Having said good bye to our summer travelling chums, we are now having a wander along the Leicester arm of the GU to Welford( where we will take delivery of our Airhead Composting Toilet !!!), and then we will turn back and head down the GU main line to Berkhamstead.  This will fill in the next few weeks before heading off home down the Nene at the end of sept.   I always feel a bit sad, turning off at Gayton, but once on the Nene, I cheer up, and start thinking about sweeping all the large and lively spiders off and out of the lodge.  Takes ages .

Nothing strange or funny has been happening , hence no blogging.   however here are a few pictures of this beautiful waterway.

 A photo for our mate Roger, who never reads blogs, but our friend Jackeie will tell him about this wee boat.  

 washing put up in  the hedge. !!!!   first time this cruise.

We are now down the Ashby Canal( oooh, its such a lovely waterway).

Great mooring at Stoke Golding , pub = beer= £3.15 grhhhh. It is, alledgedly, the  birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty. Anyway, we visited the lovely little church, with 13 and 14^th century features. But we had to do a Key hunt first. Well we found the blacksmiths cottage ok, and we looked under the flowerpots, around them, behind them. We looked along the walls, along a fence. And then a woman appeared at the door, and pointed to the side of the door, and said “ looking for this?”.  When in doubt, go back to the beginning and read the instructions. !!!!!!

 

  DOH !!!!!

 

 View from the galley window

 

 

 Sorry Tally, this grub is for Finlay.

 

 Where are my sunglasses. !!!!!

 

 "Just Married ???"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, we are trundlin' along the Coventry Canal, and its lovely.  After cleaning down the old boat, Mick said he wold treat me to lunch.  So back to bridge 63, passing some rather salubrious homes, up a small hill and over the railway we came to..................................The Pretty Pigs.   £4.19 carvery !!!!!!

Hey, it was good. all cooked fresh and even for a Monday, very busy.

In future Finlay is to be addressed as The Flying Fin. ! 

Finlay has a habit of standing with his front paws on the gunwale,( and he needs his nails clipping, he has been slipping about a bit over the last few weeks), and we knew at some point in time that the following was going to happen.  So along we go passed Alvecote Marina, and we hit something heavy and large in the water.  Finlay is catapulted, at a great rate, into the canal. !!!!!!

I scream, thinking that he will go under and into the prop, but he is a real strong old chap, he kept swimming until I grabbed his collar, and then HE scrambled and clawed up the side of Trundle, with only a small heave from me on his collar.   Needless to say, he has had plenty of tlc, and seems none the worse for his escapade.   However, I heard him using my mobile last night, to book himself into a hotel for 6 months next year. !!!!! He has been attacked and bitten, stung in the eyes by nettles, and now this.   heyho.

A BIG selection of sheds for  Juan Batties aka John Bates in Spain.

 Into the Ashby Canal - rural and quiet, lovely

 ..... and they still keep following us.  DRAT !!!!  only joking, King Jim

Oh yes, I almost forgot.   Just to complete my day on ZOG.  we went to the pub for a most excellent pint, and I forget the brewer. However, we were sitting under an awning.   On returning to the boat, I said to Mick. " Ooooh the end of my hair is wet".   I put my hand to my neck and plucked off a small SLUG. !!!   OFF MY NECK.   urgh.     He now sleeps with the fishes.

Today I have mainly been visiting the planet ZOG.

 We reached the staircase lock on the Staffs and Worcs. mmmmmm.  And a nice chappy on a boat waiting to go up had stood at the the top of the locks  and directed operations and generally helped  people through. He was frightfully nice.

When I heard about it, I spoke to my chum Maralyn, and we decided, that he should sit on his laurels, and we would take over and help him and his mrs through.   Agreed,

So, for some reason, and don't ask me why , off I went to a bloke wearing a blue shirt sitting on a bench watching.  I gave him the ,shpiel about what a jolly fine fellow he was .....yadda yadda. and he said " oooh thank you very much ".

 I went back to the lock, quite pleased with myself, to be told that the bloke I should have been addressing, was   standing by the side of Mick,. !!!!!  At this point I was staring at his knobbly knees.

Maralyn was cackling something about how much I had had to drink. !   Cheeky, I will talk to her later.    Squash and loads of it, as it happens.

So, why did this old duffer on the bench, happily accept all my grateful thanks etc. ???  Well,. I have no idea, but apparently, if I am free, he would like to make me his wife. !!!!!  and if that's not acceptable to me, well I have made his day, so he says.  But you know these old chaps,they have the gift off the gab.

Everyone had a jolly good titter, I was RED, RED with embarrassment, and then the bloke that I should have said grateful thanks to (and tugged my forlock), started talking about 50 shades of grey, and blokes inserting little balls up their wizzers.   at this point I realised that I had been neglecting my washing, I mean soaking( washing machine is broke). I cleared off, and hopefully will not be visiting Planet Zog in the foreseeable future.  

 a horses ass. !!!!