Intact, as in alive and not stuffed? Yes, it is a living bear. I could have doubled checked to see if it was a guy in a suit, but I feel like the consequences of being either right or wrong in that situation would be a lose-lose for me.
It's always interesting to return back to a place where we once lived. I'm sure some of it has changed, and some was remembered differently, especially when we see it again with our own eyes today. Things look different when you're younger. But the memories still come back :-)
The photos are interesting, looks like an interesting place.
I'm guessing that "bit of wire" welded in place is about 7-8 mm thick. You can just about see it in the photo above of the propeller, It only has to stop the nuts from turning so I guess it did it's job OK, but you are much more the structural engineer than I am ;-)
Thanks :-)
Why so wet?
Well maybe,...
In the last few days the Föhn wind has been blowing from the south. Not sure far how south you are, but it could be that, that caused the wet weather for you, while it's been reasonably dry and warm for me on the other "northern" side of the Alps.
When that south wind is forced to rise up, because the Alps are "in the way", it cools down, condences and rains on the southern side.
The dryer air now flows on over the the top and warms up while it falls back down the other side. Making it sunny and warm for me :-)
When the wind blows from the North, the opposite happens of course, but that wind direction happens less often.
Your estimation of this locking wire thickness is probably quite close. But I think that this is not done for working propeller, as it stands too much out from otherwise streamlined construction, it could be that it was welded later when propeller was put out on dry land to prevent stealing propeller blades and selling it as scrap metal: after fall of soviet union this metal stealing was out of control, nowadays it not so easy to sell stolen metal any more, but it still happens.
Meteo France has been calling it an "épisode méditerranéen", an incursion of warm air from the Med. I guess that may well result in Fohn conditions to the north. Lucky you! It dried up last night and left the first dusting of snow on the peaks.