Arrested

I swear that one day I shall be arrested for committing an indecent act in a public place, but I'm innocent I tell you, innocent.

Let me explain, the weather is very changeable at the moment so I tend to wear layers, sometimes I'm a bit chilly, sometimes too warm but I cope.

CHS on the other hand cannot cope unless he is the correct temperature at all times.

When he is steering the boat it's jacket on/jacket off every couple of minutes. This is fine.

The problem starts when he wants his jacket zipped up, he tends to crash into the bank if he takes his hands off the tiller to do the zip up so it's safest if I do the zip up for him.

So there I am, on my knees, so he can see over me and keep steering straight, my face is level with his groin and my hands are in a similar place whilst I struggle with his jacket zip.

We have received a few stunned looks from other boaters and from people on the towpath, one day someone will make a formal complaint and I could be arrested!

Shiny new blacking

Meeting

As we went through Ham lock yesterday someone came to help me with the lock gate.
Her name was Caroline, she reads my blog, she recognised my boat. I was so nice to meet someone who reads my blog!

Anniversary

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, we didn't do anything to mark the day. 

We were too busy moving the boat back from the dry dock at Greenham lock.

We had the boat blacked, £780, ouch, on top of that we stayed in an ensuite room at the Swan at Thatcham, it was easier than trying to stay on the boat. We ate at the Swan on Friday night, fish and chips, and very nice they were too. 

We went to a BBQ on Saturday and Sunday I made sandwiches in the room. We had a huge breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning that was included in the price of the room and I took tea bags and long life milk with us.

We walked every day along the towpath, watched tv and read lots. It was a restful weekend and nice to have unlimited hot water and WiFi for a few days.

What a day

What a day. I left home at 7 this morning, taking CHS to work, then I dropped one of the grandchildren at school. From there I went to the Drs to collect a prescription, it hadn't been issued despite me ordering it a week ago. I now have to go back tomorrow for it.
Next I parked my car and caught the first of 2 buse to get to Royal Berks hospital to get a hearing aid repaired.  That's when the problems really started.  There was a suspect package found in the Oracle.  The Oracle was evacuated and roads around it closed.  It took me four hours to get to the hospital and back.
I then had to collect CHA from work. We then had to move the boat as we were on a 48 hour mooring. Only we couldn't find anywhere to moor in any of our usual places  .
Eventually we found a space and moored up. I'm now waiting for a train that will take me to collect my car. There is an hour and a half wait. Hopefully I'll get back to the boat before 10pm.
Tomorrow I get to do it all over again but without the hospital visit.
Oh and I haven't eaten since 6. 30 this morning

Stressed

No, not me I'm thinking about other boaters. They seem to fall into two camps, those who are laid back and relaxed and those who bought a boat thinking it would make them laid back and relaxed.

There is a couple on the K&A who seem to fall out with everyone. They post long Facebook rants on the canal boat pages, about every boat that passes them for either going too fast or slow, the crew wearing the wrong sort of hat, or being a hire boat. They complain bitterly almost every day about someone or something.

There are a few charity boats on the K&A some take disadvantaged children some take people in wheelchairs, these boats are particularly hated by the grumpy couple.  

They also hate dog owners, cyclists, anyone whose boat is bigger or shinier than theirs, the list is endless. I'm really not sure why they live on a boat. Though the wife did tell me once that she considers herself to be a cut above most people as she works on the till in a local supermarket! 

Cormorant

This morning there was a cormorant fishing in the marina basin, I watched it for about 20 minutes, then it perched on the end of jetty 2 with its wings outstretched.