Its been a busy few days

 What with prepping the cooking apples and helping DS2 and DD2 with various things. I'm always happy to help them as DS2 has dropped everything to come and sort out my car when I've had problems and both DD's will drive me places if I'm not confident or if it's going to be dark before I get home.

Steve and I spent a day helping some friends who needed to get from the K and A to the Thames quickly. Steve did the locks and I did the swing bridges, it was a long day and bitterly cold with a lot of standing around. I can walk 5 or 6 miles with no problem but standing for any length of time really buggers my back.

DD2 has been dealing with a pile of chaos and crap. She has sold the marital home and organised buying another house, at the same time she has had to move out of the rented house she was in as the landlord lost his job abroad because of covid and needed his house back. The house she is buying is a new build and the completion date has been put back also because of covid so she's had to find another rental property.

The good news Jan Jones is that DD2 is allowed her dog in the new rental house. Much as I miss Loulou the grandchildren we're desperate to have her back. Beano and I went to visit Loulou yesterday and she was so pleased to see us. I'm collecting her a couple of times a week to take her for a walk and also bringing her back to the boat on the days when DD2 is working.

Sewing mamie, we've had a few problems with fishermen but most of them are ok. We've been warned that there is a very stroppy fisherman at Kintbury but we haven't been there this year.

Wendy Hallett, it isn't an easy life is it, it is bloody hard work and very isolated, more so I think for women. It seems to me that there are more men than women on the cut. I had started to build a social life for myself on dry land, but covid put paid to that. We've met our share of dickheads and idiots but we have also met lots of lovely people too.

Today I cooked roast beef for lunch and an apple cake went in the oven at the same time. I've joined a FB group made up of people fighting depression so I'm hoping to gain some benefit from that.

Thank you Witch Hazel, thank you.

 That app is life changing thank you so much.

Freebies

I collected my car today, I'd left it in the marina for a while. I set off at 7:30 this morning, it's about 2 miles and I didn't want to walk Beano once it got hot.

There is a table in the marina where boaters put stuff they no longer want, I check it out every time I'm there. On previous visits I've found a chopping board, a hanging rail and some storage containers. I've often placed things on the table that I no longer need. Today there was a pressure cooked there. I brought it home and have it a good scrub. I will download the instructions for it and print them out.

DS2 phoned, he'd taken his car in for repair and had planned to walk the six miles home. He then realised that there are no pavements for most of the journey so he phoned to see if I could collect him. I went to collect him and he persuaded my new phone to connect to my car, I'd had a few attempts but couldn't get it to work. He also gave me two bags of cooking apples from his tree. I took Beano with me partly because he hates to be separated from me and party because DS2 loves Beano to bits.

A sad statistic

The children that DD1 fosters have, between them 17 siblings and half siblings that are in care. Some have been adopted, some haven't. 

Seventeen children who's lives have been blighted by alcohol, drugs, domestic abuse and incarceration. It makes me want to weep.

I'm confused

 First I am accused of being wealthy but begging for financial help then I'm accused of lying about having retirement accommodation, the accommodation has parking and a garden.

 Just because it has no communal facilities doesn't mean it's imaginary. Maybe it was my description of it being retirement accommodation, maybe I should have described it as the property we intend to move into when we leave the boat.

Also if I'm wealthy I doubt very much if council accommodation would be provided.

Living on a boat isn't a cheap option and I have never claimed it is. We don't pay council tax or normal utility bills, we use solar for our electricity and buy bottled gas.

Rose there are pros and cons with being static. There is water and electric to the jetty, there are also rubbish disposal facilities and pump out on site. When we are moving we have to factor in where we can next empty our black water or fill up with clean water. Being static means we are very close to the boats either side so it makes our boat dark inside and we have no view apart from the neighbouring boat.

Late again

 This time it wasn't us that was late it was another boat.

it went past yesterday evening, we were a bit concerned as it was getting dark. They got close enough for someone to jump ashore but they couldn't get the boat all the way in.

A crew member was hanging on to the front rope but the current is quite strong here and the back was against the far bank.

We went out to help and managed to get the boat in to the bank so they were safe.

Hound of Hecate, thank you for your kind offer but I won't have candles on the boat, too much of a fire risk. I only use LED candles.

I have deleted the anonymous comment, I have some sympathy with people who are so bitter as they must be very unhappy but I don't feel the need to allow them space on my blog. I have never claimed to be poor, I would never start crowd funding on my own behalf. I am more than happy to purchase the items I need to help with my hearing. Unfortunately the company want me to check with audiology before I pay and I cannot do that as the audiology department is closed.

I love how people make sweeping statements such as Adult Services have a duty of care, maybe they do but when they are either closed or overwhelmed they cannot help. I believe Kate Steeper and Cumbrian along with other commentators have experience of the 'help'  available.

The retirement accommodation has no communal facilities it is a stand alone unit.

I will follow up on the other helpful suggestions made and continue to vent when things get on top of me but for now here are a couple of pics taken by a fellow boater with a drone.

We were moored above the lock under a willow tree.

You're late

 Sitting on the back deck this morning with coffee. We were gongoozling, watching other boaters. There was a boat on the lock landing, a lot of people milling about but nothing happening. So I picked up a windlass and went to see if they needed help.

When I reached the lock landing an irate lady snapped at me.

 "You're late!"

 " Late? " I queried.

 "Yes, late, you are meant to be here at 10:30 to open the locks and it's now 11 o'clock"

 I started to explain that I wasn't a lockkeeper, just a boater who'd come to help but the silly cow just kept on ranting. So I turned around and walked back to my boat with her still shouting at me.

Eventually another boat came through the lock and the crew helped them through.

Hopefully they explained to her that most of the locks on the K&A aren't manned.