Another dog fallen in!

Why are people's dogs falling in the water? A Collie fell off of a passing boat this morning - G happened to be standing on the bank, so called it and fished that one out too!

"This water's taller than me". "That's because it's older" (you need to be of a certain age).

Still struggling to walk the dogs with all these thorns lying everywhere

we reached the waterpoint before Napton Top Lock - we struggled with watering too - this hire boat was moored right on the waterpoint and, being a short boat and the proximity to the bend and the lock, we couldn't line up either end to get the dogs on board so G had to take the dogs with him whilst he set the locks - he doesn't like doing that as they tend to want to run back to me. There was no-one on the boat and it turned out to be the same couple who we met at The Wharf Inn in Fenny Compton who had had two accidents and not been told that they couldn't get further South than Cropredy. You start to wonder ( in view of their choice of moorings) if the hire company actually spoke to them at all

Not just the dogs struggling with the brambles but props too - this little lot was fished out of the Top Lock

It was another glorious day and I moored three locks down so we could get a good view of the buffalo

on one side

and rolling countryside on the other

before walking down the flight to The Folly for a pint

I love the pub's selection of salt and pepper pots - last time we were here I bought some 'sheep' pots off of them

left later than intended (still getting caught out by these short days) and walked home by the light of the moon reflected in the water

overnight I'd been driven crazy by a load of dozy 'buzzing' flies which we thought might be due to the proximity of the buffalo so thought we'd move on down the flight to the 24 hour moorings

Except we didn't get very far as they were replacing the balance beam at Lock 10 - we had checked the stoppages in the morning and there was nothing. There was nothing at the top of the flight either but a notice at the bottom ( no use to us or the two boats coming down behind us) said it could be closed for up to a maximum of two hours - we read later.

The workmen had been told that an all day stoppage had been posted!!!! Anyway given that there were, by now, 3 boats hovering in locks and pounds they reversed out and closed the bottom gates for us with a piece of string! You can see the new bottom balance beam sitting on the bank. As it turned out it took them two days to complete the job

Daisy doesn't much like it down here - too many dogs -so gives me the willies sitting on the waterside gunwale and glaring at me through the galley window

I've just discovered the downside of our new whippy tall VHF aerial - it scrapes along the roof of bridge 'oles and flicks brick dust into my contact lenses - ouch. I know there is no need for VHF on the narrow canals, but this is G we're talking about and it is a new toy - it also means he can give me helpful driving advice when he is too far away from the boat to be heard