A quiet day in every way.

It is all quiet on the Leicester line today, so quiet infact that we have only seen and heard one moving boat and that was a hire boat heading back to Market Harborough. It is clear to see that many boaters have headed back to their Marina’s for the Winter, making the cut a peaceful and tranquil place once more. The continuous cruisers will now take over the dredging of the cut over the Winter and that will also include us as we meander up and down the 31 mile stretch we cover selling coal, kindling, firelights and toilet blue. With us being deeper draft than most modern boats we will be doing all the dredging no doubt.

It was yet another morning where me and the other half were awake way to early. There was not a sound to be heard outside, it was as if we were living in silent mode. As I was first up to visit the smallest room on the boat, I enquired as to whether the other half would like a cup of tea. A groan from the pit indicated yes, so the kettle was taken off of the saloon stove and put on the gas stove to boil. I keep a kettle on the top of the saloon stove to keep it warm, this saves on gas when bringing it to the boil. The amount of people who never use the top of their coal stoves for keeping a kettle warm or cooking amazes me. If you make a casserole, you can stand it on top of the stove and by the end of the day in time for dinner it will be cooked, it is as simple as that. You can even do baked potatoes in the ash pan, providing they are smallish potatoes. With the brew made, it was back to bed, where as always we ended up chatting about odd things. This morning it was the colour of the paint we wanted to use on the bulkhead. Just a typical bedroom conversation for any boater ha ha ha. Because I am not one for going back to sleep, I decided to get up and make an early start on the days boat chores. Marmite pounced on Keith announcing the fact that she was awake and wanted feeding. For some strange reason, only known to her, she loves a play fight whilst the bed is being rolled up and hidden away in the cupboard. Paddy gave a huge yawn and a stretch, whilst preparing himself for his morning walk. I reckon that if he did not need a wee, he would just stay in bed all day. Porridge was on the menu for breakfast when I got back from walking the mutt. This morning I stopped off to chat to Caroline on NB Vanyar who was standing on the back deck of her boat with her cat on its lead. Paddy was very unimpressed at being kept waiting, so he started barking and when that failed to get my attention he dug up a stone. He knows that we do not allow him stones for obvious reasons. Having got my attention I said cheerio to Caroline and sped off down the towpath and across the field. Paddy loves to chase the rabbits, but will never be fast enough to actually catch one. If only he was that clever, he could deliver us a free meal.
Talking of meals I made us some warming Porridge for breakfast, we then came online to do the local radio stations 'Three Of A Kind Quiz' on David Irving show on Hfm, which both Keith and I got, with a little help from the internet ;0). I managed to put the laptop down long enough to light the back cabin stove again. Because it is mild at the moment, I am letting it out during the evening, otherwise there is no way we would be able to sleep in the heat that little stove pokes out at the moment. I like to have it lit though, because I do my cooking on and in the oven and it also keeps a kettle boiling throughout the day.
After breakfast Keith started to dismantle one of the galley cupboards in order to adjust our one and only galley draw, which has the cutlery in it. But after taking out screws and replacing screws and other bits, he gave up and put it all back the way it had been before, but the draw is working better, so he must have done something right. Because he had to get into the cupboard to do this job, he managed to upset an old back problem, so he is now rather stiff, in the back department, which is not good. I made a suggestion that we should have lunch at The Foxton Locks Inn, as we have never eaten there, but have and will pass it many times over this Winter. Come lunch time we headed off up the towpath to the Inn, were shown to a table on the terrace which over looks the canal. Due to the quietness of the canal, there was very little movement. The ducks had it pretty much to themselves. We both enjoyed a scrummy lunch and pudding, which was washed down with a pint each of Old Speckled Hen, which was equally scrummy. We will most definitely eat there again over the Winter. After such a lovely lunch, I suggested we should take a walk up the locks for a breath of fresh air, even though it was beginning to drizzle. By the time we got to the top, it was raining and it was getting heavier with every step we took, so we legged it back down the locks. Where some of the BW work boats were gathering ready for the Winter stoppages. They will be heading down to Taylor’s and Cranes Locks to do repair work on the lock gates. This work is expected to start on 8th November and end on the 19th November. At least this activity gave some excitement to the Gongoozlers out for the day. Back onboard, we are now nice and cosy. It is still wet outside and there is no sign of any customers today, so it looks like I will not be getting my hands dirty today.
I hope your day has been a wonderful one?