Magnus came to stay

No more elderflower wine left now!

 

It’s been lovely to see Heather, Jason and the children this week as they’ve been camping in Louise’s back garden in Abbots Langley. They were lucky with the weather as in true bank holiday style it’s damp and dismal now. 

 It was Magnus’ turn to come to stay, but for just two nights. We had a great time but once again we didn’t capture everything on the camera. John and Magnus went fruit picking behind the three locks and came back with cooking apples, damsons and blackberries, which were converted into 13lbs of jam. He help make blackberry muffins for our tow path picnic when the rest of the family came to pick him up.

We travelled a short distance from Linslade down the Soulbury three lock and Magnus’ life jacket fits him perfectly now as it was a bit big for him before. He steered the boat out of the second lock and then got off to help grandad with a serious bit of lock keeping. 

 

Filling up with water

Magnus the muscles

 I just loved watching John’s face when Magnus hammered the mooring pins in. It could have been a trip to hospital if he’d have missed the pin and got John’s hand.

He had a go a using my spinning wheel and produced a lovely bit of handspun wool.

Washing his handspun wool

It’s a shame all the events have been washed out this weekend. We attended the first evening of music at ‘Lockstock’, the beer & music festival at The Three Locks pub. There was a very good band playing and we stayed until the end but it was SO cold and wet with a temperature of just 9c.

Today John’s made 2 gallons of mead and it’s now in the fermenting bucket in front of the fire to keep it warm. We’ve collected lots of local honey over the last few months which was taking up valuable cupboard space and I got some more from Stoke Hammond lock yesterday and it just so happens we went back up Soulbury three locks with a chap that’s just started keeping bees so I brought 3 jars of his honey from him. Once the kitchen was free I’ve done lots of baking and preparing as Edmund’s coming for a few days tomorrow.