Dogs on Boats

Many of you will know that I am completely incapable of making decisions... indeed, the decision process over the camera last year was so painful that someone was heard to say 'will someone just buy her a camera!

So when there was a chance I would end up with a dog on my doorstep I decided I ought to think about the possibility of owning a dog very carefully. As it happens the dog in question is going to be staying where it is, which is good news for the dog. Unfortunately the process fanned the fires within me that have for some time wanted a dog.

So, this brings me to a conversation we were having in the local hostelry last night about what I would call a dog were I to have one.

This morning I had an email from my mother, and quite out of the blue by father suggested a name for the dog....

Dad says call it Adam short for A damn nuisance

I think this is hilarious! (but perhaps you have to know my father!)

Kate Saffin: Isobel's War

Click on the picture to make them bigger. This looks to be an excellent show and I am really looking forward to seeing Kate in action again. She has been mentioned previously here and here by grannybuttons and here by me

Boat Safety

AGHHHH! My boat safety is due in 2 months time... which means it is time to get it done.

AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

me? panic? Nah.


OK - yeah.

Bara Brith

Life is very exciting in Thrupp at the moment because a Tea Shop is about to open! Annie makes the most glorious cakes (so I am told), and I LOVE cakes - who doesn't! There are heaps of walkers strolling around Thrupp all through the year to admire the picturesque canal and embark upon some of the glorious walks to ruined manner houses, town churches, or through the fields. Thrupp is a paradise. Not only that but there is a good stretch of railway line with a good view of the steam trains as they go through. Thrupp is glorious. A tea shop will be a perfect addition to the area.

Last night I was given a cake - my favourite cake - Bara Brith. I just LOVE it. Bara Brith is a Welsh fruitcake that is delicious on its own or with a thick layer of butter spread accross it. At the mothers unions cake sales I would switch on my Bara Brith homeing device and snap it up before anyone else could and woe to anyone that thought they might like it instead!



So, my task - try it... and give feedback. YUMMMY.
I wonder if I will be able to try all the cakes they will be having for sale in the tea shop... like.. my next favourite... coffee and walnut cake....

I cannot wait for this place to open. It will be glorious and there is nothing so quantisantially English (other than the list of other things I can think of) than tea and cake on a spring afternoon.

The Crocus

WEll, I have been very proud of my garden and its continual blooming. Indeed, I have been so proud that Maffi has been issued with a torch each night to inspect said blooms in fine detail, and I have sat back and sapped up the praise for my green fingers. Credit to the guy, he has been exceptionally keen and asked me how my crocus is, and even got excited when there was a new on budding. The encouragement to my new found green fingers has been so great I was quite sure that I was the mooring chief in the garden department.

That was until we were on Balmaha the other day enjoying an evening of natter, and the topic of gardens came up. Being the self centred, self pedestal, self praised garden goddess I was I just KNEW I was the all expert on the topic - after all my crocus is genius. Maffi praised my garden, then the attention turned to his garden. I recall it being full of twigs and I inwardly gfawed and posied my self with my top tips of gardening. In fact, it came to light that for some time now he has had two bright in-yer-face daffodils bobbing around in his garden waiving gleefully across the mooring at my struggling crocus (the thing still hasn't opened up). The daffodils have been singing gleefully and declaring MORNING with such vigour I am amazed I didn't notice.

Now, to admire my crocus and not mention the daffodils IS friendship.

Cheers Maff!

Crocus

After two days in bed wailing and much poorliness I decided to venture outside - lo and behold my garden has created!

LOOK - a crocus!

Sunday

Unfortunately I was hopelessly unwell on Sunday and couldn't drive my boat home - I had expected to be left, but PJ and Maffi devised a plan. Jolly good job because my loo was full and I really wasn't at all well!

PJ breasted my boat to his up the Thames, and then from Shuttleworth onwards he towed it all the way up to Thrupp. Maffi and PJ did a fantastic job as I lay in state on Maffi's boat being poorly.

I looked out of the window as we approached Godstow lock and saw Bones creeping up along side Ocelot - it was a really grand sight!

Saturday Picture Book

An early morning start up at the water point in Thrupp followed by a trip down the Oxford, through Shuttleworth lock and round through Dukes Lock onto the Thames.

