Mountain Barn to Welford Junction.

Hi Friends.

Last night I was so tired I headed off to bed at 9.30pm, having seen Manchester United beat Schalke. I slept like a baby and woke at 6am due to Marmite jumping on me. Keith got up and made us both a cup of tea and then Paddy thought he would like to come and join the party on our bed, so we had Paddy and Marmite on the bed with us. Paddy then began to fidget so much I had to tell him to get off. When we got his some 4 years ago, we should have renamed him fidget, because he cannot sit or lie still for five minutes.

It was another cool start to the day, but we only did a short run to Welford Junction, where we are ready to go up the Welford Arm tomorrow, ready for dry docking Monday. The sun started to break through the clouds, so so I was hoping it would warm up a little because I wanted to get on with some paintwork in preparation for our 3 days in dry dock. As I know that 3 days is going to be cutting things pretty close, as Hadar is a 70ft boat and Keith and I are blacking her ourselves. We also have around the back counter to do as well, so any pre-preparation is going to help a great deal. But before looking at what needs to be done a much needed coffee was called for and of course that meant the biscuit box came out.

Coffee break over, I got down to rubbing down the back counter and some of the white bands on the bow, they then got a coat of White undercoat, ready for the gloss then we are in dry dock on Monday. Whilst I worked Marmite played on the grass with some feather's Keith had found for her and Paddy lounged on the stern of the boat, they have such a wonderful life. Boats moored behind us and then they were gone, was it something I said???

Another job that needed doing was the scraping out of the old grout around the galley tiles which was cracking. I wanted to replace it with some White silicone, but to do that I needed to find the tube we had bought. We searched high and low, but could not remember where we had put it. Then Keith asked what was in the bag we had the rollers and brushes in for blacking on Monday, low and behold there was the tube of White silicone, so I scraped out the offending grout and got to grips with squeezing the silicone into place. Having smoothed it down with my finger, I cleaned off the the excess, stood back and admired my handy work, which although I say it myself it does not look half bad. I am a jack of most trades but not a master of one of them.

The rest of the day has been spent making a Cauliflower Cheese for tonight's dinner. Of course this did not take me very long, so I have spent sometime relaxing, after all I am going to need all my energy for Monday and the following three days. Not only that I am looking after my Sciatica which has been playing up for the past couple of days. I have to hope that it does not hinder me next week. So on that note I am going now.

Chat soon xx