No; we haven't left the country!

The last blog I posted was Monday & I moaned about the poor signal limiting my ability to upload photos. Little did I know it was the last signal we'd get of any kind; no internet, no useable phones-only text; poor Dainion (grandson) was very frustrated as he had some stuff finishing on E-bay & couldn't track it & had wanted to do a bit of blogging. Never mind, we're back, 'on air' now.
Tuesday we moved down to Kirtlington quarry where the male folks did loads of fishing & Dainion got to build, light & take care of his first bonfire, after we'd cooked the days catch of fish, hedgehog and squirrel; all we needed was a bit of ging gang gooly but Derwent6 was too far away! The weather was gorgeous both Tuesday & Wednesday & the time just vanished pottering about the quarry and playing with the menagerie.

Thursday we waked into Tackley & had lunch at the Gardiner Arms all food sourced locally & cooked from scratch - yummy chips. On the way back to MR we saw some yobs swinging on ropes & then we realised it was only Mortimer Bones! Graham wanted to go & play Tarzan, but I discouraged him (not in front of the children dear). We found lots of molehills & D & I were both disappointed not to see a mole.

The order of the day whilst D was with us was that the boys would get up early (bringing me a cup of tea in bed), have their breakfast & go off fishing leaving me to have my shower & become human (well as human as I ever get) in their absence; I REALLY don't do mornings. Once we were ready to cruise, D & I set off walking with the dogs. A bit of footy once we'd moored & a bit of fishing whilst I prepared supper & the poor chap fell into bed earlier each night (as did the dogs-I think Baxter might like to come back as a Border Collie, it's all too much for a Tibetan Terrier). It was great to have the company whilst walking & having crew on the other side of the lock is a SERIOUS bonus. It seems quite dull without him.

So, having waved D off on Thursday evening, I opened the doors to let Daisy in on Friday and she dropped a mole onto the floor of the boat (she's never had one before, I thought they were nocturnal & I don't let her out after dark) whilst I'm not, for one moment, suggesting it was caught to order, I do think, perhaps, that we should be a little careful in what we wish for! But, if you are reading this Daisy, please no frogs, they scream something dreadful.

So Friday we moored below Allen's lock opposite this most spectacular garden & tonight we're just East of Clifton, South of Aynho wharf, ready to run into Banbury tomorrow, re-stock (pantry & wine cellar both empty) & moor up near Screwfix & DIY shops for when we (he-but I'll pass things) change and relocate the calorifier on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday......... when that's done we'd like to leave the S Oxford canal.