Can't make its mind up...

It's been one of those confusing days, weather-wise, scorching hot when the sun comes out but threatening downpours from time to time, none of which have actually happened. We rolled the side opening in the cratch, then the whole of that side, then put it all back down because we were sure it was going to pour.

We've just walked round to the shop to get milk (and incidentally next month's Canal Boat and Waterways World) and it was much cooler outside than in, quite refreshing, indeed.

Whilst waiting for yesterday's paint to dry hard, (and avoiding any further painting because it was going to rain, wasn't it?) we've been doing internet stuff that otherwise might get put off. I did the online application for that official acknowledgement of my decrepitude, the state pension to which I shall be entitled in October, and Sheila braced herself, dug out all the files and completed her tax return online.

This is the first year she's had to declare earnings and expenditure on the lodge, of course, so it was even more tedious than before. We now wait to see if she's got it right.

Apart from all that, we've been pottering rather. Some of the screws holding one of the hinges of one of the Houdinis came loose yesterday, so today I took each screw out in turn on both hatches, applied Locktite and screwed it in again. There is a tendency for screws to loosen on the Houdinis, a result of combined vibration and the differential expansion of stainless steel and brass, I guess.

Truly, there is always something that needs doing on a boat.

We saw Elanor briefly on her way to a job interview (good luck, Elanor) but otherwise it's been a quiet day after all the weekend socialising. Tomorrow, I'll have a go at finishing the bow flash painting if the weather behaves itself.