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| Room for a view. |
We moored at Stenson Lock for long enough, in our thoughts,
and the next stop was Willington just along the Canal and around a bend or two.
For ease of location we agreed that I could helm DB and Chris and Della would
take the car. This was the first time
that I had moved DB being on my own by myself! The weather, yes the weather
whether you are interested or not was forecasted to be bright and sunny for 3
days before it became cloudy and wet for..... That May was predicted to be hot
and dry was just the Met Office having a bit of a joke. We are onto it and
believe that if you’re going to move, then move if it is less likely to rain,
making hay while the sun shines is just fanciful thinking.
The day dawned at an hour too early for me to wake up to
and, as usual, it was after 7am and my cuppa tea when I got moving. Chris and
Della had gone for her morning constitutional and I took the opportunity to
start taking down the stern canopy and dodger before they returned. It was a
calm, clear and beautiful day. The wind is known to breeze up as the day
progresses so getting prepared for an early cruise-off involved good organisation.
We are now working as a team in assembling and disassembling the canopy and
Wheel House structure. In fact, our shared language for this task which used to
be either berating each other or the inanimate object has become congratulatory,
and having a covered conservatory space over the stern is the ‘icing on the
cake’, so to speak. ‘We can do it’ is our positive thinking again.
We delayed breakfast until we got to Willington, so we could
get moving. Cptn pushed DB out and I throttled up to move her along. I didn’t
move much faster than ‘TIC’ as it wasn’t far to go and Chris and Della would
walk along the towpath to meet me eventually. Looking behind me another boat came
into view so I throttled up to keep it at bay. All good and I got my ‘sights’
and depth perception fit to go under the bridges without adjusting speed. This
part of the canal is still suited to wide beam boats. In time, I saw Cptn and
Della in view at the footbridge near the Mercia Marina entrance. Feeling
boosted with good feeling and confidence, I moved in to ‘pick up’ and achieved
the action very well. Famous last words, but that’s a Blog away!
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| Leaving Willington mooring |
Willington, remains a familiar spot and a boat at the
Sanitary Station was minutes away from moving out when we closed in. Suffice to
say we were moored up within minutes and DB’s water tank was filling. I don’t
think the water pressure is on a par with some of the water points we have used
but it is not the trickle that is on offer at Kingswood Junction. Ok our water
tank is above average in size but it was only just over a week since we had
topped it up at Weston Lock. We are used to conserving water but what the heck,
it took a while to fill and we even gave up to let another boat in.
Friendliness and consideration, in life........ Cptn had talked to the
Fender-trading boat that was in a mooring we had our eye on. The Fender chap
remembered us and our purchase of fenders for DB from him in 2014. She reminded
me we had given their dog a warm coat that Della didn’t wear. Della won’t wear
clothes, I told her, and she wants to keep up the visual impact that she is
actually an all-weather dog. I didn’t mention that Della loves being dried with
a towel or a hair dryer is even better.
Fender boat moved off as we moved in giving up their space for us. Well they were on their way and just stayed in situ while we were getting water so we could take over their mooring.
24 hours in Willington felt like 2 days. A lot seemed to
have happened....I went to the Post Office to see if our mail had been
delivered to Poste Restante. No it hadn’t arrived and is now making me question
the meaning of First Class post?? The next delivery would be the following day
between 1100 to 1200hrs. After a chat in the Post Office I went to the almost
new Co-op on the site of the old GP surgery. Walking back to DB, I cast my eye
in the direction of the old Co-op building that is being renovated to be used
as an Indian restaurant. ‘Hairs & Graces’, my favourite hairdresser, has disappeared.
I miss that Judith is no longer there, having someone that can tame my mop is a
rare find. Being on the float in our boat, it is not always easy to find
someone that I can trust who can cut hair at an affordable price. (So far on my
rating list, Abingdon and Quesada). Finally the newest open place in Willington
is the Chip Shop. Say no more.
I enjoyed a mid afternoon meet-up with some creative crafty
women in Willington. A few friendly faces from my Mercia days that meet up and
spin a yarn, weave a web etc. Go girls, I believe craft is sanity in a world of
madness. I was tempted to buy yarn but I have still got too much to use up, in
Spain. My stock has followed me from NZ to England to Spain and I’m working
though it!
Late afternoon and the sun shines. Friends turned up at
DB and there was total agreement on sitting outdoors at the Canal side pub ‘The
Dragon’ and having a beer. All very proper except Della had to go and visit
everyone who looked like they had pat or food potential. Eventually she
returned to us and lay down on the artificial grass and had some ‘shut-eye’.
The life of Della is a good life, I think.
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| WOW I may be small to look at but my brain is larger than you could imagine. I am a dog not a handbag! |
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