Body and Soul, moored at the Port of Tinteniac d'Ille et Rance
We send best seasonal wishes to our family - to old and new friends.
Looking back on 2019 as the year ends - much of it is sprinkled with matters of ill-health . (Click here for nasty details!) In truth, we are happy to be alive and living a busy life moored in Tinteniac making full use of the great facilities available to us and coping well with all that aged-life throws at us.
The hot summer months brought us joy with several family/friends to stay with us and we were able to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a trip to Pont Aven in the far west coast of Brittany. Our close neighbours lent us their house whilst they were away which, as last year, became a popular and favoured choice of accommodation for visitors.
We are now grumbling a lot about the weather which has been appalling this Autumn and early winter. We have never experienced such protracted, dull and wet weather. We are tempted to buy a barometer in order to be prepared for any lowering of atmospheric pressures and 'first in' with the paracetemol. Lucie is particularly sensitive in this regard. But Here's an on-line barometer site that we find just as useful.
On a much happier note.....over the last three months we have been busy with the Creme Anglaise Pantomime 'Am Dram' which is centred in the Town of Evran (15 k downstream) and who's many members, both French and English, with incredible enthusiasm and team spirit, produce an English style pantomime each year. Video links for this blog may be forthcoming. Their production of Cinderella has kept our minds, talents, time and energy engaged and we have made lots of new friends within the group.
Unfortunatelyr latest photos, taken on our Iphone were dropped in the canal !
Our extra-ordinary cat Snoopy who takes me for a walk each day
Sadly, 2019 has been a year which we would rather forget - not just because of the weather, the divisions over 'Brexit' (now happily resolved?) and our various health problems - as if they were not enough to depress anyone - but I highlight just a few of the other incidences which have tried to prick our otherwise perfect 'retirement bubble' on board Body and Soul.
A string of maintenance failures have upset our happy daily lives. Problems with the loo mechanism and broken seat. (spares only from the UK!) Access to the plumbing is a nightmare ! Then a blockage to the 'poo-tank' extract macerator pump - a really filthy job - requiring one to lie face down in the bowels of the boat in order to reach essential nuts, valves and tubes - taking the damn thing to pieces to unblock the same - cleaning up and refitting it. (bleach, antiseptic sprays etc) Then the bathroom basin springs a serious leak from the drain hole which needs replacing with completely new - The 'Mastic' sealing too! is another skill learned.......not to mention lots of other horrors
We are in the middle of a serious and expensive change to the back steps (up to the poop deck and out) which is shown below, half finished. The boxes on the left of the steps are temporarily full of 'stuff' which will eventually be stored in the newly commissioned chest of drawers. (left of steps below) - all made by a fellow bargee and cabinet maker who we have got to know. He is conveniently moored down-stream a couple of kilometers at Quebriac. The new steps 'project' will improve access for us oldies - both in and out of our home whilst providing more storage space.
Don't miss the next exciting episodes -
"How to crash your car without moving it"
"what to do when your ignition key is jammed on"
and
"Plans for scrubbing our bottom in May 2020 in St Malo"
and that really isn't going to be all plain sailing y'know!