Spent a couple of days at Thatcham, and went to a Marston pub for lunch. 3 had the roast and I had a sizzlinn' chicken, that was so sizzling it made everyone cough as it came to the table. Towpath tipple that evening, which was nice. Mootched around Thatcham looking for Poop Scoops, as both Jim and myself have accidently knocked ours overboard.  Found a cat litter scoop, that  helped out.  As it looks like a fish slice, it might get washed and used for the bbq( whenever that should happen). 

ONLY JOKING !!!!!!





Moved on to Newbury, a nice town, and a nice mooring on the park. Into Wilkinsons for 2 pukka poopscoops, and they float and they were only £1, and on the strength of that, we were all sad enough to walk back and purchase a BackupperPooperScooper each.


We have had 2 days here due to the weather !!!!!  Today( Tuesday), it has been heaving down, so not much point in moving. Took the dogs out for a wet walk, and I went to a Launderette------joy of joys. !   As my washing machine is knacker.......not working anymore, and I am having to hand wash.! The launderette was fantastic and cheap, and so close to the canal. I shall be using it on the return journey. 

Tomorrow, we will move off again, and perhaps see some pretty countryside.  People have told us how pretty it is, but I don't think we have got to that part yet.

anyway I am droning on.  

The mating pigeons are very amusing here.  The males certainly try their hardest to inveigle the females into a bit of "lovin'". and talking of that, we all watched( furtively from around the curtains), a couple on a bench near the boats having the most wonderful "SNOG" .

Now then Melva, to what are you referring when you reckon Mick should have a Two-sie or Three-sie ????????????    come on, don't be shy /!!!!!!!     hee hee

 Coot nesting

 Bull doing what a bull should do.

 Reading

 Don't think Reading is that keen on a canal

 Me and Marylin

 What a beauty ! This make Mick and I salivate, but we would never get her through the locks.

Tuesday we waited it out at Reading for a delivery from the vet for one of the cairns.  Weather was dull and cold, as we turned into the Kennet and Avon.

Spoke  to some boaters who said they turned back at Reading as the locks were too hard. They were going to London, up the Grand Union, and down The Nene.   Ha. If they think these locks are hard, they have a challenge coming their way. !!!

Well, we are not the sort of boaters who have to tick off every waterway, and if we do not enjoy ourselves, we will have a re-think.  However, having forked out for a Gold Licence, I think we will keep on going.  In any case, Marylin and I have not had any probs with locks,………………………so far

Had a chat with Scooby and Rita.  Hey, hope the Scotch Egg making went well.  Let me know which ones you made, and I wont buy them !!!!!!   Only joking. We can remember them, and they were delicious.

Signed a petition and have sent an email to the Reading council re; the kingsmeadow baths.  see it online, if you wish to sign the petition.

 

So some pictures tom prove that it is supposed to be spring.

Oh yes, today, Friday, went on a double=decker bus to Newbury.!!!!  What a laugh, we haven’t been on a DD for years, AND we sat at the front. Cor, the driver thought he was Lewis Hamilton. And the driver coming back was like a geriatric, but then again he was. Had a great sence of humour anyway.  Newbury was great ……………..eg.  Phase Eight, Jigsaw, Mint Velvet   oh it also had some other nice shops too.

Bought some new boaty/walking trousers in a sale,  they fit, and very comfy, but when I got them back I found out they were BLOKES trousers. !  Mick has some new ones , as well. So I suppose I had better thrown out the ones with holes in, but then again………

 

Moving tomorrow ( Saturday),  Perhaps just to Thtatcham, and lunch out on sunday.

Yes Melva. !!!!   You've got it. !!   Hurrah

We are now at Reading, and will be starting down the Kennet and Avon within the next few days.  Back onto a canal. Great.   However, the Thames is something else.  It is extremely beautiful in parts, one can imagine crinollined  ladies strolling the immense lawns etc.  The houses and gardens and boathouses have to be seen to be believed.  Anyone who says that there IS NOT a North/South divide wants to come and take a look. Anyway, enough of that.

Waiting at a lock we have watched a Red Kite swoop down a few feet from Trundle, and grab a fish, and with mouths agape, we didn't have a camera ready.  The Thames seems to have plenty of kites.

At another small town with a sailing club, we had to go very gently , as very young children were learning to sail. I asked one young lady if the water was cold.  She said " I am wearing a wet suit, so no. ".  Ok, little Madam  .

Marylyn and I have watched the rippling  muscles of the rowing eights with awe, but moving our gaze upwards , a lot of them were chinless wonders. !   such us life.

We have seen  grebes on a nest,  swans mating and then doing their neck stretching dance. and we watched some cygnets paddling frantically against the current at Goring, and , finally, make it onto Mums back.  all bar 1.  AAAaaah.

