Dear Granny and Grandpa

This morning has been exciting. At 6am the door opened and two strange men were standing on the front deck so I went to look at them. Not only did they give me lots of fuss, but they have lots of maggots so they must be the fishermen I have heard about. Mum said I should have barked and chased them off, but I think they are going to catch me some kippers for breakfast so that would have been very silly.

Last night the locals went off to Cassington Bike Night where zillions of people turn up to look at zillions of bikes. I am sure I like motorbikes, but I don't want to give mum the impression I do. You see the other day she arrived home with one in the car... in MY seat! Uncle Mark did the usual Hercules thing and hauled it out with his little finger, but even so - it looks a bit of a state. I am afraid I might have to spend lots of time in the garage providing moral support while the bike gets treasured, so I am showing as little interest as possible. I like my bed, and there isn't a bed in the garage. This has to change if I am going to spend time advising.

I went to the theatre last night and made an Alsatian bark at me really really loudly, so loudly, the play talked about it. If that wasn't embarrassing enough another dog I thought was quite friendly pee'd up Maffi's leg! He wasn't amused but mum thought it was hilarious. If I did that I would be sent to the moon! It was quite funny. The play was boring so I decided to eat the tree, and then dig a hole, (not to mention skipping around like a lunatic in the romantic slow song) until I was taken away. I don't think mum was too cross because she saw the theatre company last night and thoroughly enjoyed herself. When we were away in the corner Auntie Mary turned up and we had a chat. I like Auntie Mary - she has lots of dogs and brings us presents. Mum says I have to like people even when they don't bring us presents, but I am not so keen.

Anyway, I like this boating malarkey, but I am missing you. I hope you will come and visit soon.

Lots of licks
Boots.

Loss and gain

Strange happenings at the wharf today....

Last week I returned to my chambers to discover a wheel barrow and a dining chair had been deposited by the good ship. I have no idea why (although I could make a pretty good guess) and I dont really want either.

This morning I returned to the mooring to discover a friends dinghy missing.
I do want the dinghy.

Underneath the stolen dinghy was a bat, several moles and a squirrell - they didn't steal those - phew.

Bikes in Cars

It is possible to fit a motorbike in a car without putting the back seat down!

Spider : ecdyses Video

Submitted Application for Saint Hood...

...not me, charlie.

I haven't been very well of late, so I was rather relieved when Charlie said she would give me a hand moving the boat up to Thrupp. Not only is Charlie stunning crew, but she is rather silly too. On arrival she nearly fell in. I found this rather amusing and nearly fell in too.


Here she is taking a stroll with Stanley up to the lock past a boat that I find quite striking - the plants are fabulous:





I have mentioned this boat before, but I saw it again and I still love it particularly the cratch:



and the windows/side hatches!




We made it home in time to have afternoon tea in the delicious tea rooms in Thrupp AND put up some bunting and write a sign for the grand return of the boys from their trip from France on Friday night.

Thanks Charlie!

Narrowboat For Sale: 'Per Ardua'

60ft Trad Colecraft Hull 2000 Narrowboat
'Per Ardua'
Fit out by Dean Wherry

Engine Room:
Beta Marine 43hp diesel engine with 3.5kw travel pack. Galvanic isolator, 40 amp sterling pro-digital charger, 6 x 110ah leisure batteries and 1 x 95ah starter battery. 600w Quasi inverter. Immersion heater, Bilge pump. Bilge inspection hatch.
Portholes.
Childrens Bedroom:
High bunk bed with cupboard and drawers below, Could be converted to a 2 bunk room or a fixed double easily. Electric points and radiator. Portholes.
Storage Room/ Walk Through Wardrobe:
Lots of space and shelves for storage.
Bathroom:
Walk through wet room type bathroom, large open shower with glass brick wall. Glass wash basin. Thetford cassette toilet. Heated towel rail.
Galley:
Eye-level oven/grill. 240 fridge. Wooden worktops , inset hob and sink/drainer. Black glass splash backs. Side hatch. Breakfast bar. Electrical points. Oak style laminate flooring. Brass style aluminium windows.
Open plan Saloon from galley:
Bed settee with storage for bedding underneath. Large flat screen LCD TV. Solid fuel stove on black glass hearth. Storage step. Electricity points. TV aerial point. Radiator. Ceiling lights. Double wooden doors with fused/stained glass windows leading to Bow area. Brass style aluminium windows.
Bow:
Gas locker with 2 gas bottles and manual changeover.
12v and 240v throughout the boat.
BSE till May 2013, last blacked May 2008 with new anodes.
Laying in Barrow Upon Soar, Loughborough.
£52’000

A morning walk

I went to the Oxford Trap Ground this morning; they really are delightful!



The footpaths are wild:



And there is are several clearances throughout the three acres of land - one has scultures in it. One (the moth) by David Gosling and the others by the children of a local primary school. The work was funded by the lottery scheme for art weeks:



I haven't ever seen this stuff looking so HUGE!

Weekends

After an eventful week watching PJ preparing his motorbike for the grande trip, and sorting my boat out to receive a visit for the week (Stanley, Marks dog) I was sitting outside recovering when Balmaha went past - I was ever so surprised as I thought they were on the Kennett and Avon still! With Balmaha came Mike and Jo from Sarah-Kate. I like them all! It was especially fortunate because I had just found a Mole and I knew Mike would be interested in it. He told me the bits of 'rice' looking things on the mole skin were flies eggs. Quite remarkable.



