Run down the flight.

Hi Friends.

I was left up a lone again last night as Keith went off to bed with his persisting cold. Thankfully he woke up this morning feeling much better.

A much brighter start to the morning, so we had a very pleasant run down through Foxton locks. We got chatting to a couple of gentlemen who were interested in how the locks work, because they were about to come up the flight on a hire boat and were worried about doing it all wrong. I explained how the locks work and that they must remember to work the red paddles first, then the White paddles. I told them if they were at all concerned then to ask the lock keeper for help. Gerald was on hand to give them any help. We got down the flight in 45 minutes to find moorings at the bottom of the locks still being taken up by boats which have been there for a number of weeks, which is very disappointing especially as the moorings are only for 48 hours. With one coal deliver at the bottom of the locks to make, Keith steered the boat into the arm of the incline plane and I delivered coal to one of our loyal customers. We moored up the Harborough Arm just after the swing footbridge, where we will be for the weekend. I suggested we had a coffee at bridge 61 for a change, so we locked the boat up and walked back down the towpath to the pub. It was all very quiet in the bar, so we sat reading the local newspaper. Back on the boat I was preparing lunch when the sun came out and stayed out all afternoon. After lunch Keith and I took Paddy off across the field, so we could collect wood for the back stove. Paddy decided he is a terrier, he started digging down a rabbit hole with no thought about how he was going to get out!! Stupid dog. Thankfully Keith noticed he was disappearing down the hole so got him out. He has taken a keen interest in Rabbits lately, but I know full well he would not have a clue what to do with one if it jumped out in front of him ;0).

As the afternoon has worn on, I went out with my camera to try and take some photographs of the bird life, along the canal. The only luck I had was with this dear little Wren.

I am going to go out with the camera over the weekend if the weather holds, so will hope to take more photographs. Dinner tonight is going to be a Lamb Shank Casserole, possibly with Dumplings. I left the Lamb Shank stewing in the back cabin over overnight, so the meat just fell off of the bone when I stripped the bone for the casserole. I have added Onion, Leek, Carrots, Potatoes and some left over Cabbage to the pot and it is now cooking through in the back cabin stove, ready for tonights dinner. The smell is something out of this world.

Right I am off to check dinner. Chat soon xx