Still at Market Bosworth, delivery from Tesco this afternoon topping up with all the things that Sainsbury's either do not supply or did not have. Continuing to work on the web site(s).
5th insurance.glow.erupts - 3½ miles - Barton Lane
Quite close to Shackerstone Station, in fact we can hear the trains shunting backwards and forwards. Took a stroll to the station to see what is going on but everything is closed up. Apparently they are only running trains at the weekends at the moment.
It looks as if we haven't really moved whereas we have actually been up to Snarestone, through a tunnel that has a kink in it so it is difficult to see the other end, to take on water, empty the loos and get rid of the accumulation of rubbish and back again.
In all honesty we seem to generate very little rubbish. I have a system of stuffing all the plastic wrapping and other small plastic waste inside a plastic milk bottle, that condenses the rubbish quite dramatically.
CRT occasionally make recycling bins available at some of their refuse facilities but because there is no consistent policy I can never remember those that have separate bins for glass, plastic, metal, paper and general waste so do not segregate my waste on board. I have tried that in the past but then arrive at a facility that only has general waste bin so it's a waste of time.
Got a note in the diary to get some diesel if the fuel boat goes past, but didn't need it as the fuel boat arrived this morning. Filled up with diesel, got a bottle of gas and a bag of coal. Still buying coal at this time of year!
Ever since my leg and ankle swelled up so that I could no longer get my wellington boots on we have forgone the opportunities of collecting wood. It would be ridiculous to tramp through all the mud and water in open toed sandals (the only footwear I can don) to collect it.
The weather has been just cold enough to light the fire each day and we have to burn something. It is my policy not to light the fire if the temperature is 15 degrees C or more, but this has not happened yet. Having said that, by midday it is usually so hot we are opening all the doors and windows. I have also noticed that because I am not being overly active I like the boat nearer 25 than the recommended 21, or is it just that I am getting older?
12th crackled.shrugging.scoring - 3 miles - Market Bosworth
Back to Market Bosworth for another delivery from the supermarket. Shopping day seems to come round so quickly. Before Covid I used to go shopping on a regular basis, about once every two or three days, often daily. Now that we have to rely on deliveries and, what's more, with a minimum value, it is much harder to organise a regular supply of perishables like fresh veg and bread.Weekly orders mean that by the forth or fifth day the bread is going mouldy and the vegetables are well past their best. Perhaps I should go back to 2008 and get myself a bread maker again. If I remember correctly I discarded the bread maker then because it took nearly three hours to make as loaf and it was impracticable to have the invertor on all that time as it would run the batteries down. Nowadays if the solar panels are not generating enough electricity we run the engine for a couple of hours anyway, so the time factor may no longer be an issue.
Moved nearer Stoke Golding and Ashby Boat Company who are doing the work on Iowner. Strolled along and picked up some tools from Iowner and inspected the work. Most impressed with the new decking and the access to the engine bay and batteries and so on. Not so impressed with the drainage. I had asked for a three by two channel from one side of the boat to the other for the water to drain away in as the stupid little half inch pipes that were there originally kept getting clogged up with leaves and other debris causing the overflow to end up in the bilges. No three by two channel and still used the half inch pipes. Had a natter with the welder and he agreed to change it for me, so it will be a little longer than I had anticipated.
Anyway, back to the tools. The steps at the back of Dennis had started to collapse. The screws that I had used to hold them in place were a bit too short and had started to pull out, so I needed to replace them with some screws that were more up to the job. Not a problem when you have everything to hand but a pain when you don't. Collected a drill, screwdriver and a selection of screws along with some bits of wood that might be useful and back to Dennis to make the repairs.
15th sandpaper.shelving.punch - 4 miles - Dadlington Picnic Area
Motored along to Sutton Wharf early this morning to fill up with water, empty the loos and get rid of the rubbish. Arrived to find a boat moored up at the water point. It looked as if there was no-one on board and I was considering just moving the boat along a bit so I could get in but I decided to knock just in case. Banged loudly on the side of the boat, no response, banged again and there was signs of movement so I strode up to the front of the boat and told the emerging occupant that they were on a water point mooring which is restricted to getting water only, not for overnight mooring. He (they, by this time the female occupant was in view) protested that they had been told by the cafe proprietors that this was a 24 hour mooring and that they were new at this. I pointed out that a boat's length further back was the 24 hour mooring (which was occupied) and that he was on the facilities mooring. He checked the signage and reluctantly admitted that he was in error, but again mentioned that they were new at this and had not fully understood the meaning of the various arrows. He agreed to move along far enough for me to get to the water point.
Once I had completed my ablutions I went back to the offending boat and apologised for being so abrupt with them and we had a fairly civilised conversation about the vagaries of signage and the misunderstandings that can occur when people are coming at conversations from different perspectives.
Back to Dadlington picnic area.
