it ought to be . It hasn’t for months , it was sometime earlier this year ; so long ago that I can’t remember . Strange that time is now measured in Covid events . Was it before or after the last restrictions ? Well that is not relevant to today . We are now liberated ; can eat and drink at out favourite places . But is it running yet ?

For over a day now it has been dark, cold and the rain lashing . More like the north of England than  the south of France . The heating, and lighting, have been switched on throughout the day . We remain huddled indoors , the outside looks very unfriendly . This unforgotten phenomenon  of continuous rain has forced (me)  to check that the house is still watertight . Suitable clad in waterproof ..everything ..I ventured forth. Drains were clear , rainwater harvesting in full-bore . But it still wasn’t running.

The second day off rain it finally started . The thirst of the hills and fields had  been quenched and rain was finally running-off into our river valley ; resurrecting our very own stream . Well we wouldn’t what to lay claim to that ! After a prolonged dry spell , the heavy rain  was washing off vegetation detritus and uncollected farm waste. The river was exhibiting  a very polluted brown colour,  which the mediterranean would have to deal with .

 It took a further day for the stream  to clear ; but then less than a week for it to disappear again. We must hope for further rainfall events to replenish water resources, or should we assume that the climate has permanently changed , and plan accordingly . Something it seems all governments are failing to to do with sufficient urgency. They too are not yet running !

Footprints

Another day , another venture into the mountains . Recent forays had created confidence that this ageing body was capable of more . Why not revisit Tour Masanne , at only ? 793m;  17km  from home, that would take (me ) 5/6 hours . Ah , another suggestion has just been made , to finish with a meal  at Argeles Port ; so a less strenuous route planned . A later start , dictated by sartorial lunch preparations, meant that the route was down to two hours now .

Still I’m off with a spring in my step , enthusiasm enhanced by thoughts of food . I was following a series of fire tracks for ease and speed . It was yet another still day .With no noise , or anyone else, it was as though I had these vast spaces to myself . Being a responsible walker, I enjoyed this little bit of wilderness , leaving behind only my footprints , and taking with me only pictures. Ah if only mankind emulated this example.

The folds of the mountain side had been created over the millenniums by fast flowing river torrents .Vegetation has softened the slopes ; wind and rain smoothing exposed rock, itself covered with moss and lichen . Natures harmony .

It’s much, much , drier now , with those torrents making only maybe yearly appearances. The landscape had stopped evolving . However  nature has now been rent asunder with the gash of the fire tracks . Fracturing rock faces , and tipping the detritus on the slopes . Man’s footprint writ large. The tracks themselves a response to mankind induced climatic reverberations.

Turning a corner and the sound level dramatically increased , reaching a crescendo as  I crossed the ‘Route Grand Vitesse’. Feeling somewhat smug , I traversed this carbon emission generating contrivance; knowing that my releases that day , so far , was sustainable. My diminishing carbon footprint was further enhanced by a meal of shell fish , somewhat offset by the odd glass of wine. Clearly I am not yet carbon neutral .

Argeles has some 800 boats anchored in the port . Perversely very few are at sea at anyone time . The commune is engaged in a public consultation exercise to , amongst others ‘Engage the port and its neighbourhood in the ecological transition ‘ ( Google translation); i.e. to expand for another 240 . Despite the promotional wooly words , the main objective. The port and boat construction will represent a size 14 carbon footprint . Still I suppose with sea level rises forecast between 0.5 and 1 metre by 2100; the boats will provide sorely needed alternative accommodation .

To be or not to be...

 

That is the question …but when in comes to insurance , for me there is no question . It could be said I am somewhat risk averse. After all we have our own lightning conductor : what are risks of being struck not once ( already happened ) , but twice ?. We have rain guns set up around the house to counter a passing forest fire , and  a standby generator to cover for a simultaneous  power cut . The basement could be turned into a fall out shelter; next project ?

 So when it comes to holiday insurance , it has to be comprehensive. Luggage could go missing ( it has ) ,valuables stolen ( they have ) , relative’s illness could demand an unplanned return ( it has) ; we could be caught in a potential war zone ( yep that has happened also ) .

 We were living in India  and it looked like they could go to war with Pakistan . Both sides had mobilised half million troops, and the paper in India had the radius of the Pakistani missiles ( nuclear ). Ah they could reach us . The French considered it all hype ; the British said we wouldn’t be rescued  if we didn't leave NOW . The propelling factor however was that if you ( as good Brits ) ignore Foreign Office advice, all your insurances  are cancelled  . So it was to Singapore for us , first class,  to ensure we got on the plane . Another potential risk covered.

