A return to What-a-Lark

 So Reader here we are.  It's been a while and the earth has shifted on its axis but I am hoping that you Reader have made it through this ongoing pandemic in good health.

David and I had the luxury of living very close to the South Coast and the farm where we still live has quiet a lot of space around it, we came to appreciate just how very fortunate we were to have outside space.  My mother has fared well and we as a family were able to celebrate her 90th in late August in our garden with blankets and with all her descendants just before it all shut down again.

David and I, his brother and wife all had the dreaded Covid last November completely out of the blue, I tested positive despite not having any symptoms, they came later, but happily it was very mild and we were completely better in two weeks or so.

At the end of last season, we had high hopes of returning to WaL but no.  The lovely folk at Great Haywood Marina overwintered the boat for us.  Of course our small electric winter heaters were at home and in the end the best way was to buy new ones delivered to the marina.

Entering WaL the other day was a bit like last July after one Lockdown or another, we got to WaL and had to pull to one side the cobwebs to get in...

Jeepers hasn't it been cold?  Luckily I had a new coat built for the arctic and I don't think I ever expected to have to wear it as much on walks and by the way I am heartily sick of walks.  David and I developed a list of topics of conversations that we cannot talk about;

1) Covid.

2) Brexit.

3) Government.

But we have thoroughly enjoyed the US Election and their subsequent troubles, indeed I have sat up many a night watching CNN until 2am following the coverage and admiring CNN's Caitlin Collins coats.

So back to UK and Great Haywood and WaL, we drove up the other day and I was slightly dismayed that the temperature dropped to 2C as we drove through quite thick snow and cars overtook covered in snow... But arriving in Staffordshire and GH the temperature was a balmy 10C and clear blue skies.

I just hope the boat starts said David, well it did on the second attempt, however the heating failed which includes the hot water.  This trip had been primarily to get our Lockgate Stove serviced and working properly and the nice man Ed from Four Counties Marine got it working in the afternoon, ( I would have lasted only one night otherwise) so now we are waiting for a hard to get part for the boiler and fingers crossed that will work.  

More on that later.

Supper was a smorgasbord of cheeses, olives, olive bread salmon pate, the bonus was a bottle of my favourite wine    (We had expected to have cracked in the locker in the cratch over winter, it was already nicely chilled).