Eclipse and weather!

Last night was a full eclipse of the moon! Bill and I were out watching it, along with many other people across the country I guess, warming tipple in one hand and shaking binoculars in the other, (shaking due to the cold - nothing to do with the tipple, of course!) Conditions were stunning and it certainly was spectacular. Thanks to my father for the picture above, taken despite the South West London air quality! Today we have enetered another climatic zone! Rain has been lashing down all day and the wind is making the marina waters more like the North sea than beautiful rural Warwickshire! In fact, the water is so choppy it is hitting the bank and spraying up over the driveway areas just like a coastal storm.

I am currently taking a welcome break from school work to type this blog. Another welcome break came from helping Bill earlier to tidy up a few piles of wood left by the builders - I have to say, an hour of this, (despite the howling wind and pouring rain,) was almost better than preparing reports for parents for the coming weeks parent/teacher evenings.An exciting week ahead; Late night parent's evenings on Monday and Thursday interspersed with meetings/after school clubs etc should ensure that I don't arrive home earlier than 6.30-7.00 most evenings.

Yesterday confirmed my desperation to go out for a good weekend in the boat - somehow, the weekends marking and work seems almost quite nice when moored out along the cut and in the sunshine. Four weeks till Easter and not yet sure where to go. My father can only join me for the second week of the holiday so not sure whether to have one week back up the Ashby then return, meet my father and head off somewhere else with him or go up towards Tixell and the Shroppie again and see if he can meet me en route somwhere. There is a big market for someone to produce a list/directory of places to park cars safely along the canal system so that when boaters arrange to meet people - either friends or crew, they can consult the directory and make arrangements. Of course, such a list could be abused by the 'bridge hoppers' or even provide a car thief's personal planner but that's life; it would still be handy for us all. How about an online directory..... ummm! now you've got me thinking. Anyone else think it would be a good idea or is it just me?