Blogging friend and quiche.

Hi Folks.

Yesterday we had a very welcome visitor. Lesley off of NB Caxton (CLICK) came and paid us a visit, with her dogs Floyd and Fletcher. Lesley and Joe are also moored in Stourport Basin and have taken a mooring for 6 months, whilst they have another boat built. (CLICK). It was so nice to chat to Lesley face to face, because we have only ever seen Caxton in passing. I do enjoy putting names to faces and as Lesley is a fellow blogger, it was wonderful to chat about all things boatie and yes it did include loo's. Whilst we whiled away an hour we watch people coming and going from the sanitary station. The most noticeable coming and going was the hotel boats Oak and Ash. They were being turned around after watering up one boat. The steerer soaked everyone within reach with his prop wash and then went on to bellow instructions at his crew member and other boaters who he seemed to think were in his way. It was a joy to meet Lesley and the doggies and we wish them well with their new adventure. I am sincerely hoping we get to see them out and about on their new boat Yarwood.

It has been a day of cooking and huffing and puffing.

Today began well with a cup of tea in bed, whilst watching the morning news on BBC1. After some overnight rain, the sun was shining. I could have been forgiven for thinking I was at the seaside, because Seagulls were calling over head whilst I got up and dressed.

Paddy's walk took us down by the river, where we met Clive and Helen Henderson on their NB Nanshe coming down the locks on to the river. It had been sometime since I had seen them, so it was lovely to catch up with them whilst they worked the locks. Whilst I chatted Paddy wandered and cocked his leg against anything which smelt nice. I wished Clive and Helen a good day and let them get on their way down the River Severn.

Back on the boat Keith was cooking Mushrooms on Toast for breakfast, which was a nice way to start the day. I checked the BW electric meter to see how much we had used and it read 8 meters left, so we had only used 1 unit so far, this was good news because I wanted to get more washing and drying done. I stripped the bed down and put the sheet, duvet and pillowcases in the machine and left it to do the business whilst I walked into the town to buy a can of fly spray. Now you would think that it would be easy to buy a tin of fly spray, but I walked all over the town and finally found a tin of spray in the Co-Op. With my feet beginning to ache I plodded back to the boat and on the way back, I found a wicker basket floating in the water, so I fished it out and laid it on the boats roof to dry. I have a feeling Marmite may take a liking to the basket. After making Keith and I a coffee, I made a start on a Broccoli, Cheese and Onion Quiche. Firstly I made the pastry base which I baked blind, whilst that cooled I blanched the Broccoli and left that to cool as well. Once cooled the Broccoli was placed in the pastry case.

I then whisked up 4 eggs and some garlic puree, I added grated cheese to the whisked eggs. In a pan I softened some onion and once it was cool enough it was added to the whisked egg mixture.I then poured the mixture over the Broccoli and levelled it in the pastry case. After a final sprinkling of grated cheese on the top, it was placed in the oven, checking it every 10 minutes.
After baking it on a low heat for 25 minutes, it was then time to take it out of the oven and allow it to cool. This will be enjoyed for dinner tonight with some new potatoes and peas.

Whilst I was doing this cooking a familiar face turned up at the Sanitary Station. Brian on his Tug Kyle pulled in at the station to fill up with water. Keith and I went and had a natter to him and found out he was staying for the night, so we are going to catch up with him later for a pint in the pub.

How do you feel about filling in forms??

I personally hate the things, but there are times in all our lives when we have to fill forms in one thing or another. Today was the day when we had to fill some forms in and wouldn't you just know it, I made mistakes on mine, so had to do them all over again. Thankfully we had printed the forms off of the internet, so Keith just had to print some more off. This was where the huffing and puffing part of my day came in. Filling in forms which are never in plan English always make me huff and puff, which makes a change because normally that is Keith's thing, when things are not going right. Forms finally completed, I got them in the post before I had the chance to find any other mistakes on them.

I think I have now washed and dried everything on the boat and we still have a lot of units left on the meter. So I will be getting the hoover out later. The back cabin needs a bit of a clear out and because Paddy is moulting, his dog hair is rolling up and down the saloon floor like tumble weed in the desert.

At this moment in time, Keith is playing with a new radio he has just bought from the chandlery. I am thinking about what to do next on my jobs to do list before we leave tomorrow. I reckon I am now off to fill the water tank, because after all the washing I have done, the tank must be pretty darn low.

Right time to turn the computer.

Chat soon xx