Position unchanged as of Wednesday pm

G drove into Thrapston (the car can be useful sometimes) to check the air draft at the footbridge which was 1.9m - we need an absolute minimum of 2.03 with a full water tank (which we don't yet have). It's a no go again so Lesley and I set off on another walk; this time a circular walk into Ringstead.
Now some of you may need to sit down before you read on - we didn't stop at any pubs. I'm not sure if there are any to be honest - we passed The New Inn which was closed; whether it's closed closed or just not open lunchtimes, I don't know.

 We set off down the dismantled railway track which, on my OS memory map, shows it stopping as a footpath/bridleway at Woodford lock. It actually runs all the way through Stanwick lakes - very nice

 Floyd and Muttley charge off after a rabbit but didn't get within miles of it - all the same to Muttley if he did catch it as he is now wearing a muzzle - we're sick to death of him running off with dead, disgusting things and refusing to come back until every last bit has been consumed; this is followed by him waking us up 5 or 6 times a night to be let out - enough is enough.

 Ringstead church

 The village is OK, but it was the lovely circular walk which did it for us

We returned back across footpaths through oil seed rape to Denford and popped into the Cock Inn where we found the men having lunch - it would have been rude not to have joined them

By the time you read this post I am hoping that we will have filled with water and crept under the bridge onto the moorings by the Sailing Club on the far side of Thrapston - fingers crossed.

Blimey ( a quick extra blog)!

My lovely cousin Sonia and her husband Mike live in Thrapston and came across tonight for a drink - she bought with her my maternal family tree tracking back to the mid 1600s. As the dates came closer to the relatives I had heard of or knew there were some fairly big bags of skeletons - my next conversation with my mother will be interesting - I bet she won't tell me. There's been some stuff on my Dad's side which I have never been able to get to the bottom of - such a shame as the secrets will all die with her and I'm not judgmental; it's just social history - my social history. I guess you just have to respect peoples privacy/secrets.

Not the time to get run over by a bus

The dirty laundry is now starting to take over the boat and we're getting down to the underwear that you wouldn't want the paramedics to see!!! We know that there is water available at Thrapston but we still can't get under Isis Footbridge until the water level falls further and we'd rather be stuck here than by the busy road bridge in Thrapston.

So Lesley and I made the most of the beautiful and unexpected weather and set off with the dogs to Woodford where we found the dog friendly Dukes Head. 7 Real Ales and a good choice of food on the menu (eg braised venison cutlets) all at £5 Mon-Fri lunch-times instead of the usual £8/9. We didn't eat there, but it looked nice and the Ale was good.

 This pub is opposite the green; there are others and a fish and chip shop

 Ideally placed for a change of scene across footpaths from Denford - no more than 30 minutes by the direct route

 We extended the walk and returned by a different route across beautiful countryside under

 big open skies

 approaching Denford along the river

 and back to the boats where we left the dogs and went for a thorough poke around the village

After we finished the photo shoot it was 4pm - just in time to join the men for a pint at the Cock Inn (doesn't open until 4 Mondays and Tuesdays except B Holidays) before returning to the boats to make dinner. Another lovely day.