My word, it's been a busy time. Well, not really busy, but busy with getting on living this new life style. In our first four years aboard Bella, we worked and travelled, topping over 900 lock/miles in one year. But that was when we were both more consultants than not and moored up for one of us to hop on a train to a meeting or event.
Where the home was didn't make much difference as long as we could find a train station. Then our worked changed focus and thankfully for so many reasons, Pete's work ended up on the water and Elizabeth's work was more focused on a few locations, including the studio in Braunston. Last year, year 5, we were largely moored in our home mooring, first to have the BFG and associated electrics sorted and then, to learn what it would be like for Pete to work 5-8 days a week (a few times, more!), locked to a particular geography.
This year, we decided to return to the travelling and working profile, but completely differently. Since the end of May, we've travelled on our days off and then learned to travel on one day off so that the other was really OFF. We are slowly working through Pete's patch and the working slowly through is just wonderful. We are being able to take in what we just rushed past before and it is a real treat. So many more places now feel like home.
So - where were we? That's right, Welford. We left there late morning on the 13th of July and travelled around the corner to the main Leicester line from the Welford Arm. We stopped in another heavenly place for brunch, then set out again to Foxton spotting a stunning Kingfisher on the way. We had arranged for one of Elizabeth's favourite moorings, the top of the Foxton flight opposite the Lock Cottage. Space had been made for us and it feels such a privilege to slowly move to that special place as others queue for the locks. A little gardening was needed for Elizabeth to cut back the branches, but we were as ready as ever for dinner on deck.
We so enjoyed our week in Foxton, including replacing our home-made deck dining table with a dear round folding table we can use on deck or towpath. The real bonus is that the table was a set with two chairs we thought we wouldn't really need. But one fits perfectly on top of the BFG's hat (the raised deck to fit the generator), making a cruising seat (out of the arc of the tiller) for the person not at the tiller! Such a bonus. Elizabeth particularly had been needing some kind of a back rest in order to sit on deck whilst cruising and after nearly 6 years, had not come up with a permanent solution. Suddenly, one sale priced garden set to get a more stable table solved a 6 year old conundrum. Happy E! Grins arrived also with the arrival of Hector, readying to go down the flight. Twice, Hector has been our guest room. What a hoot to see him out on the cut. (oh - and the old deck table is now our headboard.)
