Myrtle does a somersault

I went in to the field to give the cows some bread as we were heading out for a walk with Poppy.
The cows all came galloping down the hill. Myrtles front legs buckled under her and she went down on to her chin, her back legs kept going, for a moment she hovered in a chin stand, I thought they would return to the ground, but they kept going and she did a full somersault over her chin resulting in her head bending right back along her back.
When she landed I was sure she had broken her neck. She was lying there like this, apparently unable to move.

I screamed for Doug who was waiting in the car. We decided we had to try to get her head back in the right place and see whether she could move. She flailed her legs very enthusiastically, so we rolled her over so her legs were downhill of her and she managed to struggle up to her feet. We had to use a rope in the end because of the leg flailing.
She seems to be unaffected after the excitement.

She is 7 months pregnant so I guess she is heavier than her front legs are used to!

Two birds with one stone

Or one hole with a load of stones...
We have had a big pile of rubble on the lawn since the door was knocked through between the main house and the room a currently live in. Three years ago perhaps. As we also had a big hole at the side of the drive to be filled in it seemed that we could solve both these problems at once.
The dry weather means it is a good time to take the mini digger on the lawn. We are not skiing so much during the school holidays

Just starting to be filled in

Big pile of rubble

Putting it in the trailer

Big bare patch on lawn. Now we need to do something about that! (before we plant seed we need to get it up to the approx same level as the rest of the grass, some earth got dug off with the rubble)

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

These are our new muscovy ducks. They don't quack! The male hisses and the female kind of chirps (bit like a guinea pig). They are my (not) birthday present come a bit early.

We were a bit worried that the chickens might attach the ducklings, but after an initial set to between the drake and the cockerel everything has been peaceful.

Muscovys don't lay huge numbers of eggs each year, but we are hoping for a few as well as perhaps three batches of duckings each year - yum!

Top of the Pic du Midi to Artigue

Taking advantage of the ongoing lovely weather, and before the low down snow melts too much in all the sun we skied from the top of the Pic du Midi to Antigue which is waaaay down the mountain. The resort provides a bus back - which we found to be bit crappy and ended up hitching a lift back up as the bus didn't arrive when it was meant to. We later discovered that it waits higher up than we came out on to the road. Rubbish! But a lovely ski before that. We have been meaning to do this for ages, but didn't because of concerns about finding the bus - thank goodness for the lovely lady who gave us a lift.

Artistic pic from the cable car

This is the valley we will ski down

Amazing view

We waddled up to the edge from which we could see our house

Steep!

There are the cable cars passing each other in this picture. Honest!

Tricky bit

Looking back at the way we came down

Brewing beer

Sun sun sun. It is like summer!

Brewing a 70 shilling and bottling a RyePA (we invented it - it is like IPA but with some rye malt in it)

Lovely walk behind Beaudean

The poor doggy has not been getting enough exercise as we have been skiing quite a bit and she gets abandoned in the garden all day, so we took her for a nice long walk in the hills by Beaudean (village on the way to La Mongie but not far from home). Beautiful views and a very pleasant walk. Bit of a pull up at the beginning, but after that nice and gentle.

Church at Beaudean

Poppy looking cool while we have lunch

Amazing views

First Lamb!

A Valentines gift!
We normally don't expect to see any lambs until March but the first one was really early this year.
Nice weather for him to turn up to.

Jamaican Oxtail Curry with Plantain

We used to go to a Jamaican restaurant in Camden called The Mango Room. They did brilliant Goat Curry, we always had it with plantain and mashed potato (it was white and sweet potato, this is just white potato). I used a Jamaican spice mix from the internet, so must be authentic!
This is the next best thing made with tail from both Bif and Lismore. Yummy!

Skiing through 'The hole in the rock'

Yes more skiing!

Hole in the rock is in the notch a bit to the right of the center of the sky line

Setting off to climb up

Climbing up

Getting near to the top of the climb. Just after this - though it looks quite flat here - there was a bit I couldn't climb up and Doug had to pull me up. Bit scary!

This is just above the previous photo once I made it up there

Wiggling up and up

Doug checking I am still alive

Yay! Made it!

Lovely views

Bit of practice with our new avalanche transceivers.

New restaurant

Well, not actually new, new ownership.
L'Isard in La Mongie

They do tapas as well as more traditional mountain foods. Was good!

Café Gourmand, always good