The weather has been cold, nice and sunny, cold and dull etc. But at Goring Mick announced that he was going to do his Onesy Challenge.
, ,
For those of you that do not know.  Mick was bought a Onesy by our dear friends, Roger and Bridget and Jackie.   Bit of a laugh, although he was a bit taken aback.  However, R and B's son, Young Rog, said to Mick that if he wore it, on the back of Trundle, in view of people passing by, and as long as he received photographic  evidence. of the event, He would buy Mick a large  bottle of single malt whisky.  Mick likes his whisky, so challenge accepted.

So, here we are on  Trundle on Thames at Goring on Thames.  Mick in his onesy, asking us to take pics as quick as possible as it was very, very hot in this garment.

A genteel lady, with her elderly genteel mother were passing with their hobble-di-hoy( look it up ) of a son. and I told her what was going on.  The old lady said, she had never had such a fun and interesting sunday walk, and then I looked at M ick and requested LOUDLY that he pull his zip up. !!!!  He had un-zipped all the way down to the start of his pubes, for gods sake.
  I looked at the middle aged lady, and she had her eyes closed, was howling with laughter and was extremely red in the face.  She didn't have another crafty gander, either.   But they went off laughing their heads off, except the hobble-di=hoy.

 Mick and his admirers??? 

 Isn't he cute?  he is such a character.

 Boathouse !!!!!!!

can you spot Wee Ben ( near the line of trees, a small white bit? that's him curled up in some weeds) 

Curtis Mayfly.

hold on tight 

 afternoon tea and cakes at Dorchester Abbey. Thanks for looking, Finno. ! He was trying to cosy up to that old bloke, who still had cakes on his plate. !!!

 one more nice day. will there be others ????

 we go along the A34 on the way to Rebeccas

 

 floating decking.  I hope they don't get bladdered otherwise its in "the drink" literally. !

 Oxford

 

  Mmmmmm I Like

 that's a bulls head

 it's my tern, now.  DOH !

  Chris, here is "Sylvie". 

 Abingdon and a fuel up

 Mick is saying " 'OW MUCH ?????"

  Lovely mooring at Days Lock.

 

At Bablock Hythe we had a Mr Tesco delivery. One egg out of a dozen got smashed, so we got those for NOWT.  and after putting all our stuff away , I had a walkers 22 packets of  bag of crisps left over.  I didn't order them, but I guess we will have to eat them.

 

 

Thursday, and a lovely cruise through Oxford to Sandford on Thames.   Nice mooring by the lock.Mick bought 2 cucumber plants off a lock keeper for £1 each.  Its all pay down south you know. !   So, 24hrs mooring = Free.   upto 72hrs mooring = £5 per night. and over that its £50 per night.   I think that's there way of telling one to " Bogger Orf ".

 

Mick and Jim had to re-fuel at Abingdon, not as cheap as they canals, so we had to administer smelling salts to bring them around, in order to pay the nice man.

 

Beautiful properties around here, all very. very expensive looking. But, tomorrow a walk to the Abbey tea room at Dorchester is planned, to have a look at all these home-made cakes that are for sale.  We were told about this by Peter and Jean on NB Arachne.  So, next time I seem them, if they are looking a bit round, I will know who has been eating all the buns. !!!!! This meadow that we are on, is the first one to have buttercups, HURRAH, instead of those Dandy Lions.

 

 

 

 

Bablock Hythe.   Waiting for the RAIN to hit this afternoon, NO phone signal.  Mr Tesco delivering to our boat tomorrow.   That's about the highlight of our last days on The Isis/Thames. !!!!

Tried the beer in the pub.  It was off. !   Tch Tch.

 End of the "line" at Lechlade. This is too shallow for us, and is being restored into the Thames and Severn canal? is this correct ? its what we have heard anyway.

 The local park.

 £4 per night moorings

 a meteor

 Hello, have you any cheese and quackers??? 

 This little poser and her mates, ended up with some of the lovely bread that I bought in the butchers .!

 

 Finlay using Wee Ben as a cushion. Tch tch

Today, Saturday, we are now on our return up the Thames.  Back at the Radcot meadow mooring , and its raining. !!!! Mick has taken his vest off, that's why !.

 Earlier in the week we had spoken to a young-ish bloke trying to catch crayfish.  I said ooh delish, he said not for me they are too muddy tasting.  I responded with, you are kidding,? they are sweeter than prawns.  No, I do not like muddy tasting river fish.  You haven't cleaned them and cooked them properly anyway.  We told him that its illegal to put them back. but he told us that his wifes wealthy boss, has an enormous pond, so he will chuck them in there. !!!!! oooerrrr.  that's not nice.

So, a visit to The Swan for a couple of pints tomorrow, and then Monday we will be on pour way again.  A secretive poop-out is planned, on some land that we have spotted( that's if we can get in). then it can go in the Elsan, at the next lock.
The mobile phone connection is not good here.  One has to stand in the middle of the meadow to call and receive, you know.