Location

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The washing is done, now to dry !

On Monday morning at Norton Junction/Buckby Top Lock, Andrew noticed a working boat moored just ahead of us. As we were close to our last bag of coal, we waited for some signs of life and arranged to relieve them of their last 8 bags of 'Excel' coal.
Andrew making friends with the working boat lurcher

Stacking the bags of coal



On Monday night we pulled in at Blisworth Marina, near Gayton Junction, for our overnight stop. On looking around Andrew noticed that we were moored up a couple of spots away from nb Marmaduke, the very first boat that Andrew mentioned buying.  I think that seeing it on the Canal World forum was what got him thinking.
We were able to plug into shore power and water was on tap. There were also paid laundry facilities. So 3 loads of washing were processed and 1 load dried. So that is the laundry up to date for the time being.
The low drying cycles of the washing machine will work while running the engine, so the remainder of the washing is now almost dry.  It is currently on the clothes horse with the heat from the coal stove helping it dry.
With no dinner on board we walked to the local inn, The Walnut Tree. I had a lovely dinner of liver and bacon. Andrew had the ham steak and egg and after seeing mine wished he had ordered that too. But still a very nice meal and a lovely pub with great service.

After leaving the marina on a lovely sunny Tuesday morning and stopping for a quick provisions stop at Blisworth, we then passed through the Blisworth Tunnel, the longest navigable tunnel on the waterways. It should take about 45 minutes to pass through, Andrew did it in 32 even with passing another boat going the other way in the middle! Speed freak!
Not long after exiting the tunnel, the weather turned overcast and then drizzle nearing the bottom of the Stoke Bruene flight. It seems that over the past couple of weeks everyone is going in the same direction as us and reaching these lock flights first, creating extra work for me to re-set the lock for before Andrew can go in and then either emptying or filling again to allow us to continue. Almost had me wishing yesterday after this 5th flight, that maybe I should have pushed for a motor home instead! A lot less work and easier access to laundrettes! But then we would be seeing the countryside pass at ridiculous speeds and I would not have the time that I do to contemplate nature in all it's splendor while waiting for locks to fill and empty. I am sure that I have seen a goldfinch, a tree sparrow and of course the obligatory heron's, crow's, blackbirds and gulls. Plus plenty of fungi, best time of the year for those. We even have our own fungi garden on our stern fender. Maybe I should take a picture of them :)  I just have not been quick enough with the camera to catch the squirrels in the trees, eating red berries, which I  could not identify.
We finally moored up in Cosgrove, freezing cold. Just after Andrew had sorted the TV aerial, which for obvious reasons is taken down every time we move and got the stove stocked and roaring, the rain came tipping down.  It cleared up nicely later in the evening though for me to get some lovely night shots of the very ornate bridge in Cosgrove that we had moored just after.  I took a couple again this morning in the lovely sunshine for comparison.


Today has been a mixture of sunny and overcast weather but thankfully no rain. Gets very chilly standing out back though when the clouds cover the sun. But we have been rewarded with a pretty sunset.
Now to get Andrew to put up my painting from Gill which I insisted on bringing with me.
So a couple of pictures this time round as I have managed to bring out the camera now that the rain is staying  away.

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