I love the sight of agricultural machinery at work:



Milly M looked fabulous surrounded by the greenery near drink water lift bridge



Out onto the Thames and we caught up with Apollo again



I like Apollo - they have a gorgeous dog with eyebrows, and Mrs Apollo is a delight. We met up with them at the water point in Thrupp before we set off.

We had intended to stop at Godstow for a walk and a late afternoon BBQ, but we couldn't moor up as the edge was so shallow. We carried on down to Osney instead.
I was amused to see this 'no mooring' sign outside the Perch at Binsey. Just to the left of the mooring pontoon is another sign that says 'mooring' but it is for small boats or cruisers, certainly not narrowboats



Osney bridge is VERY low, and this is a sight you will often see if you cruise with Milly M:



Maffi running up the roof to take his chimney off!

An evening with Matilda Rose

We knew where we were going because I had looked at the map. I knew we turned right after the road that we went down a few months ago. Easy… well, it would have been if I had the right village. Not to worry, I was only one village out and within no time at all we were wondering down the tow path towards the dim lights of Matilda Rose wondering why on earth we never bring a torch with us.

What a welcome we received from Graham and Jill! We had met Graham when he was lost on the towpath – he only popped out for some milk, bumped into us and ended up nattering for ages with Maffi about the RAF. We didn’t get to meet Jill, and they were heading north so it looked like we wouldn’t see them again for a long time, but then they headed south again…. so finally, last night, we have met Jill – and she is simply adorable! I took rather a shine to Mutley, but I wasn’t allowed to bring him home which was a great shame. Graham and Jill are very easy going, great to chat to, and I instantly felt at home. They are superb entertainers too!

What a fantastic evening with some fantastic people. The food was absolutely delicious – full of flavour; a culinary version of a symphony orchestra; Jill was rather surprised that it all turned out so well, as I gather her cooking is a bit of a ‘surprise’; this was a fantastic success and the pie actually stood up and didn’t promptly collapse and make a sharp exit off the work top as she had expected. Graham made the most delicious carrot cake for us which I tucked into until I realised it had Orange peel in it (which I am allergic to) so I had to stop eating it… but it was worth it – AND I didn’t puke! Hurrah.

Matilda Rose is a glorious boat. It has dog biscuits in the laundry shoot, a swanky bucket in the ablution room (far posher than my blue number that was vetoed by the masses), loads of LEDs, and loads of space. Maffi hasn’t stopped drooling over it!

Thank you guys for a fabulous evening, it was great fun and lovely to meet you both!

The Garden

Last October I purchased some bulbs from the DIY shop, and noticed they weren't to planted until March. I was very patient, and waited the suggested time before I embarked upon some green finger exercises. I pulled out the bulbs from the store room, only to see that I mis-read the label - Plant in October and they bloom in March - PAH!

I planted them anyway, and despite my error, they are coming along nicely - huzzah:

Preparing for Children...... A Humerous Account....

FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN.*

*Test 1 - Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-
1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children:-
1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.

Test 2 - Knowledge
Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour. Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3 - Nights
To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

Test 4 - Dressing Small Children
1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2 Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

Test 5 - Cars
1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Test 6 - Going For a Walk
Wait
Go out the front door
Come back in again
Go out
Come back in again
Go out again
Walk down the front path
Walk back up it
Walk down it again
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.

You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Test 7
Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.

Test 8 - Grocery Shopping
1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Test 9 - Feeding a 1 year-old
1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.

Test 10 - TV
1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.

Test 11 - Mess
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.

Test 12 - Long Trips with Toddlers
1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly.
Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Test 13 - Conversations
1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Test 14 - Getting ready for work
1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work

You are now ready to have children. ENJOY!!

Easter Cruising

Last Easter I went up to Napton for a boaters banter and on the way I passed Bourton Lock Cottage and promptly fell in love here, as a result I was over the moon when I realised it was for sale, and after much investigation I decided not to put a bid in, but much to my delight two other boaters did, and won it. I am toying with the idea of heading north again this Easter to see how far they have got. Besides, I left a deer in a bush on the way up last year, and I am wondering if it is still there!

Mobile Phone and Driving Offences

Same year, same outcome - one death in each, two different cases: one gets 12 weeks in jail (he will serve half), a year ban and £500 fine for costs. the other gets 21months in jail and a 3 year driving ban. One is an MP one isn't


you do the math.

