"What do you mean you gave me the bloody keys?"

The day was set wet today, even so David slipped out early to play musical cars.

When I saw him next and it was already very heavy drizzle.  He was laughing, which under the circumstances of pedling to the car and finding he hadn't got the car keys was quite something.

No really Reader he did laugh, eventually.

Frankly for the rest of the day we snuggled, read, watched the Stephen Lawrence documentary on the BBC to commemorate his murder 25 years ago and drank gin, oh and I cleaned the toilet.

I have a new bottle on board its Gordon's Pink, but the jury is out on that one.

Supper that night was David's homemade stilton and broccoli soup with olive bread (from Co-Op).

The next day was much much nicer and we moved the boat.

Heave ho.

This was at Crick, they are not dredging but digging a big 'ole.

We filled with water at Crick, I wandered off with the rubbish and met two great guys.  They were Pigeon Fanciers and letting out four baskets of pigeons as training for a big club race on Saturday, birds from their own club racing home from Honiton to home in Leicester.  Googlemaps says 200 miles but maybe a bit less for pigeons and crows.

We talked on and on and every year they have a very big race, from Portugal it was last year.  I asked if they all get home and the answer is no, shooting takes some, but the majority of non returners are taken by hawks they believe....  

I felt a bit troubled here as I love hawks.  

I asked if they only send their worse birds overseas if the casualties are high but no they send their best out.  I was told that the birds follow the motorways or railway lines home to Leicester where the men had driven out from today.

The conversation went on and how flabbergasted they were to discover that I am a southerner but that I was alright, because its a well known fact that southerners are all really stuck up!  

Well I felt I had made some progress to ease south north relations today.  A bit like North and South Korea.

The Crick tunnel was wet, very wet, I went inside.  

Minutes later David remembered what he had forgotten... Our BW key on the key ring alongside our River Nene Key and the water hose attachment...... 

More beautiful Blackthorne looking fabulous against the blue sky, makes you smile.

Arriving at Watford Locks to be told "Come straight in..." it was chilly Reader but I'm still smiling at the blossom.

Strong breeze here but he didn't bang.

White cottage, white blossom, white clouds.

I much prefer white blossom to pink.  At home I have white and purple of course.

Bish bash bosh through Watford and onwards but can we please hurry up as the sky darkened to accommodate the rain forecast all afternoon???
David is most attached to mooring at Norton Junction, where the Leicester Arm meets the main Grand Union.  But as the grey skies turned blacker I pointed out a nice mooring on armco, on our own but no of course not "Lets go to the junction, its a nice view"  
ok
Then the drizzle started lets moor here I suggested...... no its near trees, lets go to the junction, well you've guessed it haven't you?  The junction was full of boats who have taken root.  So we pulled around the corner and after two attempts managed to moor close-ish to the bank.  There seems to be a bit of a Shroppie Shelf going on here.

Just avoided the rain. Just.  Not so much the hirers who came past for a couple of hours trying to enjoy themselves.

Supper was fish pie.

Tomorrow going to get the car again!