Chez Moi - Bonnifont - 2016   A pictorial record of events in our French life

6 Jan - we start the year off with me dropping eggs but what luck !	10 Jan - Jen's doing puzzles again	13 Jan - No flying today. Just the airport fogbound	14 Jan - Time to update our bedroom. Remove existing en-suite and build a new one.
So first we move into GR1 bedroom	and then prep our bedroom. This will be a long project.	15 Jan - Our first frost of the winter.	First job is to remove shower enclosure
then turn off the water and remove the shower tray and sink unit	and here we hit our first snag.  We've had an intermittent leak into the kitchen for 5 years	but I thought I'd fixed it. NO! It's been leaking for a long time and has made a bit of a mess of the flooring.	Jen keeps out of the way by keeping busy.  A Cluedo puzzle.
18 Jan - Leave the floor for now to let it dry out a bit and continue removing the toilet partition.	It was well constructed, exactly as I would have done it, so it takes a while	20 Jan - to remove saving the 4*2 timber as we go	27 Jan - That's the walls down.  Now for the old tiles.
29 Jan - A modification to the Radio room heating system. Add a 2 way motorised valve.	We also need to keep the "puzzler" happy so spray paint the edges of the next puzzle frame	ready for the next puzzle	5 Feb - Sink tiles removed complete with extra layer of plasterboard
6 Feb - then remove the toilet wall tiles	This is the kitchen hob extract fan pipe half in and half out of our bedroom wall.  This will come out.	Three phase fuse box in the old toilet area. Needs tidying up.	Back to the floor. Remove rotten sections and treat with stuff to kill the spores.
12 Feb - Jen has decided to try out a new hobby	17 Feb - Local management decided we needed a new lamp fitting for GR1.	So here we go. Got nothing else to do!	And I also discover that our heating system has lost all water pressure.  Traced to a rusty hole in the bottom of the expansion tank.
23 Feb - Meanwhile, Jen is still at it as well.	The floor is dry so make good with new wood and get back to the job in hand.	24 Feb - The new bits are starting to arrive	but we have plenty of temporary storage space.
Replace the flooring chipboard over the old floor	1 March - More diversions.  Jen's car has developed a very loud humming noise.  Methinks it's a wheel bearing.	The new expansion tank arrives.	Time to check our planning dimensions.  Just need to build the walls now!
7 March - I can't remember how long I've had my study chair.  Probably since 1995.	It's finally given up so I treated myself to a new one.	Time to fit the new tank.  Took the opportunity to move it's position next to the main tank.	9 March - She's defiantly got the puzzle bug this year!
12 March - Start the studd work for the shower end	14 March - so I can get the plasterboard up and check the shower tray fits.	18 March - I decided to replace the copper water pipes with plastic. Much easier to work with and looses less heat.	22 March - New door frame and side wall.
23 March - Very nice having large areas to measure and cut the plasterboard.	Had to get the big pieces of board in before I finished the outside wall.	24 March - Almost there with the room.	25 March - Extract pipe removed.
26 March - We decided to go back to making our own bread. So, new machine.	30 March - Rewire the fuse box removing surplus bits.	3 April - Off the cuff navigation exercise during my flying lesson saw us overflying Bonnifont.	New floor covering laid
6 April - I hate doing this! However, tile for shower taps prepared.	Shower base levelled and glued in place.	Start to smarten up the walls where the tiles were removed.	Fit the first shower enclosure tile around the taps.
Then cut and fix the others.	Fill holes left by old shower and kitchen extract	17 April - Now I just have to grout it all!	Fill in the holes left by removing old tiles
19 April - Not sure Spring has arrived here yet but, time for the new hanging basket replacement.	Whilst I was doing the basket I noticed this. Our old redundant fosse tank collapsing. Add to the list!	It's dry enough to start my grass cutting but this time with my new kit.	You can see how much it cuts in one go.  I would have had to "nibble" away for 10 minutes with the "ride on" to make this little cut.
Geranium time as well today.	20 April - fix the toilet and cover the old fuse box	21 April 14:00 - First solo flight in this plane	23 April - Shower door fitted
26 April - Fit the sink & unit & mirror/light	29 April - Ready for sanding and painting	30 April - Actually feel as if I'm getting there now.	5th May 16:00 - OK, Finished
After the roof is replaced in August I can decorate the rest of the bedroom	Not that different, why did it take so long?	Before the divider was removed (November 2014)	6th May - Now all I have to do is clear up the workshop
and the garage. Not yet though! Time for a break.	8 May - We vacate GR1 and move back into	our bedroom.	12 May - And we decide one wall basket looked a bit lonely, so we added another one.
16 May - Whilst grass cutting I notice the engine getting too hot.  Before I could even take a look-see	blew a coolant drain hose. Grass cuttings had blocked the radiator grill.  Found some pipe, cleaned the grill and off we went again.	21 May - The first decent day of weather this year (28 degrees) and we get a storm !!!	23 May - Fan dipole broken. Add to the list!
Flail mower maintenance	Garage tidy-up post en-suite ops	24 May - Jen's latest puzzle	26 May - Important for us, our EU votes
Workshop tidy-up post en-suite ops	4 June - Murder Mystery weekend @ Rhinefield House, New Forest	Great fun and afternoon tea & scones afterwards	We didn't do too bad either!
