Life on the wild side.

Good afternoon friends.

Having spent yesterday moving from Crick to Welford Junction in driving rain and gale force winds, it was so nice to be moored up and cosy inside the boat. The only downfall to a wonderful evening was the smoke blowing back down the chimney on both stoves. I could have smoked Herrings in our back cabin last night, it was so smokey. Even though I made the stove up for the night and covered it in sticks and ash, the smoke still came into the cabin, because the wind was blowing it back down the chimney. Just as we were about to settle down in bed, Keith began coughing, so he got up again. I was so tired I decided to grin and bear it and I was soon fast asleep.
This morning we woke up to a dry but once again the wind was blowing. Just as well the rain had stopped, because our Donkey jackets were still a little damp, so I would have to wear another jacket, keith braved his Donkey jacket, but he does stand close to the stove, so would be nice and warm when we set off. Neither Marmite or Paddy seemed that keen to get out of bed. Normally Marmite would be on the bed meowing at us to get up, but this morning she was in her bed curled up. As we rolled the bed up and shut the cupboard door, they both came and greeted us. Paddy rolled on to his back across the cabin, hoping that he could get a tummy rub before he had to have his walk.
Paddy's walk and breakfast done, we set off from the Welford junction mooring and up the Welford Arm to deliver coal to a customer. We then winded and returned back to the main line. I made us a coffee and put some sausage rolls in the cabin stove to warm. There is nothing nicer than a warm pastie or sausage roll when on the move on a cold, windy day. We were now heading towards Foxton and this ment cruising through Husbands Bosworth Tunnel, as we approached the tunnel a Kingfisher flew in front of us and entered the tunnel, I am not sure if it flew all the way through, or turned around when it realised it was heading into a dark place. We saw three Kingfishers on our jaunt, none of them would have been catching many fish because the water was a muddy brown colour, meaning they would not be able to see the fish. With all the rain we had yesterday, it has washed the mud off of the fields. Joy of joys it was not raining yet and we even enjoyed the occasional sunny spell, but the skies were turning into black clouds as we cruised on, so we decided to moor up near Bridge 51. We have a lovely view from the galley window, a reasonable TV and Internet signal, so we will enjoy a comfortable evening. The winds have got up again and we have just had some rain, so I am glad we stopped for the day. I now have to decide what to do for dinner tonight. Oh decisions, decisions.
Marmite has is trying to get a feather out from underneath the fridge. For some strange reason, she loves to push her feathers under there, and then she spends ages trying to get them out. Usually once a month I have to fish them out for her, as they do tend to breed under there. Paddy is curled up in his bed close to the fire, he certainly knows when he is well off. Keith is playing on his Nintendo DS and I am about to turn the computer off and get on with some boat chores. A woman's work is never done.