Sunday 1 May 2016

Ready Steady dusters out!

This was the pinky sky last night opposite us all here at Bridge 81 on the North Oxford canal.  Its a very lovely spot that we could have easily stayed a bit longer at.





This was sunrise today.  Photos all by kind permission of David.  It was hard to capture but he tells me all the fields were white with a heavy frost, but it soon disappeared. 





These ducklings are this first I have seen, a whole bunch here, but they went in the other direction so this view is as good as it gets.





This morning another person we knew came into sight and moored up.  This is Mandy who also is a blogger    HERE    that I discovered four years ago.  "Don't Panic" I think a great name for a boat for me.




 Its that time of year again.  Boat polishing.  We have already made a earlier effort painting the black but here we start the roof.  First it has a wipe over, then a wash, then a rinsing wipe, then polish is applied and finally a buffing up.  

David does the water side, I used to but I am too panicky now!!


This is what we were starting today.

We got the job done in the glorious sunshine and went to say our farewells to our good friends, Sue from NP No Problem and Geoff (Aka Group Captain) from NB Seyella.  They go south, we go north, maybe we'll be lucky in the autumn for another Flypass.
Happy sailing to you all.



Geoff never wears trousers, if you get my drift.



 Keeping to form, that really warm sunshine didn't last long and here are todays clouds, we knew rain was forecast at about 4pm so we  headed off at midday.




This is a whopper.

Now David was never desperately thrilled about farm machinery even when farming proper,  but he was fairly interested in this thing.  
I call it a thing.  Its got these triangular wheel thingy's so as to spread its weight over the heavy soils so as not to compact it.  Its subsoiling, which is like a really double depth dig, down to about 18" to loosen all the soil to grow maize which loves good drainage and dairy cows like very much to eat.  David also wants me to say (for any boaters this won't be a surprise) that soil temperatures are very low at the moment and maize won't like that, he a pretty happy he no longer has to grow fussy maize.  
However I think soil temperatures could be a tab advanced for us civilians so I won't dwell.





A nice development out of tatty victorian buildings

We stopped before Rugby in fine drizzle, by the golf course.  Near to the road bridge and David nipped to Tesco's on the bike for emergency supplies, tonic water, soda water, lime juice, a lemon and a lime.
He forgot milk.

Look at these Big Bad Boys, I love them.  English Longhorns.  

HERE

(Veggies skip this bit)  A very old breed that has largely disappeared from farms today, but that website provides online sales for their beef, its evidently rather nice, Mr Lewis of this blog fame keeps masses of them, but I haven't been up close and personal as this before.


Horns up.

Horns down.





Well I wouldn't poke him with a big stick.

As a point of interest to any men reading this, buying your wife flowers unprompted will earn you lots of goodwill.
Thank you darling.
Rain arrived late at about 7pm, it was accompanied by thunder and lightening.






Supper was Courgette and chorizo pasta. 

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