Rear of Rhinefield House - lucky with the weather as well	8 June - Flambards with the girls	I can't do the rides any more so Jen has to step in	I can still do the Merry Go Round though
and still look after the non riders	Grandad @ the beach - reminds me of doing this with Sam a long time ago!	Grandchildren - great excuse for playing in the sand	10 June - we spend a night at the Jamaica Inn
on the way back to Portsmouth	14 June - Back home with a bit of shopping	20 June - Jen busy again	21 June - Pressure washer maintenance
24 June - getting to grips with the grass after our UK trip	25 June - "T" shirt from the girls	Bottom field dipole antenna repaired	30 June - Grass really quick to cut now it's under control
9 July - Maverick back in the garage for another attempt to fix it	two years I've been trying to fix this	Been through virtually everything from filters to engine management control	and this was the culprit. A blocked tiny gauze filter buried inside the injection pump
15 July - Watching Matt's graduation on-line	17 July - My FT8800 radio with two broken control knobs renders it useless	A web search and a 'phone call to Yaesu @ Winchester results in two new controls	A bit of desoldering to remove the broken controls
then solder the new ones in place and	FT8800 repaired and as good as new	17 July is the first day this year that the solar heating has managed to heat up	the domestic hot water tank to 80 degrees C
19 July - Jen's puzzling again	you can see the rain on the steps	23 July - Gerry & Vicky's 50th Wedding Celebration @ Bais	Fantastic food and company, A really nice evening
Breakfast on the street for us as we booked a room overnight.  Merci Le Lion d'Or	29 July - Cut all grass in 6 hours - Brilliant machine	3 Aug - Tractor maintenance	and Flail mower maintenance
4 Aug - I gave up trying to use nice chemicals	and bought a pressure washer	should have done it years ago.	8 Aug - Now it's clean I can paint the wall
9 Aug - Jen's latest puzzle	18 Aug - Matt, Ellie & Josefine summer visit	20 Aug - Solar panel circuit pressure loss. Loose valve	29 Aug - Decorating Ellie's flat
with a little help from her friends	13 Sept - New roof work commences	21 Sept - All complete	No more buckets and tubs for the leaks
and it blends in not looking like a new roof	24 Sept - Winter logs delivery	25 Sept - Winter logs stacked away	27 Sept - Roof Complete
with new mezzanine velux window	and 2 new bedroom velux windows	28 Sept - Post roof clean-up	12 Oct - These are cuttings from the passion flower that cascaded over the front of our house in Netley Abbey taken from my mum in Hythe. Hope they survive.
13 Oct - Bedroom velux surrounds and ceiling beams	No more insects falling through the ceiling	16 Oct - Move back into the much brighter bedroom	and a new bookcase to hold all the jigsaw puzzles
1 Nov - First Christmas puzzle of this year	7 Nov - Flail Mower bearings gone so	disassemble and order new ones (from Amazon!!!)	10 Nov - Jen's next Cluedo Puzzle
14 Nov - Jen's first 3D puzzle ever and it's a Christmas one	and the bearings arrive from Amazon for the Flail Mower	15 Nov - All nine Flying Ground School Exams completed	18 Nov - WTA 125k Tennis @ Limoges
A treat for my long suffering wife	who sits at home all day whilst I go off flying	We watched three matches. The middle one was Caroline Garcia v Donna Vekic	I know somebody who really enjoyed themselves
26 Nov - Jen finally completes a puzzle she's had for over seven years - oh, and it's a Christmas one!	27 Nov - Time to winter the Geraniums	and tuck them up for the winter	28 Nov - It's not even December yet but someone's getting excited
1 Dec - And we're off! Out comes the tinsel	the 3D puzzle and Christmas Train Set	the cushions with LED's	the Christmas lights
the twinkling picture (if you click this it might play an mp4 file)	and the Christmas table cloth. It's beginning to look a lot like ummm!!!	5 Dec - My retirement clock packs up for the second time.  Seems the movement only lasts about six years.  New one fitted with sound reduction during the night	6 Dec - Time to replace the Leylandi trees we lost during the dry summer but guess what, the Maverick decides to pack up again.
So, use the Renault again to transport ten trees up to the top field and plant them out.	15 Dec - I gave the apple tree a trim last year and it seemed to like it so thought I'd be a bit more adventurous this year	19 Dec - Solar heating expansion tank springs another leak so time for a new tank.	disconnect from above the main water tank
remove the brass fittings and	fit them to the new tank and reconnect.	Christmas Carols at Civray Church with minced pies and mulled wine afterwards in the Sal	Get the tables out, add Christmas table cloths and minced pies
then distribute the mulled wine to all those who were frozen from being in the church for an hour	Then we just clear it all away again.  Job done for another year.	20 Dec - My favourite HF radio's back-up battery goes flat after six years.	So order a new one, strip the radio down. Locate the battery and change it.
Brill,  Good as new for another six years!	We've even got Christmas Toilet paper this year!	25 Dec - Christmas lunch again - GREAT	31 Dec - Really bad fog for several days.  Couldn't see across the field and gave a really weird feeling.
	Another fabulous year living in Bonnifont. We thank our lucky stars we lead such a wonderful life here in France.
We have had a spate of Break-ins locally, some whilst the occupants are awake and moving around their house so I decided to beef-up security by installing an alarm system.