Return to the 'norm'!

Well, having come back in the other day I simply couldn't sit still and so went out again! A beautiful Saturday up at battlefield sitting outside the boat reading in the sun and polishing the boat. I've bought a Vax carpet washer as I am fed up with the amount of dirt such a small space accumulates!

A pleasant cruise back today although the Ashby is getting crazy witht he amount of traffic on it recently. This year seems considerably more than ever before; wether the miserable weather has persuaded many to enjoy the lock-free tranquility of this beautiful canal or wether recent press coverage of the extension that has now began has encouraged people to visit, I don't know but I was caught up in quite a traffic jam passing through Ashby boats at Stoke Golding today!!

Simba met his new mate Jess, the puppy belonging to Steve and Julia and the family from NB Even Balance. They seemed to hit it off together which is a relief and I have published a picture of Jess above.

Had an interesting chat with some boaters on a coal boat last night which was passing through at 10.00 at night! I made reference to something or another which had annoyed me and they replied, "Oh well, live and let live!" On the way back home today I was thinking about this statement and how ironic it was. That surely means they dis-agree with the police in our country and if you do away with the police, you are opening the doors to anarchy so the irony is in a statement that is made out of supposed peacefulness and acceptance of everyone, how it actually means that they surely must support anarchy and riot!!??

One boatig friend fromt he marina gave me a cheery wave as I was heading back up the Ashby the other day and they were passing me going out and the fleeting conversation went something like this;

" Hi there, you heading back to the marina?"

"Yes, just had a lovely 2 weeks up the Shroppie, where you going?"

"Gloucester and beyond for a few months - see you in September!"

At the point we were too far past each other for me to reply and they probably wouldn't have liked my reply anyway as I sit here contemplating going back to work tomorrow. Ah well, a bank holiday coming up and weather permitting another mini-adventure up the Ashby and back, who knows, I might even get to the terminus!!?