Wintry Ansty

Sheila did her flying start act even earlier this morning, setting off at seven and leaving me to make the first thing tea. I did take mine back to bed, but it's not so much fun without her.

/wahaha

The engine noise stops me hearing the Today programme :))

I finally dragged myself out onto the back to take up my steering duties, only to find that winter was back, with an icy nor' westerly wind. I was well bundled up in guernsey, gilet, fleece and waterproof, but it was still enough to make a eunuch out of a brass monkey.

I nearly made it round the turn at Sutton's Stop, but in trying to do it in one move did find the towpath edge just along from the Greyhound. Slightly discouraged (there was a bloke walking an elderly GSD and the dog gave a derisory bark) I handed over to Sheila and went below to warm up.

Having got a bit less hypothermic I took over again for the run into Ansty. The attitude here is well suited to the weather; the first thing you see are the "Strictly No Mooring" signs erected by a craven BW after complaints from the local residents that all these boats spoil the view from their nice new houses.

Um, it's a canal, what did they expect, herds of wildebeest thundering across the endless veldt? (Thank you Mr Cleese). It's like the people who buy a house next to the village church and start a campaign to stop the clock striking.

/no

Anyway, here we are. Not many boats about, indeed even Sutton's was very quiet. No chance of a paper, of course, so I've signed up for a trial of the Independent's digital service. One month free and £12.99 PCM thereafter for the full monty, PDF of the print edition including all supplements. It seems OK so far; by photographing the grid and printing it out, we've even managed to do the Jumbo GK crossword.

:))