Scorchio

 

Hi Everyone.

My last post was Hot, hot, hot, well today out stripped that by miles and then some. It has been absolutely baking today and yet, we have some how managed to keep as cool as possible. This country of ours, has never seen these sort of temperatures, the last highest temperature in the UK was 38.7C (101.6F), recorded in Cambridge on July 25, 2019. I think that was blown out of the window today and I expect it to be high again tomorrow. It is just for two days and then we go back to normal, but still some people have no flippen common sense. People still walk their dogs along tarmac pavements in the middle of the day and people, mainly teenagers still jump into deep cold water and die. We can all be told what we should do, but surely we all need to use our common sense. How would you like to walk on a baking hot pavement, with a fur coat on and bare feet? That is what some are doing with their dogs. Dogs paws get burnt in high temperatures. The pavements are tarmac and scorching hot and therefore dogs end up with burnt paws and then the owner has huge vets bills. These are probably the same dog owners who leave their dogs in their cars with the window slightly open, whilst they nip into the shop. Their dog is cooking in that car. The media, police and press put out warnings and still dogs are being left in cars. Please use common sense and do not do it. If you love your pets keep them at home in the shade, with plenty of water.

This morning, I helped at the stables and we made sure all of the animals had plenty of water, shade and the dogs had a cooling down session in a paddling pool with a spray bottle. They were then checked in the afternoon and topped up again. Horses sweat, so they need plenty of fluids. Dogs do sweat, mainly through the glands in their paw pads, so it is important to keep those pads cool. Both the ponies and dogs, had as cooler a day as we could offer. I on the other hand was melting. I reckon I have sweated my body weight today, even though we have kept as cool as possible in a 70ft by 6ft x 10 inch tube. There was a time when I could sit out in the sunshine for most of the day in my teens, but now I find I need the shade more and more. In my misspent youth, I would lay out and get sun tanned all day, but not anymore. Now, I sit or lay in the shade and stay Lily White. 

I hope that for this couple of days you stay cool and safe.

Pop back soon x

Hot, hot, hot.

 

Hiya Everyone. 

Phew, it is a tad hot again today. I have had a busy few days one way or another. Having done the hedge, which was in my last post and helping out at the stables. I have continued to sort the garden out. 

Whilst we were out boating, Lisa off one of the Winter moorer boats, was on our mooring and she very kindly did a lot of weeding, which was so kind of her and I rewarded her with a bottle of wine. I never expected to come back and find some of the weeding done. Usually, I have a busy old time, when we come back from boating. Lisa had weeded our path and some of the lower garden, which meant, I just had the hedge and top garden to do, plus the planters. 

A lot of the Spring plants have died back and have been dead headed and the bird baths are now full. In this hot weather birds and animals really need a lot of water. I am also changing the water twice a day, so they are not drinking hot water, because it is almost boiling hot by lunch time. Also remember to put a dish of water out on the ground for hedgehogs and smaller animals later in the day or night. They dehydrate so quickly.

With most of the garden tidy, the top of the hedge still needs cutting, but I am waiting to see if our resident hedge trimmer is going to do it.

After any hard work a cuppa is needed and drunk in the shade.

Our walks, have been taken early and in one of our favourite places. We usually end up sitting on a bench in the shade. 

I then go and work with these gorgeous ponies and their mates.

This past weekend, I helped out with pony rides at Tachfest at Bishop Tachbrook. I went to the stables and helped out with mucking out first, we then had to move ponies around, because they were also doing pony rides at Hatton Country World. With ponies moved and tack sorted, we then went on to the Tachfest and started pony rides at 1pm, with a break of 15 minutes at 2.30pm. Although we had some shade, it was still hot work for the ponies and by 4pm they had done enough. I met some wonderful children and their parents. It is so lovely to watch a child, who starts out apprehensive about riding, so end their ride with a beaming smile and that happened with one such young man, who was adamant he was not going on a pony, so I said to the parent, "do not force him, because it will scare him off, go away and come back later and he may change his mine". The parent did this very thing and the little boy came back and asked if he could ride a pony. Hat on and a rather worried look on his face, I got down to his level and talked to him, introduced him to the pony and asked his name. Dad, put him on the pony and off we went for a gentle stroll. By the time the stroll was over, the little boy had the biggest smile on his face and was already to go again. Sometimes, it is best to just be patient. Never force a child to do something they are scared of, because you may put them off for life. Hopefully that little boy will ride again.

