Thursday 17 April 2014

Are you JOKING?

Having a leisurely breakfast this morning still in Jim Jams. It was a Skinny Day on this 5:2 malarkey regime we are on and have been for almost a year now so breakfast is important, when - 
“Oi! What a Lark”
Obviously I ignored it, who could be yelling at this ungodly hour, then again and certainly more urgent
“OI WHAT A LARK!!!!!!!”
Er? What is that then?  I went reluctantly to open the side hatch and saw 5 burly gentlemen standing on the opposite side of the canal all in high vis jumpsuits staring in, the yeller had a some what amused look on his face.... 
“Good morning, we need you to move your boat”, 
“What” says I, "Are you joking? Whatever is the time?”
“Its 9:15”
“Oh.......”
Now who remembers the Cherie Blair the morning after the election in 1997?  Me, except I looked a lot worse boating bed hair, no wonder by now all 5 were grinning....
So as graciously as I could manage, I withdrew.

We dressed, found boots, coats, I hid my hair and off we tried to go, except there was a tense moment when David was short with me for tying an untie-able rope last evening, we often have fearsome rows about my knot tying, it seems I am the only one who can indeed untie them, by now the boat had drifted out too he was doing that little number throwing his hands in the air.  Marvellous it all was.


So as we pulled away all five plus a Hymac were waiting on an inflatable pontoon for us.  They thanked us kindly but there was no time for breakfast.

This is so pretty pretty through here, Banbury onwards, lovely wee cottages at the locks, if you stand with your back to the M40, the views certainly to me make up for the low moan of the traffic, its glorious, we jollied along and there was a group of youngsters going off in canoes, they shouted to us they were out on a 3 day on a trip going southwards.  Lucky youngsters.

Beautiful open views.
That's the M40 there.
View behind
At Kings Sutton lock there was a shocking bit of parking by a work boat, right on a blind bend by the lock, we didn’t see the boat exiting  the lock towards us due to the bend then the wind blew us onto the work boat, not at all annoying of CART and there being such a long straight stretch prior to the bend too.

Dear things.
Shockingly parked
On lock moorings.

Looky looky for sale David...!
Wonderful smell of bacon cooking here
WaL descending
Handily all the locks except one were in our favour, added to which, at three, there were boats approaching so I didn’t have to shut the gates afterwards. This all was the same at Braunston and Napton, I do hope this isn’t all my Good Luck Locking for the year being used up in one trip.

There had been a strong chilly wind all morning, but as we approached Aynho Weir Lock the wind died out and we were boiling so off came fleeces.  Butterflies all around, birds singing no other boats, nothing could be better.  


CART does good pruning here.
Snug fit
Old bridge with new one built alongside
WaL in the distance

Aynho Weir Lock

Wal passing the weir
Can you hear the birds singing?
No bashing here
Last year David bashed the boat bandy in this unusual lozenge shaped lock but today he didn’t even touch the sides.  I have told him how pleased with him I am.  I have been told this shape is to take extra water from the river Cherwell into the canal.  Is this true?

View tonight from my kitchen window.

So onward to exactly the same spot we stayed in last year, amazing sunny views all across meadows.  Later the young canoeists all came past laughing and chattering.

Skinny supper of salmon on roasted veg with couscous and green beans. 




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