Bella holds a new family

We write from a house. Yesterday we visited Bella's new gorgeous family to help them understand her quirks and happiness. Yes, we've sold her and moved off.

For those for whom this is news, it was a sudden and unexpected decision! It was toward the end of June, a Tuesday. The idea popped into Elizabeth's head to move off Bella and live in a house. No warning, no build up of disliking Bella or the boating life. Indeed, in the months leading up, we'd bought a new mattress, replaced plumbing and continued to imagine our future in Melbourne Australia where we're to retire in just over three years. The moving off idea was tested with Pete who agreed in seconds. No shock at the idea, just immediate and sudden agreement. From that Tuesday to the Saturday of the same week, we decided to rent, found a house in Braunston and paid the deposit. That's it! We moved at the end of July, Bella went on the market in August and we had the offer two weeks ago. We signed the bill of sale exactly 14 years to the day when we moored up in Hillmorton to begin this life.

We've loved our floating life. It was a huge and challenging learning curve those first few months which is why we visited Bella's new family. A few hints and tips might help! We loved our years when we cruised a lot and loved our years when we hardly moved. We had no yearning to move off except the plan for Australia. It must just have been the right thing to do. Sealed, oddly, by this lovely family making the decision to live on a boat around the same time we decided not to. There we are. 

New Year fuel

 What a year for us all! Clearly no cruising, but we still love the life. Here we are at the sink after brunch and out the window is Star Class carrying, our fuel supplier. Mark brings us the bottled gas we use to cook along with coal and wood for the stove. We simply enjoy the experience of this close connection to the things we use to manage this life. 

Yes, we know it's coal that we use for heating, but it's what there is and we reckon it's better than gallons galore of diesel for very ineffective central heating. In the colder months, we also use the solid fuel stove to simmer stocks, sauces and casseroles.  In the months of longer days, we have much solar power to fuel the occasional fan heater, let alone all the 

leccy needed for the computers for Pete to work from home. 

Life in many ways for us is the same as ever, with Pete doing far more water management from our home desk as he manages his team. Elizabeth is alone in her studio and all of her meetings and teaching are moved to online. We're lucky to have easy access to the outdoors and quite a distance from any neighbours. We are grateful and deeply aware of so many of you for whom this time has been terribly difficult. Our hearts embrace you.