Que Sera Sera - all the info....

The information has been cosolodated on the canal world forum by a kind member and here it is, as is, copied and pasted. From THIS link which is a running thread which will be updated with more info...

Name: Que Sera Sera.
Owner: Carole and Tony
Make: Liverpool Boats
Size: 58 or 60 foot Cruiser Stern
Registration (or Index) #: 511284
Crime Number: XA-17173 2009 (Would assume West Mids but don't want to guess)
Initial call for help on forum: "HI ALL

LAST MONDAY 2ND MARCH 2009 OUR NARROWBOAT WAS STOLEN FROM STREETHAY MARINA

ITS A LIVERPOOL HULL, BLUE WITH CREAM COACH LINES AND THE NAME QUE SERA SERA ON IT

ITS 60FT IN LENGTH

IT HAS A MODERN BEACH INTERIOR WITH BLACK AND GREY THEME TROUGHOUT
WHEN IT WAS TAKEN IT HAD A LARGE FROG ORNAMENT ON TOP
IT HAS A CRATCH COVER ON THE FRONT IN BLUE ALSO

PLEASE EMAIL floandcaz@hotmail.co.uk IF YOU THINK YOU CAN HELP US OR KNOW ANYONE THAT MAYBE ABLE TO HELP US"

AND: IT WAS TAKEN MONDAY 2ND MARCH 2009 FROM STREETHAY MARINA AND WAS DUE TO RETURN FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 2009, SINCE THEN WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE DETAILS LEFT WERE FRAUDULANT BY THE HIRERS.
NO THEY CANNOT BE TRACED AND PERSONAL DETAILS WE HOLD FOR THEM SEEM TO BE FALSE ALSO

Described as (from owner):

Cruiser stern cream coach lines

-Blue cratch cover and blue canopy round the cruiser stern
-When taken it did have a large frog ornament on the top
-Gunnel was undercoated dark grey with a blue edging
-The tiller pin is a brass frog
-It did have a metal yellow bucket on the front of the boat with coloured flowers in it.
-Looking closer on the ignition control panel outside several of the maintenance light covers are missing about the size of a ten pence next to the key hole.
-Back and front ropes are blue and the middle rope is a dull black
-The interior is all fitted in maple wood
-It had two bucket black chairs in
-It has a wood burner were flute is at the front of the boat
-Tiled around galley in dark grey small tiles
-Grey quarry tiles in galley (floor) the rest of the boat is all solid wood.
-It did have a black and white rug in the living area.
-The dinette covers are all black
-The dinette back panel moves across to face the tv to make a sofa when watching tv
-There was a nest of pine small tables in the living area


Further observations from members:
-Light wood cratch with two windows,
-Cratch cover has windows,
-Side hatch halfway down port side,
-Louvers at cruiser stern to vent engine,(looks like Lister Air cooling vents)
-Port holes look as if the top part flip/flops,
-4 x brass mushrooms,
-Fixed TV aerial at the front,
-Unusuallife ring,
-Venitian blinds.
-louvered rear deck drains

The boat looks slightly unusual in having just one porthole either side. Most seem to have 2 or 3 either side now.
Also notice the (added?) three metal hoops either side above gunnel for the tube fender ropes.
Roof top pattern of smooth/rough sections might also be a help. Note there are 5 rough sections and 4 brass vents.

Also to point out from the photos in case it helps - the one of the interior looking forward shows the stove has NO flue pipe fitted. Is this because the photo was taken before the stove installation was completed or was it still like that when it left Streethay.

it would seem that only a skirt has been fitted to the rear deck as I cannot see any fixings for a separate tonneau cover - and that is very unusual. The three bungee fixings in the the side of the skirt is not very common either as most have two (if any at all as many cover fitters prefer other fixings) In addition, the drain cut outs in the handrail at the stern of the roof look more generous than normal - they appear to be at least four inches wide (although that might just be a consequence of camera angle)

Initially rented out VIA Distinctive Charters: "Distinctive Charters secures on its books privately owned craft. These are chartered from their existing moorings countrywide to discerning and experienced hirers (static charter is also an option), thereby providing owners with a way of covering their ownership costs and earning an income, as well as providing the hirer with the opportunity to use an exclusive private boat. As an agency Distinctive Charters will advertise, prepare and distribute information, arrange bookings, handle payments, and if necessary guide the owner through the steps to hire craft licensing, extra BSS regulations, insurance, breakdown services, hand over scripts etc., and generally smooth the path over for them. Distinctive Charters will also establish a hire charge price band relevant to the boat."

