Short and Sweet.

Hi Friends.

Having had a rock and roll evening, in the boating sense due to the Canoes going past at speed until 8pm. We had a good nights sleep and were awake at 6.30am. When I wake up early, I tend to lay awake and end up with lots of things running through my mind. This morning it was the thought of jobs that need to be done over the weekend. But first of all we needed to get up and dressed. I got up first as usual and put the kettle on for a morning cuppa and I laid up breakfast, which was nothing special, just cereal. Paddy then got his walk up a lovely piece of towpath, which has not been done that long. There was not a another living soul around and the only things I could hear was the sound of the train and birds singing.

Having got back to the boat, Paddy and Marmite got their breakfast and we then got the boat ready to set off for Tesco, which was only a 10 minute jaunt. Luckily the 2 hour shopping moorings were empty, so we moored up, donned our backpacks and headed into the store to do a food shop.

Is it just me or has your food shop gone up over the past few weeks?

Our's has certainly gone up in price and yet we are not buying anything any different. There was a piece on the news saying that food prices are going to go up due to problems with harvests etc. So we will all have less money in our wallets.

I put away the food we had bought and made us both a coffee, before we set off from the Tesco mooring. You are only allowed to stay on the mooring for 2 hours, which is plenty for a food shop. If you wanted to go around the town, which is close by you would need to moor up on the 14 day moorings around the corner.

We set off for our weekend mooring near The Globe Inn. The whole jaunt took 1hr 35mins, having done 1.27 miles, and worked 1 lock. Not the longest day ever done ha ha ha. But this was planned by us.

We have few jobs to do over the weekend on the boat. Keith has to replace the broken circulation pump for the back boiler, grease the UV joints and rear bearing, check oil level in the gearbox, and polish the engine. We will both start to clean out the bilge under the boatman's cabin floor, which over the winter gets water in it due to condensation. yesterday we bought some Puppy Pads to lay in the bilge to soak up the water. If your not sure what Puppy Pads are, they are used when your toilet training your Puppy. Mind you when I have toilet trained my puppies I have always used newspaper, but newspaper will not do the job in the blige. My other jobs include cleaning the chimney's ready for the Winter. I also have the Brass to clean if it does not rain. No point in wasting Brasso if it is going to chuck it down. I also want to give the boat a general clean through and then any other job that comes to mind. It is true to say that there is always something to do on a boat.

Lunch time arrived and I made us some Chicken and Salad wraps, which we enjoyed with a cup of coffee. I then came up with the bright idea that we should go for a walk across the Ouzel Meadow and see where it would take us. It actually took us on the Greensand Ridge, which was really pretty. I was surprized how sandy the soil is here and how red it is. Along the Ridge are some very elderly Oak trees. Apparently Greensand Ridge was formed about 125 million years ago by layers of sand, clay and chalk being deposited in a shallow sea. I bet if the old Oaks could talk they would have told us some tales. The Greensand Ridge Walk is Bedfordshire’s premier long distance walk passing through Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. The Greensand Ridge Walk is actually a 40 mile / 64 km walk. It starts in Leighton Buzzard and finishes in Gamlingay. We did not go that far, but enjoyed the part we did. We ended up walking through another part of Ouzel Meadow and back up to Leighton Lock, where we called in on Carrie on her NB Blackbird. Carrie invited us onboard and we sat nattering over a coffee. Blackbird is a lovely homely boat inside. I love some of the touches Carrie has added to her.

Back onboard our boat, another coffee was needed as I prepared dinner. Tonight we are having a Curry Feast. I have made a Mince Beef Curry and with it we will be having Cous Cous (We like it for a change). Whilst in Tesco we bought some Samosa's, Onion Bhaji's and Spring Rolls, which we will have with our Curry. Many have a Fish and Chip Friday, we are having a Curry Friday instead.

Steps done today: 7696.

Fitness level is getting better.

Before I go today, I just want to say my thoughts and prayers are with the family of Geoffery Bacon, after he was attacked on the doorstep of his own home by a mugger who stole just £40 and a bus pass. Mr Bacon was a Second World War veteran, aged 90, he posed no threat to anyone and yet this mugger has taken a hero to soon. It is reported that Mr Bacon was once a driver for General Eisenhower in France during the 2nd World War.

If anyone knows who did this dreadful murder, please contact your local Police Station or contact Crime Stoppers. What makes someone do such a thing?