I am enjoying having two dogs to mess about with - and I think they are enjoying running around. I loved watching them in the field near my mooring as the pollen was thrown into the air when they ran through the meadow:






On Saturday I headed out onto the Thames with Stanley, Boots and Maffi:



Saturday night saw us having supper in the Watermans arms where we met the crew of No Opinion - they were just like a comedy show and an absolute hoot! They cooked us the most amazing breakfast on Sunday morning and continued to cause us much amusement.

I am now moored in one of my favourite spots. It is so peaceful and quiet with some lovely bird song.

by jove they made it!

After being locked out of their hotel and Mark having to push PJ through a second floor window to get back into their room, the circus moved on. They arrived in Ambussan, then Aurillae and finally they made it to the Millau Bridge - they sound rather amazed! Well done chaps... now we just have to see whether their bikes make it home!

They are off! The boys in france 1.

PJ and Mark have been planning a trip to look at the Millau bridge in France for sometime. The chosen method of transport - motorbike; a 1950s Panther, and a 1970s CSX 500. This all sounds entirely sensible until you realise the Panther wasn't running and the CSX hadn't been purchased when they decided to do it.

Needless to say the last month or so has been very exciting as we have all watched the Panther being rebuilt, mended, fixed, bolted back together and declared fit for purpose. That sounds bad until you realise that PJ purchased his CSX from a man who was very keen to know why he wanted one of those bikes, and it hadn't been running for decades. It wasn't a runner of course, so there was a lot of tinkering going on at the other end of the canal as PJ got the bike started, founded out what bits he needed, ordered them, and then discovered with 2 weekends to go that the bits were out of stock and might be in stock sometime. With an urgent need for an MOT he did what every man should do when faced with such adversity, and purchased a new bike with an MOT. Ironically he purchased the same make and model of bike, so he still can't get spare parts. "They wont need spare parts" he said, which we didn't remind him of when earlier this week the engine in the new bike blew up. So, there he was, two broken bikes. Not to be put off, there was much scratching of heads, puffing and all sorts of other noises that engineers make when together and finally with lots of enthusiasm by last night he had one working bike, a packed tank bag and his passport in hand.

PJ and Mark set off for the ferry Portsmouth - Caen. They were keen that I should have a map of their journey on the pub wall.. I thought a map of France would be over kill as their journey would be down the village road (canal road), and if they were lucky they might get to Portsmouth in time to turn around and come home again. I was wrong.

8am this morning I received a text 'we are on the ferry'.

Well, that was impressive. Not as impressive as the next text half an hour ago 'We are in Argentan'

Actually, they sounded rather surprised at themselves!

If it was beginning to sound as though they were organised and going to make it, do not loose hope. They aren't.

I just received another text from PJ:

"when picking up the envelope with your foreign money in, make sure you pick up the right one. Mark picked up the envelope with the Aussie money in not Euros... we need a bank!"

Watch out France

Milly M

Pontcysyllte_Aqueduct

On our way home from Wales we stopped at the Pontcysyllte_Aqueduct

There was no steam train on the Viaduct in the distance...

I looked for a plaque to explain this peice of art, and there wasn't one. The art itself tells a story and encourages the viewer to examine, interact and interpret for themselves - I like that. I will always be curious, and my curiosity will only be fulfilled by looking.

Wales at 30mph

Driving through Wales on Sunday was delicious. I loved the views around horseshoe pass:





I love the way the lamp posts look like tapeworms if you don't quite get the 'taking a picture at speed' quite right!



As we drove through Llangollen I noticed a steam train so we turned up the first road we could... and drove up some roads that didn't really look like roads:




but got there. We got out of the car and walked through the fence for a closer look:



and lent over the bridge for this bit:



LOVELY!

Don't send me flowers!

Last week I had a lovely message from WeepingCross telling me he had found something on a walk that he thought I might like so he packed it up and put it in the post.

He did say it was a bit smelly so I have been wondering what it is.. cheese perhaps?

No...


A frog.



I love it!

I think.....

The coal man and the log pile

Dusty the coal man came through a few weeks ago, and when I returned to my boat I noticed he had had a 'moment' with the logs on the roof of my boat!





This is my favourite:

Weather Forecast!

Well, here I am on the weather tower and it be CHUCKING it down!

Wooo hooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

I stepped outside for a few moments and got absolutely soaked! I just LOVE these massive glorious overwhelmingly wet rain drops.

Wooo Hoooooooooo!

And... relax.

Speed Bumps

I was so amused by Harnser's great idea in the comments, I thought I would post it here incase anyone didn't read it. I doubt I will be able to look at a floating plastic duck or shopping trolley in the same way again!

"Speed Humps are what you need, a couple of shopping trollies positioned correctly with little plastic ducks floating above them, if they are going slow enough they can get round the little ducks, to fast to turn then its full stop with the bows 3" higher than normal."

what is this?

while I was at the ancestoral seat a couple of weeks ago it came to light there was an unknown plant in the garden... does anyone know what it is?

ages since last time

Something I have really noticed since having a mooring where I usually winter is the transformation in a community with the seasons, for the first time in my boating life I have been in the same location for winter and summer and the constrast is extraordinary; so much so I can't quite put my finger on it...YET.

The spring has been glorious and we have all had some fabulous evenings together, especially when visiting boats stop by and tell us tales of their travels.

In amongst all this, Boots has met the grandparents:





He loved his visit exploring the house and garden, and particularly enjoyed mother feeding him bacon rind.. I wonder if this is why he followed her everywhere!