Day 123: Keeping occupied.

Dear family, friends and followers.

For those who have been popping in and not seeing any posts for a few days. We are fine. I have been pretty busy with lots of jobs and just keeping myself occupied.

I have moments of total and utter madness and this happened on the 28th May. I decided that we should have a vegetable plot on the 27th May. On the evening of the 27th when it was cooler, I began moving some of the plants which were in the area where I wanted to dig a vegetable plot. I made sure each hole dug, was filled with water to give the plants a chance to survive in the heat, which we have been experiencing. On the 28th, I was up early to do the paint jobs and then I dug over the new vegetable plot. it is about four foot square and will be good enough for what we want. I then had the fun of going online to pick seeds. I have gone with lettuce, beans and other salad items. I am waiting for them to arrive, so I can make a start. I have put some Dwarf Beans in pots in my mini green house, but nothing is showing yet.

One of the plants I moved was our pale pink Peony. It had been in bud when I moved it but it has now flowered, so it looks like it is happy in its new home. I am hoping it does better than in its original position, because it seemed to be struggling.

On the 29th, first job for the day was to rub down our bird table and give it a coat of paint, because it had not been done for sometime.

I have painted it the same colour as our fence panels around our patio area and really chuffed how it has turned out. Once the paint was dry, I put some large holed wire netting around it to stop the bigger birds getting onto the table and pinching all the food. The wood pigeon and magpies are really naughty at nicking the food before any other birds get a chance to get close, well not anymore.

With the heat rising more and more, I spent the afternoon inside the boat, rubbing down both of our stoves and giving them both a coat of heat resistant paint. I like to do them every year to keep them fresh and in good condition. It is also the time to check the door rope on the saloon stove and the glass. I also check the fire bricks to make sure they are still in good condition. 

 
The back cabin stove is always easy to look after and again I check the fire bricks and the fire rope around the top of the chimney. Having changed it last year, it is fine for another Winter.

Later in the day, when the temperature had dropped, I went out and watered the garden. I am so pleased with how well the Peony, which was already in the garden has done. It is really stunning.

Friends with Peony's have said that this has been their best year yet and I am so glad we are on our mooring to have been able to see both of them in flower. Whilst Coronavirus has affected so many people across the UK and world, with so many losing their lives, being in lockdown on our mooring has meant we have had the pleasure of seeing our garden grow.

Both Keith and I have been busy with paintwork.

Keith has been painting our aged water cans, which sadly no longer hold water, but are still okay as a decorative item on the boat. We do have a new can, but want to save it for when we have the boat completely repainted in a couple of years time. Getting hold of water cans is so difficult now. There was a company in the Black Country doing them, but they have now stopped and the ones from China are cheap and do not last.

Because I paint the rest of the boat, I leave Keith to do the water cans.

On the 1st June, yes we are now in June and Summer is here our brackets and catch arrived for our new gate.

It took us all of five minutes to hang the gate. I think that has to have been the quickest job we have ever done. Really pleased with our new gate, which used to be a table top.

Having had a busy few days, I took it easier and just pottered. I put some straw under the Strawberries in the fruit patch and laid down some bark chippings. I also undercoated our mop poles. There has not been a dull moment over the past few days. We also had a food delivery, which was most welcome. We are still locked in here and will remain so until at least July 1st. No boats are allowed in and the site manager has now put our work boat across the entrance, because with the lifting of some restrictions we have had people coming in paddling canoes and we have had to politely ask them to leave. There is a sign on the bridge saying we are closed, but of course people never read signs. One person even said he had not seen the sign. It is huge and I was tempted to say "You need to go to Specsavers". Anyway with the work boat across the entrance, nothing is coming in now. We are not even open for the services.
Why are we taking such drastic steps, now that some restrictions are being lifted?
The reason is we have elderly and poorly people here at the moment. Of the residential moorers I am the youngest at 58. Our oldest is in his late 70's and has underlying health issues and we have visiting boats here who have been with us all Winter who are in their 80's and one of them has Leukemia. We also sadly have another person with terminal cancer, who is very unwell, so we are not taking any risks with anyone's health here. With the relaxing of the restrictions, there are more people and cars about and not everyone is sticking to the 2 metre distancing and I have not seen any masks being worn, not even among the men working on the road. So for now we are completely locked in. Others can take risks with their lives if they wish, but we want to keep everyone here safe.

I hope that you are all keeping well and safe. The canals are now open again and with cruising there will still be risks at locks and moorings. I sincerely hope that all our boating friends remain safe out there and for anyone on the land, please look after yourselves, because life is so precious.

Pop back soon xxx