Getting a buzz just when I need it

18th & 19th May

Just before settling down to do today's blog, I read the latest from Andrew Denny on Granny Buttons, and that led me to Dogsontour by Greygal, who's just done a post about her favourite blogs, and includes this one.

Gosh! A year past January, when I started this blog, I had no idea if anyone would ever read it, and now I get enthusiastic mentions by other dedicated bloggers. I can't say how much difference it makes, especially on a day like today, when I'm cream crackered from trying to get Sanity look presentable for Crick, I've still got the dinner to cook, and it's a blog day.

Getting a plug like that, like the kindly folks who post encouraging comments, makes it all worthwhile. Thanks Greygal.

Meanwhile, back to the (b)log: yesterday was an early start day, as we wanted to get through the tunnel before it got busy and full of smoke. We were boating by 7.15, and up the last two locks and at the tunnel mouth by eight. Rigging the new small wander lamp on the slide makes it so much easier to negotiate the tunnel. You can see exactly where the long axis of the boat is, and it was even possible to steer round some of the worst of the downpours from the ventilation shafts. Blisworth has always been a wet tunnel, and after the recent rain the north end in particular was streaming.

We got through in just 30 minutes, and then spent the rest of the day meeting lots of traffic coming the other way. There's no lack of moorings and marinas around here these days, and a cool but sunny Sunday had brought a lot of weekenders out.

By 11 we were at Stowe Hill, and stopped to fill the water tank and run a washload at the same time. The water point was in great demand – everyone was being good natured about it, though – it just wasn't the kind of day to get worked up about stuff.

We went round the corner to our usual mooring at Weedon by midday, and I nipped into the village to get a loaf of bread. I actually succumbed to the prospect of Cornish pasties. They were your basic mass produced beasts, but still very welcome after a long morning at the tiller.

In the afternoon, we started the process of trying to get Sanity look a bit like she did when we first got her from the yard, i.e. clean and shining. We cleared all the stuff off the roof, and while Sheila sawed up the various bits of wood so that they'd fit into the bread tray or the coal box or down the back of the stove, I washed and rinsed the length of it.

Then we put it all back, and much better it looked for it, even if hawthorn blossom began immediately to blow off the hedge onto the nice clean paintwork.

Today we made a much lazier start, as we wanted to get more fresh stuff from the shop, and a gas cylinder from Whilton Chandlery at the foot of Buckby Locks.

Nevertheless we were boating by half eight, and by half nine getting near to Whilton. Sheila took over the helm so that I could start getting the gas locker sorted to change the bottle. It was just as well that she did, as when I came to lift the bottle out of the locker, it became apparent that it still contained some gas. When changing over bottles the other day, I hadn't quite closed off the stop valve on the empty, and it had slowly filled up a little from the new bottle.

This is a pain, as the only sensible thing to do is to go back to using this bottle until it runs out again, then switch over and change bottles reasonably promptly before the other one runs out. At least we found out before I'd bought the new bottle. Whilton Chandlery, never the cheapest place on the system, is now charging 95 pence per litre for red diesel, so I doubt if their gas would have been the cheapest deal either.

We hung about below the bottom lock to see if a locking partner would turn up. One boat showed in the distance after while, and I turned the lock (two boats having just gone up as we arrived at the bottom) to get ready. The approaching boat then signalled that he wasn't coming up, so after hanging about a bit more, we went up the first lock. No sooner were we well on the way up, than yet another boat appeared.

Accordingly, we waited above the lock. This one proved to be Lady Dilys, who'd been moored near us at Weedon. She was crewed by Brain and Dilys, former "ten pound poms" (beneficiaries of the old assisted passage scheme for British migrants to Oz) from New South Wales, and they made excellent locking partners, good humoured, skilled with the boat and just generally good people to be with.

We stopped in the pound below the top lock, and they went on, but I hope we'll have the chance to boat with them again.

Whilst hanging around at the bottom, I'd bought a Waterways World. It contains the piece we'd written about butchers on the cut, I'm pleased to say, in the Good Grub section at the front.

During the afternoon, Sheila finished the doilies to decorate Kala, the Braidbar showboat, which means she's now able to take a bit more of a risk with her hands. Whilst doing the crochet, she has to try to avoid getting the skin too rough, or she can't handle the cotton properly.

Now she can join in the boat cleaning bit. I've spent the afternoon polishing the starboard cabin side, though I'm not satisfied with it, and I think it'll have to be done again tomorrow. Sheila, meanwhile, heroically started the process of getting the brass of the Houdini hatch clean. The first line of attack is with Astonish paste, then it will have to be polished with Brasso.

I'll get it sealed with Incralac this year if it's the last thing I do.