On the bus yet again!!!!!!

You know how it is you see something in a shop get back home then think "I should have bought that". Well yesterday we were in Aldi rummaging like you do and they had some salopettes on a rack for sale at £16.99 we looked thought about then left the store. Today we caught the bus along with Betty into Daventry to get them. Paul and I got a pair and Betty bought a pair for Graham as it would appear he spends more time on the back of the boat than she does and she didn't want him catching a chill (how kind). Then it was quick top up with groceries cup of coffee and back on the bus.
Salopettes fit a treat can even wear jeans under them if needs be so think that £34 was well spent hopefully they will do the job and keep us nice and warm and dry.
Before I go just want to wish everyone a peaceful 2010 hope the blog keeps you amused for the next year. I will do my best to keep it lighthearted with the odd interjection from Paul on the technical front.

Quick trip to Daventry

This morning we decided to have a run into Daventry just to get off the boat for a bit. While at the bus stop a very nice lady stopped and offered us a lift which we gratefully accepted as we had a 15 minute wait for the bus. Has renewed my faith in people. So we arrived in Daventry nice and early, popped to the dentist to make an appointment for Paul for the first of his many visits. It was then into Nobles for a a hole punch and we came out with a load more stuff that Paul "just had to have". Appeared to be a lot of tut to me but who am I to know what is rubbish and what is useful?
The wind was bitter and it was raining so we didn't hang about too long but of course when we got to the bus stop we had a 20 minute wait. I was very strong willed and didn't even venture into Tesco's. Jess has sent our post up so I have to go into the village in the morning so I can get a few basics then. Will move off from here Saturday.

Lost soul or was it sole????????

Yesterday was a crisp day, as Paul was getting a bit twitchy he popped to see Bottle and Wozie to see if they would like to go to the pub for a quick pint at lunch time. Needless to say when they arrived at the arranged time Paul was in the middle of washing up, didn't want to stop him as this is a very rare occurrence. Off we trotted along the muddy tow path wrapped up against the cold, Paul in his nice new scarf and gloves (gift from the kids, I don't buy him anything!!) and his ancient motor cycle boots to keep his tootsies warm.
We spent a nice few hours in the pub putting the world to rights and watching the boats go on their way through the chunks of ice on the canal. Must say the pub was very busy with people eating. It got to about 2.45 so we decided to make a move and set off back to our boats. Just before leaving the pub Paul made a strange comment that the new carpet hadn't been laid very well. I just assumed his 2 pints of Pedigree had addled his brain a bit. It wasn't until we were out on the road that I noticed that he appeared to be limping, on further investigation I realised that he had lost the complete sole off of his right boot and he was literally on his uppers. When I told him he nearly burst into tears, now he has had these Frank Thomas motorcycle boots since 1970 (too tight to buy new ones) and they have seen him through umpteen motorcycle miles and various countries. All the way home he moaned like Victor Meldrew if he said "I don't believe" once he said it a hundred times. To add insult to injury by the time he took the offending boot off his socks (clean on I hasten to add along with his underpants) were very wet and muddy. But don't worry he is not going to put them in the bin oh no! he is going to use the leather to replace the cups on the end of the bow rope and I am sure the buckles will come in handy as well. He is sure that today's boots wouldn't have lasted as long as his trusty Frank Thomas ones.
We all laughed so much on that walk back it really made our day needless to say Paul didn't find it that amusing. He deliberated going back to the pub to look for his "SOLE" but thought twice about it. Wonder what the cleaner thought when they found a size 10 sole somewhere in the pub. The playstation took a battering but he didn't throw the controller which is a plus.
Thanks Bottle and Wozie was a nice afternoon hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Lovely day today

Hope you all had a good day yesterday we certainly did. Spent a pleasant evening with Bottle and Wozie on nb Oakfield who had struggled to get here through the ice from Hillmorton, but being the intrepid boaters they are made it, although the journey took a lot longer than normal.

Today we have woken to brilliant sunshine and milder air temperatures. The canal appears to be melting but the weather forecast over the next few days is a bit grim. But of course it has been wrong in the past.

Just look at this sky!!!!!!!

Lots of walkers taking advantage of the weather so the tow path is getting extremely muddy which will be a bit of a pain with the dogs but never mind.

So that's it all over for another year, better start saving now for next Christmas (and the teeth). Must sit down at some point to think of a route for the spring and summer. I know Market Harborough is on the agenda and maybe Stourport but who knows, we will just point and go. That's what its all about after all.

OUCH!!!!!!!!

Yesterday we caught the bus into Daventry in plenty of time to get the shopping done before we had to get to the dentist. Just as we left the boat a hire boat came through from Hillmorton way, the ice was so thick that he ground to a halt the other side of bridge 89 so he reversed back gave it a load of wellie and came past us at a rate of knots. Of course Paul shouted at him to slow down a bit, the response was "why" because the ice can cause damage to the boats was Paul's reply " you are insured aren't you" was the comment. and with that they opened the throttle saying "have nice day" good job we were going out or I am sure Paul would have spent ages arguing with the lads.
Tesco was a nightmare with everyone shopping for a siege, shopping was done and we were out of the store with an hour to spare so off for a coffee to while away the time.
Once in the dentist Paul was hoping that I would get called in first but no it was him. Poor little soldier he had worked himself up into a bit of a tiz waz.His face when he came out was a picture the estimate for all the work to be done was.... wait for it ......... £1500. That will teach him to go to the dentist once every 20 years. I went in for my check up and don't need any work done except for a clean, did I gloat of course not. So now we will have to spend even longer in the area so Paul can get all this dental work done, that is once he has got a mortgage to pay for it. He cant sell his body as that has gone to seed like his teeth.
Glad to say that today there seems to be a bit of a thaw although the tow path is like a sheet of ice, where a couple of boats have gone through the ice is only thin but no doubt it will freeze over tonight.
We went to the Boathouse for lunch to save me cooking tonight, 2 meals for the price of 1 so it didn't work out that expensive (Paul has to be frugal to pay for "the teeth"). So tonight it will be an easy meal of ham and pickles with a crust of bread.