Once we had loaded the ponies up in the horse box, it was back to Hatton Country World, to unload them and pick up two other ponies, to take them back to their holiday home and then back to the stables. It was a long, but a really wonderful day and it really put a smile on my face.

As we start this new week, I am helping out all week at the stables, whilst trying to keep cool. Our weather has no happy medium. It is either wet and miserable or baking hot it seems. But hey this is Summer, so we must go with the flow. I used to love the long hot Summer's, I could lay out in it no problem, but now I am in my senior years, I would rather sit in the cool. I guess it maybe an age thing.

I hope you have a happy week.

Pop back soon x

Getting busy.

 

Hi everyone.

We have been home less than a week and I have been extremely busy. We got back here on the Thursday and I spent all day Friday, trimming back our wild Snowberry hedge. I have cut back all of our side of the hedge and the trust will cut the top and their side of the hedge. By the time it got to 2.30pm, I was done in, but the hedge was tidy our side. The lovely people who had been staying on our mooring whilst we were out, kindly did some weeding for us, so I have less weeds to dig up, but there is still plenty to do in the garden. I got the laundry up to date and put the hoover round. I do miss using the hoover when we are out. To make life easier, when we are out boating, I take all the rugs up, so the floor is easier to sweep. I need to wash our saloon rug as it is rather grubby, and that maybe done this week, because we are in for some good weather apparently. 

I seem to have got rid of my Summer cold, although I still cough like a 70 a day smoker. Keith however has been really struggling to shift the painful throat. As of this morning, we think it has finally started to get better, but he has the cough to get through next. 

Today, I went back to helping out at the stables and I got to meet Cocoa and Swift, who have just joined the stables and I have to say are absolutely gorgeous. They are Mother and Son and I am completely in love with them.

Having mucked out the stables, we went and checked on the other members of the stables including Fudge the Donkey, who is on his Summer holidays. He is such a funny boy and he is still growing into his ears. He was very happy to see me. I wonder if he knew I had been gone for 2 months, or whether time to them means nothing? It is great to be back helping out and getting my pony and donkey fix. 

This coming week, will mean more gardening and sorting some things out on the boat. I also need to order our coal ready for the Winter. I am not looking forward to how much it may have gone up to. Fuel prices are scarily high at the moment. We need to fill up with diesel at some point, which we know will hurt. We can hold 6oo litres and we know we need 450 litres to fill the tank eckkkkk. 

Can anyone think of anything which is going down in price?

But needs must and all that. Then once we know what is going to happen with Keith and his appointment with his surgeon, we can plan what we do about our blacking. It may be that we will have to wait until next year. Watch this space to find out.

Pop back soon x

Hadar winding at Foxton.

We are now home.

 

Hi everyone.

Just a quick update, because I have a lot to sort out. We have arrived back on our home mooring, after a couple of good days boating. Having been on our own yesterday and behind a pair of boats, it was nice today to have the company of Jane and Paul on Narrowboat Satinwood. They came past us this morning below Welsh Road Lock and asked if we would like to share with them, which was of course a no brainer, especially as Keith was still under the weather with his cold. 

We had a lovely time with them both and as luck would have it, they were heading to the Arm and a visitor mooring. I have lots of things to get done, so bare with me, whilst I work my way down the list of jobs to be done. First on the list is to get Keith well from this pesky cold which has left him with a very painful throat. I am now fine, well I have to be fine because otherwise nothing gets done.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and I will post when I can.

Pop back soon x

Heading Home.

 

Hi Everyone.

With our blacking slot cancelled due to Covid and a new hospital appointment for Keith, we are heading home to our mooring. 

Keith had a rough night and we had though of staying put, but by 10.45am, he said he was feeling much better and wanted to move, so we set off for Braunston Tunnel, where we met three boats coming in the other direction. The first of the three was going so slow, it was hardly moving, which is never a good thing when travelling through a tunnel. You need to keep to your normal cruising speed or perhaps that was their cruising speed, anyway it was way too slow, especially for those behind him.

