Prospection and pollinators and a great new property

13 November 2015

13 degrees feeling cool and damp

The old orchard in the top meadow had been full of half dead fruit trees which produced half a dozen pock marked fruits and OH had pruned them, fed them, taken away the grass at the base, netted them to keep the deer at bay, and they were still languishing.  They were now just dimples in the ground, filled with mole dug fine friable earth.  

In the meantime a young oak took root and has grown to a very attractive, apple tree sized, tree.  The new apple trees we bought were too young and have yet to get going, in earnest.  We have learned from our mistakes and have bought three year old stock which is better shaped and developed and will start to produce in about two years time.  When, hopefully, it can be enjoyed by someone else.

The Reine des Reinettes, the pollinator, went in the centre.  We then filled in the gaps with a Belle de Boskoop and another whose name escapes me.  We then put the new apricot, a sturdy creature with a lot of promising buds, into the new orchard.

OH then went fishing and I went down town to see a property owned by someone who lives a very long way away.  The keys for the property are currently with four agents, three of whom have refused to show me the house and one who is never there to answer his phone. A friend had come over from nearby the coast and she was waiting for me at the terrasse.

The house is tucked away behind the Tresor Public and consists of a ground floor studio with bathroom and loo and separate meter and entrance door, and an upper two bedroomed flat with great large terrasse.  The walls have been stripped back to stone and the whole feeling is light and spacious.  Took lots of photos and then took the lady to see the estate agent who is never there and he was there, for once, and she told him that I need to have access to the keys.  He didn't bat an eyelid and said, of course no problem, keep them til Tuesday.  I have been asking him for for over a month for a diagnostic report for a client we have in common and he has completely ignored me.

We had a coffee and she left and I went to see the NZ ladies and they were out buying a car.  Negotiations must have been tough as they both sounded breathless.  There is an awesome amount of work going on at their house and their newly painted white walls have received a topcoat of grime.  Back home, made dinner and entertained dog.  The phone rang and it was the ladies and could I come down now if I wanted to talk to their friend who is interested in buying an investment property.

I was down there like a shot.  The friend works for the same company as the NZ ladies and their US friend who is also buying in town.  She is from Sri Lanka and has passed most of her life in Oz.  Took her to see the house I have just taken on and she was impressed.  Went to a bar and waited for the others and had a kir (jurancon white wine and crème de cassis) and ate peanuts and talked about rental potentials.  The NZ ladies then came down and had another glass of wine and then really had to go home as eyes were starting to cross and it was dark.

Drove very, very carefully and found OH already back and the dinner on the point of being ruined.  Ate the bits we could get off and left dog to chip away at the casserole.