Return begins

A few short bright sunny family days are now over. As we write, NY boy and partner are in the air over the Atlantic and we're moored at the heavenly country stop. We delivered loved ones to Heathrow, parked Reg, and turned on Belladonk  (engine). P handled Bella exquisitely backward to the winding hole where we turned back the way we came.

The tunnel was next, then it was as if we entered a parallel universe. We left a warm 17c Stoke Bruene, wearing sandles. After the 1.5 mile tunnel, we emerged to 13c overcast skies and the occasional light shower. Crazy!  We then had a stop at Gayton yard to empty cassettes and let Maxwell have his customary manic run. We passed some resting country cows, just seen through the trees (you have to look hard!!).

Stoke Bruerne

What a lovely finish for the cottage rendezvous. We woke to horses in the fog, then made our way to the tunnel. E and P untied and P took the tiller whilst E stayed inside cleaning and baking. Maxwell chose the deck sitting on P's feet. They did the Blisworth tunnel together then we moored in Stoke Bruerne.  A quick change of clothes, we picked up Reg and drove to Milton Keynes rail station. Runners and non runners now gathered,  we dropped bags and settled into the pub garden.  Gorgeous day on all counts!

A journey for family

Our NY boy ran the London Marathon on Sunday. Stupendous finish too!! As he was running, we were tracking him on the app and travelling down the Buckby flight.

A few days earlier, we'd parked our Reg at the cottage in Stoke Bruerne where running boy and partner were to join us. We were due to travel Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning to have  a leisurely cruise. As it was,  storm Hannah kept us firmly moored on Saturday and we had to set out Sunday.

We were in fabulous luck, meeting up with a gorgeous boat and butty along with her crew including dog Bill. They'd already set the lock and opened it. They welcomed a companion boat as much as we did. Just as the lock started to drain, our boy started to run. We tracked each 5k as we decended the 7 lock flight and shared the news. As it was such an excellent flight with two full crews, we all finished much earlier than either expected and we were moored in Weedon to track the praise worthy finish. Fab. The pic below is our companions passing us as we moored for the finish.

We ended the day moored at the heavenly stretch near B44. Quiet, gorgeous, now neighbours to horses across the canal.

Christmas eve laundry scene

Have we ever said how much we love this life? This is one of the reasons. We stand to do the mundane thing of hang laundry from the ceiling airer and this is what we see. We love this life.

Upper Nellie after a great day

Excellent day! We set off from the lower Nellie pound late this morning to moor up near the Stop House and meet dear friends. Met well, we had lunch, toured Bella, toured the Stop House then studio and waved Trafalgar South from the Braunston iron bridge.

We turned in the Braunston marina entrance and worked our way back uphill. We're now in the upper Nellie pound ( between locks 3 & 4) ready to set off early - hopefully before the rain!

The Admiral Nelson from upper Nellie pound.

Yes the stove is lit, and no we didn't wash Bella

There we are. We've owned up. The heat wave is past and the summer is ending colder than usual. And it's been raining. So we decided for warmth. Here's Squirrel, remembering the core purpose having quite forgotten for months. P remembered how to get the fire right first time.

We were supposed to wash Bella today. Yes, you've read the past tense. The boat maintenance gods remind us regularly that we were always built to get someone else to do it and delegate we must. When we washed the starboard side, we finally had the time (never the inclination) and that's the day the heat wave broke with rain. We washed between the showers. This morning, we got going to make it before the scheduled rain. P went to get a new chimney brush to find the shop had run out. Then it rained. It cleared a bit to think we could crack on, but no. The tow path gardeners were out with the strimmer and mower, rain or no rain. So we have given in and went back to holiday mode. Bella will be cleaned properly when we book the marina to do it. The gods have spoken.