Is it a ???????

Narrowboat Wannabe??

Love the fender!!

We set off on Monday for a long day cruising. It was only a 7 lock day so not too demanding!! The canal here is not very interesting, although there are a lot of ducklings and cygnets. Mind you we seem to have enough entertainment traveling with us. Pete broke down with his water getting too hot. The men all got stuck in and he was sorted in no time.

To be efficient at a service stop we all got our toilet cassettes ready to empty at the facilities. Unfortunately John forgot his cassette was out and pee’d in his loo, no cassette, what a mess!!! I have heard an even funnier story regarding loo cassettes not being in situ at the required moment – but think I would get skinned alive if I re-told it.

We moored at Cosgrove, outside a pub, where else and decided to eat in. But, this was a very expensive pub, so didn’t go the whole hog.

Is it a boat or is it a plane???

Max had a lovely towpath with a nice hedge next to it to play on. There are a lot less people and boats here so we could let him play without too much worry. Well, soon after going out he popped back onto the boat, with a shrew between his teeth!! He promptly dropped it and the shrew ran round and round the boat with both Max and me chasing after it. I couldn’t do anything for laughing it must have been a hilarious sight. The shrew, which was really tiny, about the same size as a large bumble bee, disappeared behind the bookcase. It was safe, but Max was fuming and watched and waited. By this time we had moved off, so basically the shrew was going to be relocated. It eventually came out, Max chased it, Ken caught it and put it outside at Wolverton.

We moored up later at Campbell Park. We thought this an ideal place for a cat, but unfortunately we had to rescue him twice. Once he climbed a tree and couldn’t get down so Ken had to climb up after him. Then Max got attacked by a greyhound, which has been traumatic for all of us. Max is ok, but he bit me and it bloody hurt!!!!

Ken to the rescue!!

We spent last night just outside Leighton Buzzard at ‘The Globe’. Fantastic curry night, very cheap and very good curry. (I am not a lover of pub curry usually, but this was excellent). Today we went into Leighton Buzzard shopping and are staying here for the night. Not a lot going on here considering we are in the middle of a town.

Lovely pub grub here 'The Globe'

Lots of things cross your mind while moseying down the rivers and canals. When we left Peterborough the river was crystal clear, you could see all the fish and weeds right to the bottom. When I look at the water of the canals it looks just like soup!! Mind you I saw someone catch a really big fish in the ‘soup’ this morning, so it obviously doesn’t affect the wildlife.

The other thing I have noticed is just how damn loud the countryside is, what with the birds twittering, cows mooing and how even when you think you are in the middle of nowhere, you can hear TYRE NOISE!!!! Amazing.