Saturday mornings at Pierlo's are change day for Wwoofers. This is Noa, who would be off soon to the Cote d'Azur. As he had been sleeping in the "caravan," he offered to sleep in his sleeping bag in one of the unfinished bedrooms upstairs. Given the heat in the last few days, he had already done this on occasion as it had been hot up until then. So he gave up the caravan a day early so I could get established for my three-week visit.
Here we are already the next day after my long train ride. You can see the little rustic kitchen in the light of day.
My first stop before joining the others.
It seems Noa goes to school at Harvard so I told him to stop in some day to see me in Framingham next spring after I return from France.
I left him to chat with Ana as they had been working together for a week.
Here is Noa again suited up for further adventures. Pielo in the background is getting ready to drive him to the train station, a "chore" he must do at various times when new Wwoofers come and go.
Meantime I look out from the second story again at the magnificent view. I hear the magic sound of the cowbells as the cows bring their morning offering to the farmer. In the foreground is a plastic tub used to mix the straw, minerals, earth, stones, and grass for the walls of the house.
Here is a more complete view of the "kitchen," When the house is done, the new kitchen will be on the right of the picture.
Back to important daily chores! Here is the big tub used to keep a larger supply of sawdust
and a closeup of the "facilities" in the light of day.
They also used the sawdust over cardboard to keep down the weeds in the garden. Other "weeds" are left in various places on the property as they eat them! In the foreground they have gooseberries and blackberries. The former have already made their juicy contribution to the food supply, though I think they are rather young plants. The blackberries are already red and we will eventually get to eat a few as they begin to turn black. To the right and farther down in the picture, there is a large patch of raspberries. Occasionally during my stay I find a handful, but the season has also passed. Other Wwoofers before us must have picked and eaten them along with the family.
You haven't yet met Joe, who joined the workforce just before I did on Friday. He shares this space in the small straw house with Ana.
The family dog Ma, visites the first floor, perhaphs looking for the second cock, or perhaps just keeping me company as I investigate my new surroundings.
As we wait for Pierlo to come back from taking Noa to the train, I decide to take a short walk up the hill from the house. Actually, this is one of my favorite pictures of the area near the house. Inside the garden of one of the houses is a VERY red apple tree. It almost looks as if the apples have been painted by an artist. I'm not sure what variety it is, but it seems picture perfect. It almost seems it must be a cherry tree but of course the fruit is too big to be a cherry. The tree was loaded with them.
You have already seen this from a lower vantage point, but the light is always different. Early in the morning there is a little bit of haze.
Here is a plant from home (at least I think it is the same). In any case, this is one of the edible plants that we will be adding to our salads. To the left is a large patch of round orange squash.
This second hill on the road that leads our of Pierlo's property is very steep, so I didn't make it very far that first morning. Ana is like my daughter - a runner. She goes for a morning run almost every day here.
These hydrangeas remind me of my first Wwoofing experience with Claude and Nicole. I find myself wondering if they have finished their project of the dry toilet they were planning as I left them about three weeks ago.
And here the sun beats down on my new home. In the next blog blog you will accompany us to the Saturday market in Bagneres de Bigorre.
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