Day 2 at Canal Central.

Woke up early again after a fantastic nights sleep, I did wake in the early hours, but drifted back off to sleep again phew. The next thing I knew it was 6.50am and Marmite was purring in my face, this could mean only one thing, she had no food. Because K and I were now awake, there was only one thing for it and that was to make a brew, so whilst I made a cup of tea, Keith turned the TV on, I then stoked the fire to spark it into life. I cannot believe we still have the back cabin stove going in May. The past couple of years it has been out by the beginning of April, oh well hopefully soon we can let it out. Mind you it means I am saving money on using the gas, so it cannot be all bad.

8am time to get out of bed and take care of mog and dog. Paddy was eager for his morning walk, which was done in the rain with the heavy scent of wild garlic in the air. No sooner we stepped off of the boat, spots of rain appeared on the surface of the water. The rain never ever bothers me, as a continuous cruiser it is something we are well used to, also as I grew up on the farm, the weather was always something we had to cope with. Paddy and I walked up to the Croft's Mill lift bridge where the Bywater Hotel Boats were moored. They had come past us later yesterday afternoon and I did wonder where they were going to moor as all the 48 hour moorings were full. It has to be said some of the boats moored had been there a lot longer than 48 hours, which makes it difficult for others to find a mooring. Anyway they had moored near the lift bridge over night. Paddy had done all he needed to do and so did an about turn heading back to the boat, where he and Marmite got there breakfast before I did, it would not do to keep Marmite waiting for her food, as she is extremely vocal for a cat.

Breakfast over with, K got on with filling the stern tube grease container, whilst I got one of our buckets out of the hold and a mop. I had the laborious job of mopping out under the galley floor. I tend to do it through the winter, but this past winter for some reason it never got done. I can see you looking a little puzzled as to why I should need to mop out under the floor. Well we have an inspection hatch in the galley and after a winter with the fires lit, condensation builds up under the floor, meaning we have about half an inch of water to get rid of before the warm weather kicks in. All summer it will stay dry, but no sooner the temperature drops, we get condensation, this is the same for any boat with heating on board, but I dare say many have never checked under their floor after the winter. We get the same thing in the back cabin. I spent an hour mopping out under the galley floor and ended up with a blister on my hand grrr, but the job is done and now it can dry out for the summer. With that job done, the bucket and mop went back into the hold and I got on with making some fruit muffins, because the cake box is empty again. I ran out of eggs, so sent K to the Canal Central to get half a dozen eggs, I forgot to get some in my Tesco delivery, still it is always nice to support canal businesses. By the time all of this was done, it was lunchtime, so I made us some bacon rolls and we enjoyed a fruit muffin each, which were still slightly warm mmmmmmm.

It is now 1.30pm, the sun is shining and Paddy and Marmite are laid out on the back counter. I have nothing special planned for this afternoon, so will not bore you any longer. Have a wonderful day x