Covid travel restrictions have relaxed somewhat , so we are off in search of winter warmth ; visiting family , fortunately now living in that warmth;  Maldives and Ecuador . Children’s careers had followed parent’s example of including climate in the list of country requirements . Didn't  always work as Armenia slipped into the pack ( 40 above in summer , but 20 below in winter . ) Still now ,back on track , and we are off . Insurance , no problem, obtained on line with our UK company . Paid, and minutes later document arrived . Oops ! , the now not so small print highlighting that insurance was void if you travelled against  Foreign Office advice . Ecuador was now ‘red’ , so that insurance didn't last the flight time of the email. All this computerisation has its drawbacks if the humans don't keep the information up to date .

The French of course were again more relaxed , issuing world wide coverage , and that at half the price . They did however restrict us from  vacationing in North Korea, Afghanistan and Somalia; perhaps next time .  A month to go : new improved suit cases have arrived , and case straps procured . We will plastic seal them as well …to be on the safe side . As with insurance , you cannot  prepare enough , and too early . All somewhat removed from a “ A walk on the wild side “ ( previous blog ). That too is possible with  insurance ; although surprisingly for the French it excludes inebriated induced accidents .  So abroad , with a glass in front of me, that  phrase will be haunting me …” to be or not to be “

Walk on the Wild Side

 Time to throw off post lock down inertia , and venture further afield ; well across our electric fence and into the wild woods. Not exactly virgin forest , but secondary regrowth on former agricultural land long since abandoned , and now being reclaimed by nature . Oak has re-established itself with a local broom filling the remaining spaces . So without a machete , following a hunters’ track was essential . The path itself was little used , so the local sanglier can feel relaxed , they had even dug themselves  a watering hole in which to wallow ; no doubt planning their next excursion into our garden .

This bit of wilderness lasted a total of a few hundred meters , and I emerged into fields more recently neglected . Grasses had now over taken the vines and the few grapes left for the wildlife ; those sanglier again. With all this open space around us , why do those sanglier want to endure a 14.000 volt shock just to eat our worms ? .. The other man’s worms !!

I am back on asphalt now , starting a gentle ascent to the bottom of our bit of Les Albères. Just a few months ago our galant pompiers had rescued the adjacent fields from  the ravages  of a wild fire , probably induced by discarded glass or  ‘megots’. ( ciggies ) . Now green grass was emerging from the blacked soil , and trees, abandoning their lower foliage, continuing their vertical ascent . Nature’s rapid reclamation.

I am on a steep winding path, properly in the mountains( well our bit of the Pyrenees ). Not a breadth of wind and no noise except the clinking of my Pacer poles and my creaking and wheezing . I am sure these hills are getting bigger. Even on these steep hillsides is evidence of man’s previous occupation. Extensive dry stone terracing still standing after some hundreds of years. Clearly then the workers were very fit and these hillsides capable of sustaining all that effort . They make my garden walling efforts look puny.

Despite ( or because of )  the steepness ,stones and twists and turns , this path has attracted mountain cyclists ; tell tale tracks spotted by this sharp eyed tracker.  I suppose that as more of these machines are electrified  , then the routes followed have to be more challenging . This little bit of wilderness is too fast disappearing.

Suddenly the track burst forth onto the wide spaces of the fire track. Constructed not many years ago to give pompiers access to these hillsides , it has dramatically increased human presence , and thus perversely the risk of carelessly induced fire . An unintended consequence , a bit like road improvements increasing traffic. ( “Oh what tangled web we weave …”).

Before the advent of the fire track , there were just the occasional narrow footpaths and one very steep roadway winding upwards to a remote Mas . According to village gossip it was built using helicopters and money derived from an ‘unsure’ northern European source; for someone who did not welcome visitors. Apparently he wants to keep his hillside wild , by “ excluding the goats”. I passed two cockneys using a rock drill installing 50mm steel fence posts 2 metres high . There must be very big goats around here, and someone with very deep pockets. Ah! who owns all that property in London ?

Back to earth now , returning to our fenced compound only capable of deterring four legged intruders . Two legged welcomed . Lou Reed’s  song reverberating  in by cranium  “ Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side” 

 

 Surrounded by wildernes?

