Winter on the Cut

Posts of late have drifted away from the canal, partly because it's been quiet on the cut since Christmas and partly because life has been more interesting elsewhere.
As Winters go this one, so far, has been a doddle. I know it's been bloody wet with soggy, boggy towpaths and dismal skies but I keep reminding myself that this time last year we had snow and ice with frozen water taps ashore and heavy consumption of fuel aboard  Snow's alright if you like skiing downhill in some fashionable resort but on the canal it's a nuisance. The "nice to look at" factor soon passes and the "try not to fall on your arse/in the cut/off a lock beam" factor kicks in.
So good news so far and we're in spitting distance of February. The water levels are well up and all's well. Apart from the leak by the chimney of course but there's nowt can be done about it till the Spring.
I've been leaving the diesel powered central heating running so a visit by the Jules Fuels today (Saturday 25th/payday) is welcome even if it is 93 quid. The laziness involved in running the central heating as opposed to the coal/log fire is inexcusable unless your excuse is the same as mine in that you're actually  lazy. Must make a concerted effort to use solid fuel in February; I have plenty of wood and enough coal, I think, to see me through to the end of March by which time the sun will be splitting the stones. If it turns cold and snowy then the whole lot gets lit and sod the expense.
Wet and windy today (Saturday)and a tree came down further up the moorings landing on two boats, though thankfully without any damage to boat or crew. It looks like some swift chainsaw action saved the day. Well done all. It's a fir tree which is a little worrying in that we have lots of them. They're not a lot of use for logging either. No doubt somebody at Canal and River Trust will decide they all have to come down and be replaced with lightweight plastic ones.

The offending tree after it had been cut away from the boats.

 Reading the account of the owner of one of the boats that bore the brunt it was so lucky there was no real damage and congratulations are due to Mozark's Danny who got stuck in with chain saw and  saved the day. As I write the wind is still blasting away and  there are plenty of fir trees waiting their chance to drop in unannounced.

A few successes to report on the Berko front. Ollie has moved chalets in Chamonix and seems much jollier in his new employ.

 A few Ollieshots......

 Plans are being made to visit in March;  whilst I'm cruising to Amsterdam and other foreign parts the girls are flying out for a couple of days falling over in Ollieland. Other good news of moment is that Nat has had some more illustrations published in New Scientist so their sales in Berko have been boosted by Pam and I racing off to get our copies. I don't know if I'm breaching copyright by showing one of them on here so you'll have to buy a copy of last week's yourself.

 Caz has been working on a book for some time-about cycling for girls-it's called "The Girls' Bicycle Handbook:Everything You Need To Know About Life on Two Wheels" . It is to be published on 3rd April so she's involved in marketing meetings and stuff.(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Girls-Bicycle-Handbook-Everything-Wheels)

All very exciting. Well done everybody. Drinks all round!

Back on the cut the rain continues and the path along the moorings is getting worse by the hour.I keep thinking it's a way of commemorating the 1914 rain- sodden trenches of the Somme and the like but those poor blighters had it much worse. And they had more than fir trees falling on them.

It's so wet even the swans have gone ashore!

MARMALADE SUNDAY!

Sunday is such a lousy day let's seek refuge and succour  at the world famous PamJamFactory where Marmalade is the order of the day

 Essential to the making of top grade marmalade is to have a really good pith taker. Above you can see me taking the pith and putting it in my pith pot . If you do not have a pot to put pith in you are at a disadvantage and be seriously pithed off. I have been trained in how to take the pith and it shows.

The depithed peel is chopped up to form the fruit in the marmalade

A peelpot to the left and a pithpot to the right.

A pithtaking spoon is used

The pith and pips are wrapped in a Muslim and allowed to drain overnight into the saucepan of peel

 And in the morning the pith  is taken  and used to make helmets for our men in the Punjab.

Monday and it's time to stop taking the pith and Pam allows me to watch the serious business of boiling it all up with the sugar (don't ask-loads) and carrying out the "wrinkle test" to see if the marmalade is setting. This is where the real skill comes in and as a comparatively low order pith taker I am grateful that the responsibility is not mine. It's looking good and after a cooling down period the decanting into jars is undertaken taking care not to spill any for fear of me taking the pith again.

 The potion is brought to the boil and simmered until the Great Jam Maker is satisfied

T

 And the temperature is tested........

And the wrinkle test applied by placing a small amount on a chilled saucer and pushed with the Great Jam Maker's finger to see if it wrinkles. (The marmalade, not the finger)

See the wrinkle-so exciting!

And Lo! Marmalade in jars! And a cat trying to ponce a spoonful.

Such fun.Good use of a wet Sunday And it's still raining. And I have a cold. Or flu . Or Consumption. Something bad. However the hot toddy made using the wrinkle-tested marmalade,honey, lemon and something called whisky is most efficacious. Aint I a lucky boy!

Monday.
That toddy was better than I thought. What a marvelous dream I had last night. All my friends threw a party for  me and there was even a Grand Piano and small orchestra who carried the piano to wherever we wanted to dance. I had such a good time that another toddy must be imbibed this evening.Will it be as good a party as last night?.... I must take my camera-don't suppose any of you took pictures last night?.....just for the blog.

Tuesday,
and the bits of weather forecast I half heard this morning indicated turning colder and the possibility of snow. First job therefor at the boat was to get the central heating and the solid fuel stove going. Within an hour the boat is baking hot and yet it is still a pleasant day outside. I am sat here with the side hatch open. Roasting. As the ducks pass they look at me piteously and comment to one another "That idiot didn't listen to the right bits of the weather forecast" Even ducks can take the pith when they want.......

The weather gets wetter and windier with little sign of letting up-but are we downhearted. Never!
Chinese New Year approaches and that will be for my next post.

中国新年快乐