Out at last

No, I haven’t discovered a new sexuality, I’m out on the boat! A whole four days to mooch about Handsacre and indulge Bonny after her operation.

She had two teeth removed under general anaesthetic on Tuesday and came back all dazed and drugged up. I carried her to her bed and popped outside to fetch something off the mooring. Being Bon, she hauled herself up the steps after me, somehow managed to jump out of the boat and then staggered up the mooring – mostly sideways – all because she hadn’t had her walk!

She was so much improved the next day, that I cast off our ropes and toddled up to Kings Bromley to do the usual pumping out and dieseling up. Then, instead of retracing our steps, we carried on to Handsacre where there is one of our favourite walks. We could have gone further, but with us both needing some recuperation time (I have had a stinky cold), I decided just to enjoy having a different view and still having time to rest.

I had forgotten again just how perfectly cruising suits both Bonny and me. We adore exploring new walks, having time to watch squirrels and to shelter from the rain when necessary. We don’t need to be near pubs or people. We don’t need any more entertainment than the hedgerows afford us and it has been such a joy having her all to myself after a long and busy working summer.

I was cleaning the outside of the boat a couple of hours ago when we were passed by a lovely shiny boat called ‘What a Lark’. The lady on board said she was a reader of my blog and really enjoyed it. What a lovely comment. So I thought I better blog immediately! Ahoy there to What a Lark.

I have also finally given in and joined the Facebook generation – it is amazing who has popped up so far. So many people from my various past lives!

To conclude, here are some pics of our mini trip:

Bonny recovering

Handsacre mooring

Bon much improved – in health and behaviour!

Our favourite circular walk

work work work

Since this is chiefly a boating, cruising type blog, I have an excuse for such a long gap between posts... I haven't been anywhere! Instead I have been working endlessly and have nothing very much to write about. However I didn't want people to think I have drowned so thought I better check in.

One new thing I have done in the last 24 hours is to join Facebook. Its amazing and I am bewildered by it.

Another new thing is that I have finally had my shaggy dog clipped. Before...

...and after!

The wedding season is in full swing, hence all the working, but I have two weeks holiday booked in September. Obviously my first choice would be to take the boat out, but my friend Stan has been a total star, looking after Bon while I've been working, so we are going on holiday on land instead. We are visiting the Rochdale canal, before going to Devon to stay in my friends Roger and Shirleyanns home while they take my boat out cruising!

Hopefully I will be able to write about taking my boat out sometime before the end of the year!

PS. Do visit me on my Facebook page. I haven't got the lingo yet but I think you need to 'like' me or something like that!

My Mooring in the Spring

I thought I would post some photos to show what a pretty place I live in.

This is my mooring with a garden that looks huge! I love it.

This is the view from my boat at present. Unfortunately Bonny ran away into the rape field and when she came out four hours later, the rape had irritated her eyes so much that she had rubbed all the hair off under both eyes! I tried to feel sorry for her and failed!

These are the anemones I planted and that flowered from February till just recently – good value!

home again

My pump out trip continued to be eventful. I tied up in the woods just prior to the marina and had a lovely relaxed afternoon, much needed after a really busy week at work and then the run in with the loon on the flight.

Bright and early the next morning I took the boat into the marina ready for my much needed pump out only to find their machine was broken! Fortunately the wharf close by is managed by Tom who did my blacking recently and he let me go there to be pumped out! However I had to manoeuvre into a very tight space at the wharf and then was told that in order to get diesel I needed to go back out and reverse in. I looked at the space available and the breeze blowing. I then dipped my diesel and decided I had enough to last me another month. What a coward!

My trip back down the flight made up for the trip up. I met boats at every lock and without exception their crews were friendly and helpful. One was also informative when she told me that the Napton flight of locks have just closed for 3 weeks due to 100 feet of bank falling into the canal! It has trapped boats within the flight and has caused particular problems for hireboaters as there is no road access.

I got back to my mooring by lunchtime and then went off to the supermarket as I needed a food shop before returning to work tomorrow. Tired now but happy.

Trouble on the flight

I had to take the boat out on bank holiday Monday, not something I would usually do, but I was overdue a diesel and pump out visit to Kings Bromley. It was predictably busy and I didn't start till about 9.45. However there were more volunteer lock keepers about than you could shake a windlass at so help was at hand.

All was well until I reached the third lock in the flight. There was a boat waiting to go through the next lock that was tied on the lock bollards in such a way that I would struggle getting in behind him. I slowed right up and saw the boater chatting to people on the towpath. I called out in my most friendly and polite manner and asked him if he minded moving his boat forward on the bollards so I could fit in behind. I saw him say something but couldn't hear him so I repeated my request. This time it was obvious the man was annoyed. His wife then had a word and reluctantly and making a great show of effort, they moved their boat a few feet so I could get in.