Last Seen:
Last sighted near junction with Ashby heading towards Coventry at around 13:30hrs 15/03/09. At 09:30hrs 15/03 was seen at Shakerstone.

The first sighting was made by a live aboard boater who is reported to be a reliable witness and described the boat to a tee!

The last sighting - a couple on the towpath spotted it - she remembered it because she started singing Que Sera Sera! they had seen it 30 mins before talking to the owners - They drove to The Anchor Inn (bridge 28) just beyond Hartshill and Tony waited there while their son ran all the way back to the canal junction - he did not see any moving boats in that time.

This is why they feel the boat had turned around.

The speculation: The owners covered as much of that area of canal as they could on Sunday and felt certain that as they had not spotted the boat and it was unlikely to have got very far ahead of them at that time it was possible it had turned somewhere and headed back - possibly back up the Ashby?

Photo Links
Canal World Post
Ebay Listing, for vacation rental.

Description of crime / Perpetrators:

IT WAS A FEMALE AND MALE THAT HIRED THE BOAT AND TOOK IT ON MONDAY 2ND MARCH 2009 FROM STREET HAY MARINA. my dad went with them to Fradley to show them the ropes as you say and make sure they are equiped and ready.

MALE - AGE LATE 20'S EARLY 30'S, AROUND 5FT 8IN goes by the name of Shaun (but this maybe false) Stocky build short mid brown hair - quite a good looking chap. last seen wearing a wolly beanie hat in a light beige colour, beige long sleeved wolly jumper and dark trousers, wearing trainers (only remember white) sorry no make.

WOMEN - AGE APPROX LATE 20'S NO OLDER-SMOKES ALOT - AROUND 5FT 5IN - slim dark shoulder lenth hair straight - distinctive mouth when she smiles shows all her gums. last seen wearing black trosers high heels shoes dark sleeveless top not dressed for boating AT ALL.


WHEN MY MOM AND DAD GOT TO FRADLEY THEY STAYED FOR A CUP OF TEA WHERE TWO ONLY MEN GOT ON THE BOAT AND THE HIRERS SAID IT WAS FRIENDS SHOWING THEM ROUND - WE HAVE HAD FURTHER INFORMATION TO SAY THEY LEFT WITH THEM - SO THREE MEN AND A WOMEN ON THE BOAT - BUT THE CAR AT THE MARINA WAS GONE TOO SO SOMEONE MUST BE OFF IT TO HAVE COLLECTED CAR BACK.
DESCRIPTION OF OTHER UNKNOWN TWO MEN ARE
BOTH MEN WERE ABOUT 5FT 10 IN MUSCULAR BUILD SHORT BROWN HAIR LAST SEEN WEARING JEANS AND TIGHT LIGHT COLURED T.SHIRTS THE KIND THAT SHOW MUSCLE (we were a distance from these so it was hard to id them)


This was as much information as I could find in both threads. I apologize profusely for utilizing multiple quotes without giving credit but that would have taken to much time. Good Luck Carole and Tony!

Index Number

Missing boat Que Sera Sera: More Info

index number: 511284


Hirers:

MALE - AGE LATE 20'S EARLY 30'S, AROUND 5FT 8IN goes by the name of Shaun (but this maybe false) Stocky build short mid brown hair - quite a good looking chap. last seen wearing a wolly beanie hat in a light beige colour, beige long sleeved wolly jumper and dark trousers, wearing trainers (only remember white) sorry no make.

WOMEN - AGE APPROX LATE 20'S NO OLDER-SMOKES ALOT - AROUND 5FT 5IN - slim dark shoulder lenth hair straight - distinctive mouth when she smiles shows all her gums. last seen wearing black trosers high heels shoes dark sleeveless top not dressed for boating AT ALL

Morning Sunshine

Two morning views from my boat - upstream:



downstream:

Weekend Picture Book

PJs parents, and Charlie came to visit this weekend, so we all decided to go for a cruise down the Oxford, onto the Thames at Dukes (Shuttleworth) and then down to the Watermans Arms (well worth a visit, I love this place!) for supper on Saturday night. We returned home on Sunday back up the Thames to the Canal via Sheepwash channel.

