Doesn’t feel like lockdown at all

 We are really enjoying being able to stay in Skipton for 6 weeks. We are now making a big shopping list so we can stock up in case we get frozen in on the moors once we can start cruising again next week.

It’s as busy as ever in Skipton during this second lockdown. We made the mistake of going to the supermarket at school dinner time, it appeared just about every high school youngster descended there, hoards of them!!! Back in ‘the olden days’, I had to have a dinner pass to be allowed out of school grounds to go home for dinner.

 

We’ve not ventured out of the boat at the weekends at all, as the towpath seems as busy as Oxford Street in the January sales!!!

During the week (avoiding school times) we’ve had some wonderful walks up onto the North Yorkshire moors.

I can remember my grandmother having & using a mangle like this one.

Amazing moon & building reflections.

Morrison’s has an outside launderette, which is just a few yards from the boat, so doing the washing’s been easy.

I’ve made lots of Christmas goodies, which meant we had to use up last year’s mincemeat to make room for the new batch. I miss getting cooking apples from my friend Clare in Hitchin to use. Plus, there don’t seem to be any apple trees along the canal here. One year I used towpath crab apples for the mincemeat.

Dundee cakes & Chrissi puds.

I used local eggs to pickle, but I was disappointed the veg stall in the market didn’t have red cabbage or pickling onions, so I had to get them from the supermarket.

Luckily the bakers shop is an essential service, providing us with lovely curd tarts. Also one of the few stalls able to open in the market sells Yorkshire honey.

A friend gave me a hat knitting pattern for my birthday which I’ve made and just love to wear.

John did an oil change on a warmish day, all ready for our winter journeying.

I am taking part in an Advent fibre swap, organised by the UK Spinner group on the knitting forum Ravelry. I sent in 24 mini parcels containing 10g of fibre to spin and got back 24 different ones. Quite a feat of organisation as over 60 people are taking part. I used the ‘Poste Restante’ service for the first time to get my swaps back. 

 

 

A very different lockdown

This is going to be a very different lockdown for us, as we won’t be boat schooling the grandchildren. We have decided to stay put in Skipton as CRT are advising us not to move, just prefect with Morrison’s right by and two water taps a few yards away.

We had a wonderful ½ term with Magnus & Lance and celebrated my birthday at Aireville Park’s adventure playground.

 

Opening presents in bed.

The boys loved the zip wire, an action shot of Lance falling over!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bottomless slide, very odd.

A super outdoor musical corner.

Sitting on a sheep, spinning my birthday fibre I got from my friend Yvonne at the park.

We had a super, very wet walk in Skipton Woods. The boys have all in one suits which are really waterproof.

We hosed them down when we got back. I bet you can guess why Magnus loves this pic!!!

We hiked up onto Skipton Moor on a rare sunny afternoon.

 

 

 

 

You can just see Magnus at the top of the steep hill.

Looking at the stunning view.

Us standing on the chair with the view behind us.

We made Halloween pompoms.

Magnus helped scoop out the pumpkin.

We have had a tremendous about of rain, with many rainbows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus, a stunning ‘pink sky at night’.

 

 

And an autumy ‘pink sky in the morning’. With our first roof covered in leaves.

I had a fab 4 days spinning for BritSpin. I spun more than a mile. I took part in some of the silly challenges.

Spinning with a DIY tool, I chose a spirit level.

Spinning a coal sack!!

I spun outside, in my PJ’s at night and the next morning with the sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Zoom session with a teammate, spinning blindfolded.

Saturday night spinning in our virtual ‘clubhouse’!

Wool drying on tiller, “no, sorry it’s not swan food”!