 

Minds eye

 Summer is over , the pool is covered and the swallows and our family have left for their winter accommodation. Its been a busy period  , for two months the house population expanded from two to ten, both human and swallows .  Whilst the swallows created little work , except for occasional poo cleaning , the same could not be said for the humans who needed hotel services. Nevertheless  it has been an enjoyable and memorable summer . Time for our break .

The Costa Brava has a spectacular coast , and a delightfully green interior. So we booked into a small hotel in Llafranc relaxing in the end of season calm ; and with Spanish food and wine . The flat , blue sea   encouraged post sleeping  ( night and siesta ) refreshing activity . Coastal footpaths provided more strenuous endeavours coupled with expanding vista . A lasting visual memory of our short holiday .

However , periodically there were reminders of something , or in this case , someone missing . An empty glass, an abandoned table , a view point needing human presence . Covid had almost avoided  all of us then France , except for a fit teenager who shrugged it off like a passing cold . Devastatingly  it took a senior family member  based in the UK. A truly lovely man who had dedicated his life to helping others . So on our holiday , whenever there was something missing it was filled by memories of Jesse . He may no longer be with us in person , but is forever in our minds eye .

Let there be Light !

‘But the light hasn’t come on’ . Plugging in the mossy UV trap elicited no response from the charging light . Ah! The electric clock on the cooker is not showing also. We have no electricity. Something we expect at the flick of a switch wasn’t there . Another foundation of our existence looking shaky . After Covid , drought , fire and then no water ; this has been a year rattling those foundations .

Why not ( no electricity that is )… the first question to answer . Normally it’s a trip on one of the multiple earth leakage trips , design to prevent us from electrocuting ourselves, or a faulty appliance from burning the house down . So its down to the basement ,with torch needed now, to check the main house trip . No its OK , so off to the main gate to check EDF’s trip . Perversely it’s raining, so the mac ( coat not computer ) had its first outing for a very long time. 

The power outage is general ( ie not just us ) . First action is to release the clutch on the gate motor . No power and its impossible to open it , and my wife will shortly be returning ; so a priority action. Ringing Enerdis ( the company responsible for distribution unlike EDF who ‘just ‘ run the power plants ) , and pre-recorded nice lady informed that it was a major outage affecting as far as Perpignan. So in the space of the few minutes it had taken me to check , she had sprung into action ; impressive ! Let’s hope her colleagues can find and repair the fault as quickly .

With the return of the principal family member thoughts turned to the evening meal and fading light . Cooking no problem , the gas powered BBQ will suffice. For light, candles , although the light on that mossy trap would be safer ….but that needs charging , as does now the phone . My readership will remember that as part of fire prevention we now have a generator . It fired up first time ( well after I had remembered to switch it on ) .  This provided both charging , and with the fire pump in the pool, a potential water supply for the house . ( No electricity also means ,very quickly , no water .

So we can potentially withstand a power outage of several hours , several that is until the hot water cools and  the freezers defrost . I must workout  how solar panels can provide a longer term solution .  Fortunately the mains supply was promptly returned ,together with relaxation . However  this was a reminder that much underpinning our comfortable existence cannot be totally relied upon . 

Colours

 
The sunlight  had turned the water droplets on the fruit cage into a jewel encrusted spectacle . The trees had been washed clean of their summer dust , leaves ,a freshness hanging in the morning stillness . A day of the first rain in over 6 weeks had transformed all around into a kaleidoscope. I set off around  the fields exploring those colours , with Donovan’s song reverberating within my cranium .

Green is the colour of …. our new sprung grass in this morning. Its almost miraculous how a day's rain had transformed apparently dead yellow into green shoots .

Russet is the colour of the pine needles newly cast-off by the trees, to conserve water . The vibrancy of their colours contrasting with previous annual shedding .

The ferns too had responded to the drought by starting their winter hibernation early ; turning the colour of copper .

These colours contrasted with the dark dank oak leaves rotting on the floor . Here and there were lighter patches of newly turn soil , evidence of sanglier incursion . A 14,000 volt electric fence providing for them a minor inconvenience  . I have run out of passive deterrence  . Time to join the ranks of the chasseurs.

Looking up, Les Albères had been spruced up , rain restoring  a palet of colours . These too were accentuated by the white of the rolling mist ; the last remnants of that welcomed rainy day ( tourists probably not matching my enthusiasm) .