PJs parents have been boating for decades and decades and have many facinating stories to tell of boating in the 60s onwards - not only that but their unique perspective is educational and amusing. They were lock keepers on the Thames before they retired to sunnier climates.

I love this ruin of the nunnery at Godstow:

I was spending far too much time looking down the lens, and not enough time concentrating on mooring which got me a few scowls from the crew!

The stretch of the Thames towards Osney is lovely with the views over PortMeadow to the city:


and a blurred one (PJ is in the distance on the good ship Ocelot):


The river wasn't running too fast until I was pootling down towards Osney lock. PJ had already told me he was turning around there, so not wanting to be left out I suggested I might do the same. Charlie kept me company on the back and Maffi leapt off the front with the rope and wrapped it around a bollard. At this point I realised the river was running quite fast and wasn't at all impressed (Mr and Mrs PJ now tell me it is a dangerous stretch of river that one!)... I didn't think there was enough room to turn around so I told Maffi to move up a bit, which he did. We were tied onto a new bollard, and I still didn't think there was enough room, so we moved up to another one. Then the boat was really turning, so we were committed. Convinced we wouldn't actually be able to turn where we were I shouted to Maffi, who said 'loads of room'. Not entirely convinced I asked Mel who was standing on the bank offering moral support - she agreed with Maffi.

The long and short of the tale is the stern swung around and thanks to the soft rendering on the wall we made it around with me screaming for my mother, Maffi smiling sweetly, Mel looking a bit surprised and Charlie suffering from histerical laughter. Had I been able to scale the wall we were scraping along I think I would have got off the boat quick sharp!

Mel very sweetly told me afterwards that she is hopeless at judging distances! Had I had a handbag I would have swiped her! The moral of the story is never trust a blind man or a women who can't judge distances!!! Actually, it was my own stupid fault - I knew we were turning too early, but the stream took control - well, that is my excuse anyway. Maffi straightened out the sticky up (what IS that called) bit that limits the rotation of the rudder so it doesn't foul the prob, and the following day we headed home.

On our way up the Canal I spotted that they are demolishing part of the carriageway on the A34 - I am intrigued about what they are doing....



The icing on the cake for the already perfect weekend was the unexpected arrival of my dad. We picked him up at another of my favourite hostilleries
The Plough in Wolvercote and headed home. He had a go on my piano:

Que Sera Sera has gone missing.

Narrowboat Que Sera Sera has gone missing:

Recent Update:

Last sighted near junction with ashby heading towards coventry at around one thirty yesterday. At 9 am yesterday it was at shackerstone.

More Info:

The boats name is Que Sara Sara, Liverpool Boat Build - 60ft - Blue with gold lettering.
(picture on NB Valerlie Blog)

FROM THE OWNERS posted on Canal world forums:

HERE IS SOME MORE INFORMATION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR:

1) INDEX BOAT NUMBER WE ARE TOLD WILL NOT HELP
2) THE RAIL AROUND THE STERN IS WOODEN PAINTED CREAM - PAINT CHIPPING OFF DUE TO WINTER WEATHER
3) ACCELORATOR HANDLE THE BUTTON IS MISSING AT THE NEUTRAL BOTTOM ON THE HANDLE IN THE MIDDLE
4) STERN HAD A LARGE BLACK WAFFLE RUBBER MAT COVERING THE WOODEN ENGINE FLOOR, THE SURROUNDING FLOOR IS PAINTED IN LIGHT BLUE, FEW SCUFFS MISSING PAINT WITH WEAR AND TEAR
5)THERE WAS A LARGE WHITE PLASTIC BOX ON THE BACK OF THE STERN USED TO KEEP SPARE CASSETTEE IN
6) THERE WAS A CREAM PADDED AND CROME FRAMED STOOL ON THE STERN WITH BACK REST THE HYDROLIC TO ALTER HEIGHT WITH CROME ATTACHED FOOT REST.
7) THERE WAS A WOODEN PLANK JUST PLAIN WOOD. POLE CREAM WITH BRASS HOOK. CJILDS BLUE FISHING NET. GREY HANDLE MOP. WOODEN HANDLE DECK BRUSH ALL TIED WITH BUNGY CLIPS ONTO RACK ALL SITUATED TO THE REAR PORTHOE SIDE OF TH BOAT
8) HARD WOOD CRAFT FRAME JUST VARNISHED
9)IN CRATCH WAS A DARK WOODEN TABLE TOP PATTERN HEXAGNAL SHAPE FOLD UP
10) EITHER SIDE OF FRONT CRATCH IS STORAGE THEY HAVE COVERED IN THE SAME BLUE MATERIAL AS THE CRATCH COVER.
11) THE CRATCH COVER HAS TWO CLEAR PLASTIC WINDOWS EITHER SIDE (LARGE)
12) PLEASE CALL CAROLE ON 07825331217 IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION AND BEFORE SOMEONE SAYS ANYTHING WE HAVE A SEPERATE PHONE LINE FOR PRIVET PHONE CALLS SO ITS FINE TO POST IT ON HERE

