Another little stop for reflection

It is 12 months and 1 day since we put the deposit on Bella, then Heyford, with Oxfordshire Narrow Boats. Regular readers will have seen that we have not had an easy time selling the house which funded this new life of ours. We are delighted to say that after 3 failed attempts, our house is now lovingly in the hands of a three generation family, the sale finally complete last week. This picture is of a G+T sitting on Bella's aft bench in the stern. When we took it in March, it signified a weekend out and a warmish evening, a respite from the house and world finance market worry. Now it represents a little leisure, a grateful toast to all who helped us in those intervening months (you know who you are!) and a sign of a big relaxed sigh as we look to the next phase of what life will bring.

Friends and Relations welcome!!!

We've just had a delightful conversation with Pete's brother, Dave, about a visit to us in September. And, we know our friend, Clare, will be joining us for a bit in a few weeks. This post is to let all friends and relations know that you are welcome!! You are welcome for a few hours, for a night, or for a travelling few days or more. But you also know that though this is a big boat for two people, it shrinks remarkably fast when more are added! We have learned now that we can put up one person on board for a night; any more than that, and alternative sleeping accommodation is needed. (ps - that's one of the reasons we are still planning for Arabella the broad beam/dutch barge)

So there are a variety of ways you can join us.

A
Park ahead, walk or cycle back to us, and travel for a few hours until we reach your car.

B
Park at a booked B+B, walk, cycle or taxi to us, travel for a while and we'll moor up with you as close to your B+B as we can get. We can eat aboard or off. We can do this for any number of nights!

C
Park at a booked campsite, walk, cycle or taxi to us, travel for a while and we'll moor up with you as close to your campsite as we can get. We can eat aboard or off. Like the B+B option, we can do this for any number of nights. Depending on the towpath, you might be able to set up a tent and we'll carry it and your kit on board during the day.

D
Take a train to a station near us, travel with us, and take a return train from a station later on.

E
Cycle to us, travel with us while we stow your cycles in the bow, then cycle away when you are ready.

F
Hire a boat and travel with us! http://www.hireacanalboat.co.uk

There are probably lots more options!! And some of them are just to come visit when we are moored and not move at all. But we hope that if you follow the blog, you'll keep up with the general direction we are going and will look ahead to see if you can join us for any of it. You truly are welcome. We wish we could accommodate more than one person, but have to be honest and say that it is not easily possible. And if you chose the B+B option, we'll share the cost with you - we'll buy the dinner and the booze!!!

Be creative! We'll be on the Grand Union canal the remainder of July (we expect), as Elizabeth has to have easy access to trains for much work. If you join Pete, you can always learn to lockwind while you move (!). In August and early September, we expect to be on the Oxford Canal and from there, move in to the Warwickshire Ring. We'll bimble along until British Waterways says we need to stop, sometime early November. So, have a look at the maps and come join us!

http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/grand_union.htm
http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/grand-union-canal
http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/oxford.htm
http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/walking/routes/230/oxford-canal-walk
http://www.holidayuk.co.uk/canals/routes/warwickring/index.htm

Moored up in Apsley

At our last post, we were in Croxley Green on the 4th of July. On the 5th, we moved a little bit more north (2 miles and 3 locks) to Grove Mill. A wonderful stop, just opposite an old mill, now reconstructed to flats. Beautiful. From there, Elizabeth drove to Poole to speak about her exhibition, Breathing Light, hanging at Longfleet URC, then to collect them all and come back to Bella. Horrible rain, but there we are. Today, we set out to Apsley, close the the train station for Elizabeth to get to Church House on the 8th and for Pete to get to Oxford via Reg for the Credit Union. And this is the peaceful evening view...

Bella gets a wash

We're moored up in Croxley Green today, a few short miles and locks northwest from Rickmansworth. We are edging up to Hemel and Berkhamsted to be in nice moorings while Elizabeth trains around the immediate world in July. We moored up by the water point just after the last lock at around 12:30 and Elizabeth thought she'd give Bella a light wash down with the hose. Well, one thing led to another and by 4:30 and moored for the night, Bella had a full clean, rinse, and polish. Washing and polishing a car is one thing. Doing this to a 69 foot hunk of steel is quite another, but hey. We even brass cleaned her tiller handle. Pete would take a photo, but the glare would be just too much.

Elizabeth still likes her flowers

The title of this post is enough said, really. But E can be occasionally caught using her secateurs on the towpath, enjoying mixing wildflowers and towpath hedge cuttings with her favourite alstromeria... Oh, and do spot the burgeoning garden. There is now a fuscia, bay, azalea, rosemary and rose of sharon as well as 6 herbs including lavendar. Heavenly.

As ever, we are not the only ones on the water!

We've had a lovely mooring in Rickmansworth, getting to know our neighbour and his two dogs and guitar and watching Josie meet dogs on the tow path - as she is leaning out the duck doors! We also enjoy watching the water life. We have had a family of Coots on one side and a family of Moorhens on the other. They don't like each other, but they make a B line to us when the hatch is open. All those hungry beaks to feed.

We also enjoy watching others with boats!

The 26th of June took us to Rickmansworth

Now this is quiet. As we write, we have been here over the weekend. Elizabeth took a coach, train, taxi, then Reg (our Car) to collect her paintings from our friends in Rugby to hang them in an exhibition in Poole and return to Ricky. Reg is now parked just north of bridge 174 and Bella is moored just east of it. It has been a peaceful weekend with the beauty of mostly blue sky and visits from moorhens, coots, ducks and the occasional fish. Mostly quiet. Wonderful.