Life has ups and downs

28th & 29th December

We'd had an excellent evening on Sebeq, being entertained by Klaus and Helga, so made an easy start to Friday.

We'd planned to sit tight for one more day, then go to Marple for some shopping and the change of scene on Saturday. Checking the weather forecast, however, revealed that whereas Friday's weather was going to be a bit breezy, with gusts up to 30 mph, Saturday was liable to be even worse, with the wind gusting to 40 mph.

So we thought again, and by 10 o'clock were ready to set off. Fortunately, Klaus and Helga were up by then, as Sebeq was still moored outside us. The four of us gave a virtuoso performance of extracting Sanity backwards from inside Sebeq. There was, naturally, no audience to view it.

Arriving at Marple at 11.30, we did a first load of shopping, including more knitting needles from the Marple wool shop, Sew-in, so that Sheila can knit Daniel a hat just like the one she's given me for Christmas – she wanted to get it done to give to Graeme and Cathy when they came to see us for New Year.

After lunch, we were on our way back to the Co-op for a second load (mostly booze of various kinds, ready for Hogmanay) when the phone rang. It was Luisa to say that they were free that evening if we still wanted to give them a curry.

We certainly do, was the answer, so after finishing the shopping we set off back to Poynton for a seven o'clock rendezvous with them. We moored on Ian Grindrod's mooring, since his boat, Barbra Louise, is in the yard until the New Year for security reasons.

On the way back, we saw some young villains (around age 8, I'd say) throwing stones at the boats on the Waterside Moorings, but they were too shy to pose for a photograph. I also took a shot of the amazing hole which has just appeared in the towpath under the Bridge in High Lane.

Hole under High Lane Bridge

We had another excellent evening with Iain and Luisa (we always do), consuming Prawn Garam Masala and a sticky toffee meringue and strawberry dessert contributed by Luisa.

After two late nights in a row, we made a really late start this morning, not getting going until half nine. Whilst I went out to get a paper and some bread, Sheila made a start on cleaning the boat ready for the invasion tomorrow (Sunday) and the next day.

Just as we were eating lunch, though, Graeme rang up and broke the bad news that they are not going to make it. It's nothing serious, but Daniel has been suffering from the disruption to routine over Christmas, together with a cold and starting to teethe. As a result, none of them had had a lot of sleep last night, and to add in another trip just seems like a really bad idea.

We are bitterly disappointed, of course, but these things happen with small kids, and we just have to live with it. It did rather reduce the motivation to clean the boat, though. We'll still see Elanor, and will be delighted to do so, but we'll have to wait until some time in the New Year before seeing our ever growing grandson again.

We've spent the afternoon clearing up even so, and the boat is beginning to look a a bit tidier than it has for a while.

The decision about boating yesterday was justified, as well – the weather is now appalling out there, blowing and raining, but we have some hopes for a calmer period over New Year itself.