Awesome and not so awesome

Pauline and Guillaume mud plastered the end wall, a skill they had specifically requested the opportunity to learn.   They also weeded and organised and generally fitted in with whatever needed doing, finding jobs that we hadn't been aware off, like replacing the bottom gate into the animal compound, with hindsight the condition of the original one is probably why we always used the top gate. 

  Guillaume is very experienced with working in wood and took great pleasure in learning how to use the lathe although Pauline seemed to 'take to it' with more ease.     I'm not sure if it was as a result of not finding a tool he needed or something else but Guillaume instigated the organisation of our workshop and tool boxes, we still think fondly of him when we find tools without going through 4 tool boxes.   I'd asked if it would be possible for me to have some steps from the garden into the field  Pauline and Guillaume delivered so much more.

  What I expected

What I got in addition to the steps


Guillaume had found the remains (he thought) of a stone wall when excavating for the steps and asked he could explore further.     We love it when helpers show initiative and create their own projects - the results are normally outstanding.

Beginning of June Paul and myself needed to go to VT to collect 24 broiler chicks, Pauline and Guillaume had already discussed with us modifying the shower, to stop an occasional overflow so we left a note defining for Marcus and Sarah the area that needed weeding next.  We returned at lunchtime to find the area completely untouched although Sarah had totally cleaned the kitchen, however we still don't know, to this day, what Marcus spent the morning doing although he did tell us he'd been assisting the French Foreign Legion.  

We did wonder if the fact that Guillaume and Pauline were creative and enthusiastic was what was making us view Marcus and Sarah in a less than positive light, afterall even Paul and myself were feeling inadequate next to the French energy and cheerful natures.   As neither Marcus nor Sarah expressed an interest in any particular area, despite being directly asked, they got a lot of weeding jobs which resulted in me losing a lot of my garlic plants - surely they would have noticed after 2 or 3 plants and not removed EVERYTHING from a 30 foot row.   This in addition to the fact that Marcus had informed me he had a lactose intolerance and I cooked to accommodate that only to watch him add cheese to every meal resulted in Paul and myself to give him and Sarah a couple of days after Pauline & Guillaume went to France before considering asking them to leave early.     

Pauline and Guillaume returned to France 11th June, leaving Martin (the van) with us.     Their thinking was if they returned with Martin everyone would assume their travels were over and it would be harder for them to leave again.     Within 24 hours of them leaving Paul and myself realised we needed to ask Marcus and Sarah to leave early, possibly Marcus spent so long Coachsurfing he thought Helpx was the same arrangement.

Marcus and Sarah did leave the morning of the 13th although not exactly as planned.     I woke shortly after 5am and smelt burning - we had a barn fire.    First priority was obviously making sure Paul woke up.