16th
To keep myself occupied these past few weeks while we have been waiting around in a hurry I have been writing a program to look at all my photographs and build web pages with them segregated by year and month and sometimes subject as well for everyone to look at. Well it's finished so all the pictures I have taken for the past seven years but not documented or displayed are now available for viewing. The next step is to try and remember what we were doing and where and document it all, a major undertaking. In the meantime you will have to put up with me working backwards while trying to keep up with current events.
18th
Ordered repeat medication from the doctor to be collected from a pharmacy in Hinckley. For a while I used Patient Access to order my repeat prescriptions but after a couple of hiccups where the medication went to the wrong pharmacy. I eventually worked out that the person issuing the repeat prescription was not reading the pharmacy instructions and was issuing it to the pharmacy I had used last time. Now I order by email as the person who deals with that request seems to actually read the instructions.
Listening to the world service last night about all the conflict in Palestine and Israel it struck me that 2000 years ago Jesus laid the foundations for an ongoing conflict between Jews, who do not believe in the son of God and the rest of the world, who do, and it is still continuing.
19th
Quiet day updating this document, caught up with February and March, still got April and the previous five years to go.
Watched Robbie Cummings 'Canal Boat Diaries' this evening and jokingly complained that he referred to me as a 'local' who helped him get his boat off the bank when stuck on the Huddersfield Narrow canal. I was pushing his boat off the bank while D'fer was just strutting along the tow path. Spotted Forty Two (Iowner before being renamed) several times during the course of the program.
20th peach.cashew.tamed - 1 mile - Higham Lane
Up early, ran the engine and the central heating, the engine for electricity and the central heating for hot water. Watched the news followed by Rip Off Britain. During the news they previewed the items to be featured on Rip Off Britain, one of which was the problem of dogs being kidnapped. I had been pondering this for a while as I am considering getting another pooch and the solution that I have come up with is a mini cam fixed to the dogs collar and streaming the video to your phone. Sent an email to Rip Off Britain about the idea and they read it out at the end of the program!
Motored along to the boat yard where Dennis had an oil change. The guy that is doing work for both the boats at the moment is called Mark Spencer. He worked at Alvecote Boat Yard in 2006, when I passed by and spoke to Amber and Paul. Mark knows both of them, he went to their wedding, and also knows Mark Jeeves. Not only that, he worked on Dennis (previously Dream-catcher) and helped commission her, small world. Mind you, it's good that he has an affinity with Dennis as he enjoys working on her.
Mark also fitted an ELCB (something electrical) to prevent us getting shocks from the mains system if there is a problem.
21st
In it's own way quite a depressing location. The field opposite has a lone horse in it which gives all the indication of being lonely. At the slightest sign of human activity it trots along to see what is going on and have a look.
Wet and dreary all day, didn't move.
22nd deeply.oasis.apples - 2½ miles - Nutts Lane
Arrived too late to get to the pharmacy for my medication, will have to call in on Monday.
23rd
I usually check the level of diesel in the tank on a Monday but did it today instead. The method of checking the level is to take the filler cap off and insert a 1mt steel ruler. On withdrawing it I can see where the diesel comes up to. Today I didn't bother with the ruler, I could see where the level was.
24th punchy.rated.bank - 2½ miles - Buton Hastings
Collected medication. Cruised to my mooring. Raining all day.
25th moves.video.pound - 2 miles - Lloyds Bridge
Oops again. Ran out of water last night, just had enough for an overnight drink of water. First thing in the morning turned round and went back to Hydes Lane where there is a water point. Filled up with water. Dennis does not hold as much water as Iowner, but then I know that the water tank on Iowner is particularly large. Also filled a 25Lt water container that we had been given when we filled up at Sutton Wharf. Not sure how clean it is so put a teaspoon of bleach in it and will let it stand till next time we fill up, when I will empty it and refill it with fresh water. Should be clean by then.
26th visual.uses.lasted - 3 miles - Nuneaton
Briefly, while we went along to Kasli Pharmacy for my travelling companion's second jab.
sprinter.swanky.plans 3½ miles - HartshillMoored up close to Cyan, a boat that we originally saw on the Caldon Canal. The owners purchased it shortly before the first lock down and have been sort of stuck here ever since. When we saw them here a year ago last February the guy on board was having treatment for a heart condition. He has since been fitted with a pacemaker and is loving life aboard his boat.
28th plodding.taps.behalf - 11 miles - Basin Bridge
Into Atherstone to use the facilities, water, loo, rubbish.
Telephone conversation with Richard, he is expecting to get his boats in the water this coming Thursday. Only 9 years in the process, but now it's happening.
Off to Stoke Golding where Iowner is currently sitting having had some work done on her. Moored Dennis close to Basin Bridge turning point so that I could walk along to collect Iowner, saved having to wind (turn around) Dennis as well as Iowner at the marina entrance.
