Why do men...........?

Whilst reading this, please bear in mind that when MR is moving I'm on the towpath walking with the dogs.

So, why do men agree a time to pull pins and, when you are in that final, lo crucial, 15 minutes feeding the cat; knocking up soup for lunch; chucking some washing on; etc., etc., suddenly stick their heads in the cabin 12 minutes earlier than agreed announcing that they are leaving NOW, leaving you scrabbling for poo bags, dog leads and dogs, hopping up and down on the towpath with one boot on and no gloves to hand.

Why do men ask you where you want to moor and then give you at least 5 reasons as to why your choice is not a good idea.

Why do men, when asked to stick the washing in the tumble dryer at the next lock, insist on putting your best, non-tumble dryer top, in the tumble dryer so that it comes out too tiny to stretch round a size zero model.

He did finish off the dinner though whilst I was next door on Caxton nattering with Lesley (and open the wine).

One of the many things I love about boating....

.......is that days rarely turn out as you expect.

Nipped round to NB Old Bovine to have a quick look at the new boatman's cabin style table in the galley. Absolutely lovely as is the whole boat; my 'quick' look turned into a good hour or so. Whilst we were nattering, fellow bloggers NB Ubique came past but I didn't have my camera to hand.

Daisy was intent on aerial acrobatics in the sun.
I was quietly relieved to see her return to earth as she's not very good at coming down again!
Before crashing out exhausted.
Then we had a phone call from Linda & David from NB Critical Point, their boat is out of the water being stretched at the moment (it's the in thing round here you know) and they were suffering boat withdrawals, so they drove for 2 hours to come and see us and the newly elongated Caxton. We were quite a long way from the nearest road, but I walked down to meet them and G saw them safely back in the dark.

After lunch today we moved both boats up towards a road as Lesley will be returning tomorrow with ballast for Caxton's nose.

Good old clear out.

Daisy decided to join me and do some painting but just couldn't decide which brush to choose - besides, she knows she is more beautiful than any picture.

Spent the rest of Thursday out in the sunshine for as long as possible, before having to go back in to do indoor chores. Look at the state of this poor bridge.
There are no tracks or footpaths over it, nor any obvious sign that the farmer uses it. What will happen to it and how does the funding work?Do farmers maintain or make a contribution where they require access?
Spent a good hour splitting wood in the sun; trying to stack it as high as possible to save my back. As fast as I chopped it, one of the dogs would run off with it, only to be set upon by the other one. So, after I'd finished, I had to run up the towpath to retrieve my scattered logs.
Worried that we were about to get iced in again we decided to wind and return to Braunston to service the boat. All the way in I continued to take the boat to bits, looking for my missing art stuff - didn't find it but did clear out a lot of things we didn't need, but by the time we moored up behind Caxton the boat looked like this!!
Joe soon returned from storing the caravan so we decided to stay the night and go to the Weatsheaf for Chinese food. The pub is cold and tatty but the Chinese takeaway operates out of the kitchen and will serve you a meal in the pub - this is first class Chinese food at terrific prices.

This morning Lesley set off to see her mum and the fellers drove the boats back out into the country. I, in loco parentis, set off with the four dogs. Floyd & Fletcher were as good as gold although, initially, Floyd gazed wistfully at Caxton in the hope that Lesley might suddenly reappear - he's such a mummy's boy. He soon settled down and resumed ripping Muttley's head off.

Spent some time watching a hare in the field opposite, each time I see one I'm freshly amazed at the size of the things.

I have never, ever seen so many boats in one day as I've seen today, not even on the Llangollen in the school holidays, unbelievable. I guess some of the congestion will ease when the tunnel re-opens.