Moon Rise

Not my best picture, but I think you will get the gist!



I love the enormous moon as it rises over the fields. This big moon reminds me of a trip in the car with Weepingcross one evening... we chased an enormous moon all around Oxford, up dead ends, into drives, around estates and eventually found ourselves driving up a long steep hill to Shotover Hill. Weepingcross was convinced we had lost the moon and it was behind us but I was SURE it was just over the top.... so we kept on going.... we arrived at the top and there at the end of an alley of trees was the moon - fantastic! What an amazing view!

iPOD docker

If anyone, like me, has just blown up their Ipod docker, then sainsbury are doing a nice little number reduced from 30pounds to 20. Not only is it a alarm clock, but you can pre-set the radio stations. It is a little bit bigger than my previous one, but it has a damaage limitation factor as it takes 12volts instead of 6!

Splendid.

Martin and Diane

I was sorry when Martin and Diane went off to northern pastures to see out the winter. Like them I travel north for the winter months, but I never make it out of the county!

I like Martin and Diane, and there is something comforting about seeing their boat every time I come off the river. When I heard they were coming back for the summer I was rather looking forward to seeing them... and on Sunday there was a tap on the roof, and there they were! Hurrah!

Welcome Back Guys

Bionic Eye!

You may remember my interest in artificial limbs and the research surrounding their development (see here for an example). Thus far my interest has been in limbs, but today I noticed something in the news that is just so amazing - a bionic eye (I just LOVE eyes). What is especially interesting is the chap featured suffers from a retinal degeneration disease, and the bionic eye effectively uses an artifical retina! A video processor sends captured images to a receiver outside the eye which passes data down a cable to an array of electrodes that sits on the retina. When the electrodes are stimulated the information is carried down the optic nerve in the same way light does to the un-damaged brain. Funky or what!

Knitted Brains

Many thanks to Miss T for pointing this out to me! AND the full story is in the daily mail


Miss T found this article here knitted by Karen Norberg

Who would have ever thought there would be a museum of scientifically accurate fabric brain art. I LOVE it!

Have a look at the full article in the daily mail for more pictures!

Exhaustion and Gas Struts

The blog has been quiet for a while due to the over exhaustion suffered aboard the good ship from waking up early.

My friend told me he had a job, and that it involved starting work at 7am. Ping went my brain, and I decided I would seize the opportunity to be a good friend, a loyal friend and a supportive friend, and get up at 6am to have a coffee with said worker, and see him drive off into the distance to the workplace. Now, if that wouldn't lead to saint hood, I dont know what would!

All last week I was suffering from exhaustion. I was so tired in the evenings I could barely breath, come 8pm I was crawling into bed and zonking out. By the end of the week I was so tired, I didn't even know I was tired. 6am is a very unamusing time of day. Being the stubborn person I am I refused to give in and lo and behold I started to enjoy those early mornings, the productivity in my own work place and the knowledge that getting up at that time of day is less painful with a friend (or so my friend tells me). It was the time after midday I struggled to stay awake!

This week I think I will put the application for sainthood in the bin.

Despite the exhaustion we had a productive weekend, and on Sunday afternoon we were able to fit the gas struts to the bed - they are FANTASTIC! Many Thanks to Alacrity for coming to the rescue with some spare ones! All I need to do now is sort through some of my clothes and boxes after work and tidy up the underbed space.