After the tunnel, it was onward to the top lock at Braunston and we were blessed with boats coming up the flight, so every lock was with us.

We were soon down the flight and heading out of Braunston.

Turn left at Braunston Turn. Our boat should know the way by now.

It was still quite busy in Braunston after the Historic Boat Rally at the weekend. We and are now moored just before Napton junction at 2:40pm, 3hrs 55mins, 6 locks 1 tunnel. Both of us felt it was enough for the day. Hopefully, Keith will feel much better tomorrow and we will make further progress to getting home.

Pop back soon x

Best Laid Plans.

 

Hi Everyone.

Well, we make plans and Nine times out of Ten they will fail and this is another occasion when the plan has gone wrong. Today we were supposed to have been in dry dock blacking our boats bottom, instead we are on our way home.

Why you ask?

Well, we arrived at Welford as you saw in my last post and we spoke to Les, who informed us that his wife had tested positive to Covid after a recent break away and he was hoping he was going to remain Covid free, so he could still black our boat. On the Friday morning, their son had also gone down with it, but he was still negative and had said as long as he stays well, we were still on for blacking. But then on Saturday afternoon, he came to see us to tell us, he had tested positive and was feeling rough, so was going home and our blacking was off. Not ideal, as she has now not been blacked for three years and we always like to do it every two, but with Covid restrictions, we could not do it last year. Anyway, it cannot be helped and we just hope that he and his family come through it okay, because they all have health issues. We stayed up the Welford Arm until this morning, when we set off in the rain at 9.05am. 

It rained until around 11.30am and then the sun tried to pop out, but it was soon raining again. I lit the back cabin stove, because it was so damp and miserable, but by the time we reached Crick, it was beginning to brighten up. 

Crick tunnel gave us the chance to try out our old tunnel lamp, which has been called back into action, when the new one failed miserable to provide the light we required. 

The tunnel lamp performed brilliantly and a much happier boatman.

By the time we got to Watford Locks, the sun was well and truly out. We had a few minutes wait to go down, because two boats were coming up. So I went and emptied the toilet cassette.

With help from the lock keepers we were soon down the flight and heading towards Norton Junction. 

We moored up at 4.25 pm just past Norton Junction. Tomorrow, we will head for Braunston Tunnel.

Pop back soon x

Market Harborough to Welford.

 

Hi Everyone.

We left Market Harborough yesterday (22nd June). It was going to be a very warm couple of hours boating, because at 9.15am the heat was already well up. 

We followed one of the Market Harborough day boats most of the way and were about to over take them, when Keith's phone rang. It was our boat blacker, calling to let us know his wife has Covid and he may not be able to black our boats hull after all. But he was still testing himself and he would let us know, what the decision will be. We are due into dry dock on the 27th June.

We got to Foxton, having caught the day boat back up again and they very kindly did the village swing bridge for me. I cannot tell you how happy I was, because it is not my favourite swing bridge at all. Anyway a couple of burly lads, soon had it open and closed. 

We moored at Foxton over night. I had a very restless night and was woken by something walking around on top of the boat. There was then a huge thump as it jumped down onto the back counter. It sounded to heavy for a cat, so we think it may have been a fox. 

This morning we left our mooring at 8.20am, with a view to heading up the locks.

Having checked in with the lock keeper, we had a 25 minute wait, as someone was on their way down, so I put the kettle on and made a cuppa.

Our turn to begin the climb.

The lady lock keeper did the white paddle and I did the Red one. Red before White you will be alright. White before Red you will be dead. Not literally, it is just a rhyme they use to make sure people do the paddles the correct way, otherwise you end up flooding the towpath.

Bye bye Foxton, see you again in two years time.

We have not heard anything from our boat blacker, so decided we would carry on and get up onto the Welford Arm.

Having moored up having done 4hrs 15mins of boating, 6 locks and1 tunnel, it was time for a bacon roll and await further information from the dry dock. 

Here is a treat for you, last nights sunset.

Pop back soon xx