Where has this week gone?

Disappeared in a happy sunny haze of socialisation and glorious countryside to walk and cruise through.

Monday my cousins, Sonia and Mike, dropped by the boat and took us to The Miller near Wellingborough where we had an excellent lunch before they kindly took me to the local Waitrose's for some much needed supplies - only boaters know how precious a lift to/from shops are. I often wonder just how many miles I walk in the space of a month lugging goodness knows what weight of shopping.

Tuesday we set off for a monumental cruise of 2 locks and  just under 3 miles! Past the lovely river fronted village of Woodford - there are moorings marked in the book that don't exist and there is about 50 yards of beautiful, empty, private moorings going to waste - such a shame as there are 3 pubs, a village store and a fish and chip shop which would all appreciate some extra business I'm sure

 Further on Sue and Vic on NB No Problem tried to catch us up by taking a shortcut through the fields (oooooh Kevin; I think I've just done a Linky).

 I love this avenue - MR's passage distorts the reflection

 No Problem follows behind - they had arranged to pick up a new gas bottle at Lower Ringstead lock; we didn't think that would cause any problems as we've hardly seen a boat moving for days

 Wouldn't you know it; we filled the lock and Vic was just going off to get a new cylinder when a boat appeared wanting to come down through the lock (the only boat we saw all day) so we drove MR out and the other boat came in alongside Sue. It's the first time I've seen two boats in a lock pointing in opposite directions. They kindly waited whilst a Willy Watt Marina person bought the cylinder roun and Vic swapped them over lockside - great service and only £21 I think

 we moored just below the next lock at Upper Ringstead

 on the little lock island where we could get the table and chairs out - a new mooring for MR; lovely

 Sue and I, once again, managed to get a few miles in later and again on Wednesday

 we actually saw our first hatchlings - goslings: we still haven't seen any ducklings, Canada Geese chicks or cygnets

 and suddenly Penny pup cottoned on to the thrill of swimming out to retrieve sticks - I don't know who was the most proud; Penny pup or Sue (Sue will of course come to regret it as she'll never have a dry dog again!).

 Sue and Vic came round for dinner Wednesday evening

 mmmmm ...... don't ask..... just being in touch with his feminine side I think!

 Thursday Sonia and Mike came out to the boat again and we had intended to go Indian at lunchtime but, as the weather had turned so glorious, we went to plan B

 and had a really lovely lunch sat outside at the Axe and Compass at Ringstead - my Sea Bass was heavenly and the puddings .....  I daren't go near the scales this week and it will only get worse this weekend as it's Sue's birthday tomorrow and then there's Vic's Sunday lunch to contend with - good job we're walking a bit

Mike studying the wood in the stopper wave

 Vic's still trying to work out how to get that wood out of there!

then back to round off the meal with a coffee before leaving for an overnight stay in Ithlingborough

 An early start this morning as we needed to service the boats and visit Tesco in Wellingborough and get to Doddington for the weekend - our next wild mooring. 7 locks and seven and a half miles - exhausted; arrived about 4pm and not so much as a cup of tea since breakfast.

 Seemed to be a bit of a theme going on with the boats moored at Ditchford Lock (where we stocked up with hen, duck, goose and turkey eggs and a bag of coal at 'summer' prices for MR - hopefully our last this year).

 No Problem approaching Wellingborough where the EA man had to come from Kettering to meet us and  sell us a pump out token - I know; it makes no sense whatsoever (and it used to be free).

 Our lovely new mooring tonight - worth a long day. We couldn't stay at Ringstead as we would have been buried in fisherman over the bank holiday weekend

Happy Birthday Sue