Sam the Ham has been hanging in the chilly hall for 48 hours (we didn't have time to see to him yesterday) and is now out of his jolly muslin coat and hanging on a hook above the fire in the kitchen.

In theory he'll stay there for 24 hours bathed in oak smoke. I'll pick an armful of wild juniper when I walk the dogs at lunchtime. The oak isn't making as much smoke as I'd like and I don't want the ham to just slow cook over the fire.

Frankly I have no idea what I'm doing, so it'll be a miracle if this is edible at the end, but it's worth a try.

Meanwhile I'm chuffed to bits with the flour I found at the wholesalers yesterday. It is choc-a-bloc with different flours and grains. I actually went to find a 500g pack of yeast. I hate those tiny packs of yeast from the supermarket so I was very pleased to find this pack. This afternoon I'll make a loaf and report back. It sometimes takes a while to get good results with a new flour or yeast, so it could be disastrous.

So here we have it, today's haul from the vineyard:

Wild spinach; two types of wild cep mushrooms; wild thyme, bay and rosemary; wild pomegranate and cabbage leaves from the potager.

I think that'll be alright with the roast chicken (not from the hen-house).

Yesterday Ali and I took a hike up a vertical track in nearby Faugeres to view the flatlands of the Languedoc. The walk is wonderful, but you need to know you can walk back down the easy road when you embark on the mule track that runs for 500 vertical metres of rough stones.

When we reached the top the 360 degree view was superb despite it being a gloomy , drizzly day.

There is a precipitous drop from the top which would have UK Health and Safety officers quivering since there are no barriers to spoil the photos.

We've become barbecue freaks. I blame the inventor of the Cobblestone.

If you haven't heard of it it's a round brick of pressed coconut which lights in an instant and is ready to cook with in less than three minutes. It fits perfectly in the fab Cobb barbecue and it's become my absolute favourite method of cooking.

So yesterday we left Faugeres with the soggy dogs in the back of the car and headed for a secluded spot in someone's vineyard near a stream where the dogs got even soggier. Rosé wine, Toulouse sausage, sautéed potatoes and a can of petit pois and carrots has never tasted better.

So wonderful was yesterday's barbecue that we decided to eat outside again today. We'd thought we might do fish on the beach, but a bank of thick mist made us think twice and we pitched up near the aerodrome at Nizas.

Delicious sardines were ready within ten minutes of arriving there and we then lobbed two plump trout fillets on the Cobb. Served with salad and followed by hot caramelised pineapple this was the perfect meal.

With goats clanking not far away and a glass of rosé in hand, what could be a better way to spend a May evening?

We're in our fourth day of having our wonderful volunteers here. An unbelievable amount of work has been done and the vineyard looks an absolute picture. Twelve people working together can get a spectacular amount done. I'll leave our guests bloggers to write about that here .

Not only do they work in the vineyards clearing land and creating new areas, steps and pathways, they also prepare breakfast and dinner each day. The couple preparing dinner for the evening have the recipe and ingredients all ready for them, but for some cooking for up to 16 is a challenge. It's always the timing which is difficult when you're cooking in large quantities. That many spuds and onions take an age to peel, and more stuff in the oven takes longer to cook. But they're coping brilliantly with the stress and we've eaten like kings and queens. This evening we have lovely Andrew & Sarah (pictured above) preparing Boeuf Bourguinon. The recipe is available here .

Great, the volunteers are coming, so we'll get tons of jobs done in the vineyard. All we have to do is sit back and watch them work right? No, no and no. Volunteer week is the first time in the year when we re-open the house, so during the two weeks prior to the vollies arriving Ali and I have to get everything ready. Here's a rough breakdown of what that means.

Six bedrooms and their bathrooms are cleaned and aired, beds made up and towels, loo rolls and the like all in place. The big kitchen downstairs takes a day to clean. (We don't use it in the winter as we live in our apartment.) Menus, recipes and shopping lists are prepared for a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners for up to 16 people. The shopping takes two days. Gas bottles for the cooker and heaters are refilled. The boiler-man has been to service our workhorse that provides hot showers and underfloor central heating.

So far four of the seven lunchtime soups which will be served hot in the vineyard have been made and are sitting in a neighbour's freezer as ours are all choc-a-bloc. The tea, coffee and milk are in the vineyard caravan, Olive, ready for morning breaks. Ali has yet to go and buy the wine. 16 people x 7 evenings. So how much is that then?

Then there's the machinery. Queenie the quad's been serviced and her trailer has a new wheel after we melted the old one to extinction; the yellow muncher vineyard mower has had a new skirt and sharpened blade; the two heavy duty strimmers have been sharpened petrol-filled and oiled, eight pairs of loppers have been sharpened and oiled, as have four pairs of secateurs. Two axes have had the same treatment. Hoes have been tested and five new ones bought. The generator has been serviced. The van's been serviced. The ride-on mower has been serviced. Six containers of petrol and two stroke have been filled. Trees have been ordered.

Yesterday I serviced the chainsaw. It had stopped working and only when I took it apart did I realise a bit was missing. Three minutes of searching in the shingle where I'd last used it and I discovered the vital screw. So now that's sorted out. All the tools have been assembled ready to lob in the van, land-rover and trailers  - to be transported to the vineyard. 15 pairs of gardening gloves and extra protective gear are ready in a box.

Now we just have to sort out a bit of evening entertainment to keep the vollies amused, have haircuts (so it doesn't get caught in the chainsaw) and we're ready. Phew. Sometimes it feels as though we've already done the major part before the vollies arrive! Now just keep your fingers crossed that the weather picks up. It's warmed up quite a bit, but we're having rotten rainstorms and we need brilliant sunshine to keep us all happy. It would be great if it shone on our parade.