The wife went off to the lock and the man, in his 60's, stayed with the boat. I secured mine and then wandered up to have a word. I said I was sorry if I caused him a problem to which he replied "I don't like bossy females at the tiller" I was about to respond in kind when I noticed his boat (Rosy) was covered with Boater Christian Fellowship stickers. I asked if he was a member, he said he was. I said "well you aren't a great advert are you?" To which he asked what I knew about it. Well I couldn't resist and said "I was an evangelist for the Church of England". I paused and saw him thinking maybe I was part of his club and then said " but then I saw the light and left."

His response honestly shocked me. He came up very close, poked his fingers at me and hissed in a low, vicious tone "get away from me you devil!" I said "devil?" He replied that if I was "an ex" then I was a devil and then he disappeared inside his boat, even though the lock was almost ready for him. I was stunned by the mixture of fear and fury that flowed from him and decided not to speak again as he was clearly unhinged.

But I still had to follow him up the lock flight and being that he was slower at the locks, I kept catching up with him. I noticed he was smiling and chatting and even handing out chocolate to the volunteer lock keepers but when he glanced at me, which he did regularly, his mask slipped and I saw what was underneath. At the last but one lock he got his camera out and appeared to take a photograph of me and then nodded as if to say he had me now. No doubt I should check their website in due course. I might find my mugshot on it with warnings about the devil!

I know I should just shrug it off but it still bothers me when I see such an ugly face purporting to be Christian. I also know he is in a tiny minority (although I have met two other rude members of the same organisation) but as I tied up in the woods I was very grateful again that I no longer have anything to do with organised religion!

Cruise End

Bonny and I had a well earned rest at Hopwas until Sunday morning when we mooched back to Fradley, stopping at the new King’s Orchard Marina where I filled up with diesel for 80p a litre which was a good rate for red diesel. I then found the last space on the visitors mooring on the Coventry at Fradley Junction, ready to take her into dry dock on Monday morning.

I had thought that if I get the boat up before 9am I could transfer my belongings at leisure into my car to be transported to Stan’s. However, when I got to the Junction Tom, the boatyard owner was already there so it was all a bit of a rush to get my bags etc off as well as remembering the jobs I wanted Tom to do on the boat while she was out of the water. As well as having the hull blacked (painted to keep the rust at bay – called blacking because of the bitumen based paint they use,) I also needed a small welding job to be done, the tiller bearing to be replaced and my tunnel bands repainted. All of that will cost me in excess of £550 and my licence is also due this month – costing another £770 so not a cheap time in my boating world!

Here is my boat in dry dock – I forget what a big bum she has!!

Then, reluctantly I left Don’t Panic in a damp shed and went off like a refugee to be put up by Stan for the week – and very kind it was too of him to put up with Bonny and I as lodgers.

On Friday there was a treat in the shape of a host of pre WW2 cars coming to the junction as part of a rally. Here are some highlights…

A 1911 Maxwell – my favourite.

Aston MartinSS Jaguar – Stan’s favourite.

I could go on! One of the cars apparently was recently sold for five million pounds!!!

I am also back to work now and the change from solitary cruising to living with someone else and being desperately sociable is a shock to the system! But since somebody managed to fall in a dry dock and die, we are not allowed to stay on board anymore, so I don’t know what I would have done without Stan offering me a roof over my head.

Having said that, I am very much looking forward to returning to my floating home. All the work is done but she will stay in dry dock for the weekend so the paint can dry properly (or cure). Then, promptly on Monday morning I will take possession, cruise to Alrewas to turn round and then, after 3 weeks, finally return to my mooring. Job done!

A Bad day at Black Rock

I don't know if you remember that film but after it was on, whenever we had an awful time that's what we used to say.
 The day (Thursday) started OK with an early walk and cruising from 8am. It took 4 hours to do 11 miles and two locks but I arrived in Hopwas and found our favourite mooring vacant. I was so pleased with Bon as she had been so good and patient with all the cruising so I popped her on the towpath whilst I secured the boat. The time was 12.10pm. Having got the boat sorted, I fetched her lead and called bon to have her walk. Nothing. No sign of her at all. I assumed she had started without me and so walked the way we usually go. No sign or sound of her.
After an hour or so I finally spotted her at the bottom of the field, worryingly close to the mainline railway. I did my usual walking away and calling her but she immediately dived into the trees to the side of the field and that was that. I tried all the usual tricks to get her back but she had slipped into that mad state of mind where humans, particularly me, were the enemy and to be avoided at all costs.
I won't bore you with all the details of the endless afternoon but despite hail storms, wind and almost constant rain, by dark she was still on the run. I was fairly sick with worry, particularly when the trains flew by.
At 7pm I saw movement outside the boat. I made her supper and called Bon to come in. At 8.10pm, 8 hours after she went, my bleep bleep dog jumped in the boat. She was soaked through, covered with brambles and shivering with cold. I was not sympathetic, although I did let her warm up on my lap.
So we will be going to bed shortly as I am shattered. Fortunately I was planning to stay here till Sunday. Guess who won't be running free in the woods this time?!