Warm toes and frozen taps.

Hi Folks.

We are still gripped in an icy blast and as usual the country is coming to a stand still. Living on the canal we do not have that luxury, we have to get on with our lives no matter what. Some jobs may take longer to do, but we still go about our daily lives.
Yesterday I said I had bought two hot water bottles for the bottom of our bed. Not only did I get the hot water bottles, I also got some snazzy covers for them as well and they proved to be worth the money last night, because I had very warm toes last night.
It was lovely to get into bed and find the bottom of the bed nice and warm. Keith chucked his bottle out of the bed when he got in, but I kept mine in and had the bottle laid on my feet, it was so nice to have cosy toes. I really did sleep much better with warm feet. I have tried wearing socks to bed, but it just is not the same.

having had a lovely nights kip, I was awake at 6am, so the kettle went on. By the time we had drunk our tea and discussed what we were doing for the day, it was time to get up and dressed. Overnight we had half and inch of more snow, so the ground was smoothered in a white blanket again. This was welcomed by Paddy as he stepped off of the boat. He ran up and down the towpath like a total loonie. I think my excitement for the snow must have been passed on to Pad.We had a longer walk in the snow before returning to the boat for a warm up. Keith then left for the Gildings Auction House, he was hoping to bid on some Measham Ware. Whilst he was gone, I got a few jobs done. I stoked the stoves and made them up for the day. I filled the kettles, so that we had water boiling all day in case it was needed for either tea or thawing things out. The floors looked in a disgusting mess, so I gave them a sweep and a wash over. They would look clean for all of five minutes. Next job on my list was to fill the water tank, but to do that I had to use some of the boiling water in the kettles to thaw out the water tap, which was forzen solid. Our hosepipe on the other hand was as clear as a bell, because at this time of the year we keep it in the engine room, to stop it freezing up. So many boaters leave their hosepipes on the roof of the boat, only to find them as solid as a rock when the weather freezes. They then spend ages trying to defrost the hosepipe, when if they had just kept it inside the boat, they would have had an easier job. I have heard of people giving their hosepipes hot showers to thaw them out. I like the easy life, so ours has a home in the engine room for the Winter. With the water tank filled up, I then had to get ready for the Tesco delivery which was due to arrive, so I lifted the sack barrow out of the hold and put a plastic box on it, in which I was going to put all of the heavy items. The rest of the food would be going into my rucksack. As I wandered around the basin to wait for the delivery van, which was coming between 11am and 1pm, Keith came back laiden down with a box. He had bid successfully on the Measham Ware, so we are now the proud owners of three more large teapots (I will post pics later). The oldest of the teapots dates back to 1879. It is amazing to think that something could survive so long. The Tesco delivery man arrived at 11am and we unloaded our order on to the trolley and into my rucksack. Back at the boat, I then had to put all of the shopping away, before heading out to make a coal delivery to one of our regular customers. It has been another very busy day one way or another. I love days like this, which seem so satisifying. We are expected to remain in this icy blast for a few more days yet, so it looks unlikely that we will be moving until the ice has thawed, because we cannot turn the boat around.
Well I have rambled on enough, so I am off to make a coffee now.