Before I sign off I just want to wish every one a Very Happy Christmas and a peaceful 2010. We look forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones once we are on the move again.

Dentist!!!!

Yesterday I had to be very brave and go to the dentist. Have had a niggly tooth for a while and over the weekend it really gave me gip. So on to the PC to get a phone number of a dentist in Daventry and luckily they could see me at 11.30 which fell in nicely with the times of the buses. Betty and Graham were going into town so we all walked to the bus stop together. Once in Daventry it was a quick trip to the wool shop as Paul had asked Betty to knit him a jumper (bit out of my league I'm afraid) so pattern and wool chosen it was off to the dentist. Now I hate the dentist must stem back to the school dentist of many moons ago when you had gas for your extractions. I am a bit braver now and try not to look too terrified when I get in the chair. As luck would have it there was no major problems just old age rendering my teeth more sensitive. Was given a couple of free samples of a brilliant toothpaste (dentists words not mine) so lets hope that works. While there I made appointments for both Paul and I to go back for a proper check up might as well take advantage while we are moored up for a while, Paul wasn't best pleased when I came back and told him he had to go to the dentist on Wednesday I think the last time he had his teeth checked was about 20 years ago, do you get the impression he is a scaredy cat!!!.
Gosty pulled alongside yesterday evening so we have diesel and coal now until they come back again. They have been putting in really long hours to make sure they don't let their customers down. Ian was telling us that Sunday night they got to bed around 1am then were up again at 5am plus they have had the ice to contend with, all I can say is rather them than me but we really appreciate their dedication.
At least today it looks as if the canal is thawing a bit but there has been a smattering of snow overnight and its foggy so glad we are staying cosy for the day.
On Sunday when I was walking the dogs there was a couple coming down the footpath through the field from the church, we were on the towpath opposite and their little Border Terrier saw Crystal and Saffie, he came hairing down the field couldn't stop and went straight into the canal. Ice broke but of course he couldn't get out so, with a lot of coaxing from his owners and me he finally swam across the canal where I was able to grab his collar and pull him out. He then proceed to bark at us now there's gratitude for you.

Bit parky here.

Started this yesterday (Sat) and then Paul wanted to go visiting so here we go again.


Well what can I say about the weather except that it is bloody freezing. At least we don't have the snow they have in Kent so I suppose we should be grateful for that. Managed to get to Daventryon Friday before the snow came down so I have some food.

Our friends Betty and Graham arrived here late yesterday (Fri) and Graham was frozen made them a hot drink to thaw them out.

Windows are performing well, but we do have a bit of a problem in as much as when Paul fitted the first one it was a really tight fit so the subsequent ones he shaved a sixteenth off, now we have found that the acrylic has shrunk due to the change in temperature and so now the windows aren't a snug fit allowing a bit of condensation to form. But will this beat Paul of course not, he already has a plan so until this can be put into action he has put tape along the top of the errant windows to keep them in place and this has cured the problem for the time being.



The frozen up window is in the kitchen.

Double glazed

Saturday morning we popped to the Gongoozlers for breakfast and on the way saw a couple of shared ownership boats trying to make their way through the ice causing havoc as at one point the leading boat lost steerage and smacked into a moored boat. They got as far as the road bridge where the ice was very thick and eventually gave up trying to make way and then proceed to reverse back to the marina where they moored back at the same place they had left.

At about 4 pm we heard the ice cracking and blow me if there weren't 3 boats coming down from Hillmorton, the lead boat was a hireboat and at one point they were making no headway at all so they gave up and pulled up in front of us. Seeing their dilema the other 2 boats did the same thing so now this stretch of the canal is full.

Last night we met up with Roy and Barabara nb Wells Fargo for a bit of a bash, there were 18 of us in all at the Boathouse pub formerly the Millhouse. We were pleasantly surprised the food was very nice although it could have been a bit hotter and their normal menu looks okay too, a vast improvement on the food when it was the Millhouse. We staggered back to the boat around 11.15 having spent a very pleasant evening. Thank you Elizabeth and Peter nb Bella for your company on our table.
Today is sunny and very crisp, the canal is still frozen but of course since the boats came past yesterday it is now at least 6 inches thick in places. Gosty Hill is due tomorrow they were seen at Calcutt yesterday so hopefully they will be able to get to us before Christmas and then onto their home mooring for a well earned day off .

Paul has made his weekly connection to his brother in Oz via Skype and it is 30 degrees in Perth thanks for that Eric. Have found that since we put the dongle on a broom handle we have a half decent signal here in Braunston which we never did before.















These pictures are for you Eric just in case you didn't believe your brother about the state of the canal.