20 days and counting..well, smiling anyway

Hi

Thought that I'd update you on progress which has been pretty much according to the book; in other words, quite unpredictable. Some days I'm hungry and tired, other days I'm hungry and not tired. The latter has caused a few sleepless nights, but Mummy and Daddy are still smiling (most of the time, anyway). I'm putting on weight - now 3.7kg - and have been smiling occasionally which is pretty neat at my age, I think.

I met my cousin Alexis last Sunday who was supposed to be two weeks younger than me but turns out is a week older. Seems a nice chap, with a full head of black hair(unlike mine which is similar in quantity to GP's). I expect we'll be great mates. Also met Auntie Christelle and Uncle Nicolas who live in delightful Annecy which I look forward to seeing and peddalo-ing on the lake there.

As to my inheritance, the vines are also growing- Daddy had to spray again last week as the rain had washed off his previous application. He put 1.5 litres of Yarrow soup, made by Mummy, into the mix which is apparently for water management of the vines. GP isn't entirely convinced yet about the organic (biologique)/bio-dynamic methods, calculating, fairly roughly admittedly, that that means about a molecule per vine leaf, but time will tell, and if there are less noxious chemicals being used, so much the better. It does mean extra spraying for Daddy as the applications aren't systemic like the non-organic vintners'. Thank heavens for Daddy's tractor, which he hasn't modified this week, although he gave a couple of vines a bit of a headache.

The good news is that the dreaded blue string has been deployed, mainly thanks to Granny and Papi who seem naturally gifted in the unwinding of string, unlike GP who will be walking down the row and then suddenly disappears, pole-axed as he finds himself lassooed around the ankles. Now all the vines in Mesnay (6000'ish) need to have clips inserted at every post to draw the left and right strings together and then the shoots brought up in between them. Then all 20,000 vines need trimming manually to reduce leafage, the weeds attacked (manually of course, being biologique), spraying every 2/3 weeks depending on rainfall, and Robert's the brother of your mother. Picking volunteers still sought for the last 3 weekends in September............. patrice@hughesbeguet.com

The bad news is that Daddy slipped in his new shower this week and aggravated his tennis elbow which will make his shearing of the vines even more painful. Along with a raging toothache and my reluctance to sleep last night, he wasn't a particularly bouncy bunny this morning, but he has picked up during the day as the antibiotics have taken effect.

Granny and Grandpa are back to Blighty on Monday- seemingly they have had a good time seeing me; Granny is back in 3 weeks with Auntie Vickie (who is seeing Neil Young and The Pretenders tonight, and Bruce Springstein tomorrow, in Hyde Park- it's a hard life!) GP may not be back until harvesting- I expect that I will have changed by then. He'll be putting up some photos when he returns. They do like this area- the people are charming, Bonjouring all the time. A couple of young lads were ruuning by the side of the local stream the other day about to jump in and yet they stopped to Bonjour us all, depite being complete strangers. The Post Office assistants even bonjour everyone when they merely walk in the door. Doesn't happen at Tesco!

Oh by the way, I like my baths. In fact I am really a jolly good little fellow, all things considered. I'm off to my first wedding in July-looking forward to it. Daddy's at the stag night now, very sorry that he's on antibiotics, and orange juice!

Love from Bastian

Back home with the bells

Hadn't realised how much I missed those bells.

Well, it's all quite different being a little person, rather than a bump, but I must say it's all going remarkably well. I wake up, stretch, give a little murmur and bingo - milk. For what more can a chap ask? Apparently some bloke called Maslow has decided that milk won't necessarily keep me content (see -learning French already) for much longer but ftb it's the bees'! Apparently I am a very happy baby, am putting on weight and look a lot like GP (poor mite-GP).

Lots of coo-cooing and "who's a lovely baby", but at least you can get a sensible conversation with GP, usually along the lines of: Do you think Shearer's the man to get them back up? Wouldn't 4-4-2 be a better system? Will Newcastle have 3 managers again next season? and other similarly pressing and important world topics.

Lots of attention yesterday with all grandparents here, with Daddy managing to get most of them into the vines. Current task is to unwind the blue string, which was rolled up in February, to give support to the up-to-2m shoots which have emerged. This will also clear a passage for Daddy to drive his tractor up and down the rows without pulling the vines out. Estimated to be a 5 man-day task, the actualité is a tadge different. As diligently as the string was rolled up, in accordance with hundreds of years of experience, it seems totally impossible, however delicately handled, not to create an impenetrable 25m bird's nest within the first 5m of unravelling. Only another 500 strings to go by which time an asylum will be beckoning....

But on a positive note the grapes are formed, are looking good, and there seem to be the required amount. Only another 90 days to avoid mildew and various other diseases. Fortunately Louis Pasteur, who lived in Arbois, undertook a deal of research into vine/wine diseases, although, being pre-organic, Daddy can't use the chemicals since established; garlic and other sprays seem to be working at present. No doubt the wild boar which particularly enjoy the ripe grapes just up the road here in Mesnay will feature later this year. Hopefully GP will have been "let out" by then having disentagled himself from the fil bleu...

A picture of Daddy on his new tractor appears above, French technology permitting. Since then Daddy has undertaken a few modifications (a doddle,French), but most have been repaired, although the poor thing now has a squint. More photos of me shortly.

http://www.hughesbeguet.com/ is still w-i-p. Domaine names also seem to have dropped temporarily off the menu, but it will be another 10 months or so before the first bottle hits a store near you (OK- near me. Actually the store will be in the garage/cellar but will also hopefully be available in other discerning local outlets). If you want to join the vendanges as a picker in this glorious countryside at the end of September, volunteers welcome, and you can also meet me.

Bastian Leon Hughes Beguet has arrived....

Hi

Glad that I am now able to greet you in person rather than by proxy. I arrived yesterday, 7 Jun, at 6.14am, weighing 3 kilos, so quite a long haul for Mum who was pretty exhausted after what can only be described as a "difficult" birth. I was fine and so far seem quite happy with my new surroundings. Happily Mum and Dad have had some much needed rest and they too are doing well. We're probably going to be in hospital until Thursday or Friday.

Being a boy came as a bit of a surprise, but I'm getting over it, and I'm even getting used to my names, Bastian Leon. There aren't many Bastians about it seems, although one does play for Bayern Munich. Great great Uncle Peter used to work for Bayer, so a link there. Leon is the name of Mami's father and the middle name (Leonard) of GP's father so a bringing together of the two branches of the family.

Apparently I'm due to get my first "bath" this morning. I don't know what a "bath" is yet, but it sounds pretty ominous. Aren't boys supposed to run around and get muddy? Sounds a bit girly to me! I'll let you know.

GP is putting up a picture taken by Papi yesterday of me waving to the crowds. GP thinks I am pretty nearly the best-looking grandson there has ever been, and hey, who am I to disagree?

Will keep you posted on the bath episode. Still no sign of the wine, but am beginning to get the hang of milk....

I'm on my way....

Just to let you know that I have decided to join you all, and so I woke Mum up at 5am this morning to give her the news. We're now at the hospital but the contractions are the rough equivalent of hiccups at present so I am likely to arrive on D-Day, albeit 65 years late.

Hope they've got some sensible names ready- Cadwallader indeed.....

In the meantime my cousin Alexis has already arrived. Congratulations to Auntie Christelle and Uncle Nicolas. I look forward to meeting you all soon.