Well, we're back in our mooring at Blue Haven, after a wonderful weekend in Braunston. We moored up at Marston Doles, the top of the Napton flight of 9 locks on Friday afternoon at which point, the heavens opened. Elizabeth and taxi went to salvage Reg and they had quite a puddle wading trip back to Bella, moored just south of the top lock.
Blessedly, Saturday started dry and the wonderful Barometer needle kept creeping to the right - high pressure and dry. By the time we moored in Braunston early afternoon, it felt almost like summer. Heavenly. We stayed there two nights which included a wonderful surprise visit from Dom and Helen and we spent much of the evening chatting and sipping - them in our deck chairs on the tow path and us on the bench on the deck. Their dogs, Trio and Defa, needed protection from our delightful Josie, kept on deck by a dining chair across the gap between the stern railing and the bulkhead. Must get a fence...
Now back in Blue Haven, still dry and moored in our old spot, we want to get back out! Since we were last here on May 25, we have travelled 625 clicks, with probably just under half of those clicks being locks, and managed just over 543 engine hours (some of those while moored to charge batteries). So with over 300 miles behind us on the open canal, we hardly want to stay moored in a marina! And, we are immediately next to Bluebell; lovely boat, but not the open field, while our other side is the quayside with lovely grass, but it is up a hill, the top of which is above the level of the roof of Bella. So, no open field there either. We won't be here for long! We're back to plug into electricity while our generator is up the spout, to just check in, to do some work elsewhere and to welcome our friends from Sweden early next week. But we are wondering where else we could moor while they are here.
