Happy 2023

New Year's Day we were the first boat of the year on Watford locks (Northamptonshire). It was a lovely quiet day to cruise with only a couple of other boats passed.

Today we went through Crick Tunnel. I’m taking lots of photos with my advent spinning in.

We had a Tesco delivery right to the boat on New Year's Eve, as our cupboards were bare after our trip to Chorley for Christmas.

We had a fantastic week staying with Heather & the grandchildren in Chorley. We were very fortunate to have a smooth train journey both ways, considering all the possible delays. I got some spinning done on Preston platform.

Nikita wanted a ukulele for Christmas, so we got her one. So her & uncle Ed were playing duets.

There were 13 of us at Heather’s from 06.00 on Christmas day. It all started in a much more civilised fashion than usual, we all had tea/coffee/juice before launching into the opening ceremony. Dinner went really smoothly & was on the table at our estimated time.

Boxing day we had a mass family stroll, which took us down a VERY muddy path!!! Such fun though, just like being on the towpath.

Saying goodbye to uncle Ed.

This evening’s Northamptonshire sunset.

40c cooler!

Four months ago when we moored along this stretch of the Grand Union/Oxford Canal, on the Northamptonshire/Warwickshire border, we were suffering with temperatures in the high 30s, it’s been about 40c cooler the last couple of weeks. The lowest we’ve seen the thermometer this week is -8c.

We knew the cold spell was coming, so we stocked up with diesel & coal when fuel boat came by. In addition, we did a big shop, so the cupboards were well stocked, filled the water tank & headed to a nice quiet spot. We have been completely iced in, with no hope of moving for almost 2 weeks. We have been iced in several times before, but this is the thickest ice we’ve experienced. It was our 7^th anniversary of living aboard this week.

 

 

 

There have seen numerous amazing sunrises and sunsets. This is a very dark spot with no big light pollution, so the stars are amazing.

Our bird feeder has been very popular with all the usual blue, great & long-tailed tits and the greedy robin. However, a pair of greater spotted woodpeckers have come every day, I’ve spent far too long gazing out of the window watching for them to return.

We had an unusual visitor on the ice, a sparrowhawk. We had disturbed him earlier in the week as it was tucking into a bird in the hedgerow.

It’s a couple of miles walk into Braunston. The bridge to the marina there is decorated with father Christmas’.

The village letter box has a lovely crocheted nativity scene topper.

We picked lots of sloes from along the towpath. The best time to pick them is after a frost & these defiantly fit the bill. We’re making sloe gin surprise, as in we’d already drank it. So it’s sloe vodka instead, which won’t be ready for Christmas, more like Easter.

I picked up lots of frozen windfall apples, which stew very well.

I have made all my usual Christmas goodies, pud, cake & mince pies.

We visited Whelton Garden Center, where John fell in love with Frankie, a cockatoo. When John & I started dating, he was looking after a cockatoo. I’d seen John tickle his head, so I tried & it bit my thumb & wouldn’t let go!!!

We’ve had some new tilting solar panels and batteries fitted. They pick up low light and actually recorded a few amps (not enough to charge the batteries) when there was a full moon. We certainly are seeing a difference and don’t have to run the engine anywhere near as much to charge the batteries.

November!

I’m getting very lazy when it comes to doing blog posts, not sure why!

Maybe it’s knitting that’s getting in the way of blogging. I’ve made hats and blankets for Ada’s friend’s twin boys and Dale’s brother’s new baby boy. I have made my scrappy sock wool blanket a bit bigger too. Plus, some woolly hats for our Jubilee Fibres stock.

 

I went to Chorley a few weeks back to see Heather & the children. We had a super time at ‘Chorley Live’ a weekend long street music festival. We were rather keen & watched a stage being set up and chatted to the police. 

We got rather wet Friday evening. Lance loved watching the rain going down the drain hole & Nikita caught a handful of hailstones.

The kids dragged me into a shop I’ve walked past many times.

We had lunch & some of our sweeties at one of my favourite pubs, The Bob Inn in Chorley Market. The market is midway through a face lift since we left the north-west.

There was a birthday party underway on the boat when I got back to Hemel Hempstead. It was Alice’s birthday the following day.

We’ve had a great time travelling along the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire stretch of the Grand Union Canal. We have passed this piece of graffiti many times, seeing it as saying ‘wonky’ on the wall. Edmund & Ella were staying for a few days & snapped this photo of what the reflection says, while sitting at the bow.

Poor things had to do a 5-hour seminar while they were with us. Ella got a bit of knitting done during it!

Once up the locks into Berkhamsted, we did some gongoozling at the Rising Sun.

 

 

 

These chaps were doing a cull of the non-native Zander fish. We guess their device stunned all the fish for a moment. They caught them in a net & popped back the OK ones.

 

After all the dry weather, we’re thankful for all the rain. This stretch of towpath drains quite fast & the puddles are gone in no time. We caught the bus to get our covid boosters on a VERY rainy day. Luckily we were early, so sheltered at the bus stop until it stopped. As soon as we left the centre, the sun came out & we were roasting in our waterproof trousers.

A rather large willow branch landed on our roof one wet & windy night. Luckily, no damage. A fellow boater got to try out his brand-new chain saw the next morning.

We travelled though Tring cutting on a misty morning.

This cheeky robin had obviously heard the news about the lockdown for birds & wanted to move in with us!!

Most of the herons must be used to people as they let you walk past without flying away. Whereas the little hedgehog we met hid his face in the grass!!

  

John’s wine is clearing well.