A few pics of our new ‘mooring’…

I have been waiting for a decent day to take a few photos of the village where we are renting a cottage, and they have been few and far between lately, but yesterday morning turned out to be an ‘I’d rather be boating’ sort of morning, so out came the camera.  I took these on my daily walk with Cassie.

Down the lane where I go to walk Cassie

Views over the Northamptonshire countryside

The village green

Our little lane – just two cottages and the old farmhouse at the end – ours is the one in the middle with the slightly lower roofline.

A visit from ‘boaty’ friends

Karen and Ian, our friends and last summer’s travelling companions came over to inspect our new lodgings yesterday.  We couldn’t meet ‘boaty’ friends and not go and get a canal fix, so after lunch we drove over to Foxton Locks for a walk.  It was so dead that not even the locky was around.

We had a walk and took a few pictures (again!!), had a look at the inclined plane in the hope that work may have started on the restoration since the last time we were there 18 months ago (it hadn’t) and then went for a cuppa at Bridge 61
While we were cruising over the summer, Ian was always bemoaning the fact that he could hardly ever get a ‘proper’ pie whenever we ate in pubs.  By ‘proper’ he means made with short crust pastry rather than puff or flaky, and with a bottom as well as a top.  So for a treat, I made him one for dinner last night – steak and kidney! I haven’t made one for years, but I’m pleased to say it turned out beautifully!!  I’m sure it won’t be the last!!

Like rats….

we have abandoned ship!! Last month we finally admitted to ourselves and each other that we are wimps, and that living on the boat in the winter is not for us! To that end we have rented a cottage near Northampton, taken our furniture out of storage and set up home ‘on the bank’ again. We are not selling up however, and will do extended cruising in the spring, summer and autumn, and tuck ourselves up for the winter.

We take our hats off to all our brave friends who are still ‘continuously cruising stuck in the ice’, struggling to fill water tanks, empty loos and get fuel for engines and stoves, and hope you won’t think too badly of us for throwing in the towel.

The blog will resume with some photos of our new environs just as soon as I find the camera!

Toe Update II

The news is good!!!  Rog’s toe has almost healed.  The podiatrist that he has been seeing at Northampton Hospital has been very pro-active, using different dressings depending on the stage of healing, and it’s done the trick.  No more dressings, and he has started to be able to wear both his trainers as opposed to just one and the ‘special’ shoe (which we have been affectionately, and totally non-politically correctly, referring to as his ‘spacker’ shoe!!)

His visit to St Mary’s at Paddington last Wednesday was over in double-quick time (due to the non-appearance of lots of patients because of the weather) and they have said that unless things change for the worse he needn’t go back  We caught the train back to Northampton two hours before we expected to.

He still has to see the podiatrist next week, and to go to the Foot Clinic at Northampton General in Jan, to be signed off.

So, this will be the last ‘toe update’ unless things change.  Our thanks to everyone who has shown interest and concern, and for all your good wishes.

Toe update

As so many of our readers have been enquiring about the progress of Rog’s toe, I thought I’d put an update on the blog to save typing it over and over again!

The news is good, apparently.  The podiatrist removed the black dead bit on the end a couple of weeks ago.  Rog went back to to St Mary’s at Paddington last Wednesday and they were very pleased with it – it seems to be healing at long last.  The infection seems to have cleared up, and it looks very clean, although not very pretty. It will never be what it was, as there is a large chunk of flesh from the end which has completely gone now, but if it heals over it won’t be too bad.  

He has another appointment on Dec 1st, and they will measure progress then, and make a final decision as to whether to leave well alone, or to chop the top off.  So we are still playing a waiting game, but it sounds more promising now.

Watch this space.

A fabulous day…..

Yesterday the long awaited day arrived at last– our son Russ and his fiancé Nat’s wedding day!  We had the most fabulous day imaginable.  We are so proud of them both – Russ’s speech was funny and moving, and, breaking with tradition, Nat also made a speech.  She looked absolutely stunning, and we are so pleased to welcome her into the family.  Our two eldest granddaughters were bridesmaids and behaved impeccably, no mean feat for five and three and a half years old!  Even baby Elizabeth entertained the guests with an amazing bout of hiccups just before the ceremony started!  Nat’s small godsons were pageboys, and were also beautifully behaved.  The photos are just a few of the hundreds taken, we are awaiting the official photos very soon.

   Best Man Rob and Bridegroom Russ

Signing the Register

Me and Rog

With Russ’s ‘honourary’ godparents, Rick and Ann, and daughters Jenny and Karen (our goddaughter)

Karen with Elizabeth, with my 83 year old Mum in the background

The happy couple

Cutting the cake

The first dance

A meal with blogging friends

We went to the Old Plough in Braunston last night for a meal with boaty blog friends, Lesley and Joe (nb Caxton), Jill and Graham (nb Matilda Rose) and Derek and Dot (ex-nb Gypsy Rover, at the moment moving a very famous bloggers boat!!)  A great and noisy evening was had by all, we never stopped talking and laughing.  Thanks for inviting us Lesley, I haven’t had so much fun in ages.  We must do it again sometime.

  L-R  Jill, Joe, Lesley, Dot, Derek, Rog and Graham