The Spring is sprung
The grass is ris
I wonders where the birdies is
Aha the bird is on the wing
But that's absurd
The wing is on the bird

Anon (but often, mistakenly, attributed to Spike Milligan)

It's blue. No It's purple. It's blue. No Purple.

The Spring is upon us. The rain has abated no doubt to return and the sun doth shine. On Ash Wednesday, we had frost , the first for some time giving the daffs and other flora a bit of a shock but it is bright and promising. After the weather of late the joy of being able to sit at breakfast with the front doors open and watch the wildlife on the cut and  bankside is unbounded.


Earlier in the week on Saturday and it's to the woods with Pam and Joseph. Wendover Woods to be exact where there are many and various walks. I find the navigation quite easy as all I do is follow them whilst trying to retain some oxygen in my lung. How is it that fit people, like the sort you see in the gym are able to talk and exercise at the same time using the valuable oxygen that you need. Selfish I call it.

The view from the Hill Fort

My guides however are suffering some sort of colour blindness in distinguishing between purple and blue waymarker signs and a disagreement occurs. I take the necessary cowardly action and depart the scene having taken a photograph.

Mud.

 I returned to the woods on Wednesday (Ash) and did a different walk round Boddington Hill Fort and although the route was easy to follow it involved much much mud.

Both agree it's a log

The woods are actually the highest part of the Chilterns and are reached via Aston Hill where Mr Martin tested the climbing capacity of his cars
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford.^[10] The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles.

A little known fact is that Aston Martin were the first to fit their cars with an a llama. OK I  know they are alpacas but who ever heard of an alpaca in a car. Look out for these chaps when driving down Aston Hill

It's all downhill from here

My Yurt

In the woods I discovered this rude shelter. I knew that to be so because as I passed a voice shouted "shove off baldy!" Very rude.

In the Himalayas (or Himmarllias as they call them now the world's gone mad) the locals work away strenuously building such shelters for the Winter and it is from such practice we derive the saying "hard work never yurt anybody"




The Berko Chilli Challenge
Ash Wednesday brought a surprise on the boat. My first chilli seed has germinated 15 days after sowing. This prompted me to set up my greenhouse heater under the seed tray supported, rather artistically, on 4 baked bean tins. This introduction of the hothousing technique favoured by P and R Gardens (which are next to Kew) and will I am sure encourage the other lazy buggers to sprout. I have named the first one Roy after our illustrious England Manager who sadly is much more urgently needed back at (there's only on F in) Fulham. See the Berko Chilli Challenge at .https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chilli-Challenge-2014/1446548205577797

Go Roy Go

And lo, by Friday two others have entered the fray, Bobby and Jackie named after the Charlton brothers of '66 England.

This little thug sunning himself in the Spring sunshine is an old adversary of Battlecat  and until about  6 months ago would burgle the old boy's food by coming through the cat flap** into the kitchen whilst poor old BC was asleep elsewhere. Now Battlecat sleeps in the kitchen as sadly he is of an age and condition where carpets and cat don't mix, Ginger doesn't seem to call any more. Or maybe he desists out of respect for an ailing senior or he fears my size 11 up his pencil sharpener.
Anyway he enjoys the same sun that shines on these crocuses in Pam's front garden to cheer the heart when opening the curtains

**Did you hear about the dyslexic Yorkshireman that wore a cat flap on his head? 

 Spring has newly sprung 
 the hills are full of grass 
 and along comes a billy-goat 
sliding on his overcoat 
down the summer pass".
Ogden Nash 

Feel free to your own ending if you haven't already

Valerie heads south. Bon voyage and good luck

 My friends, Les and Jaqueline on Valerie, have passed through Cowroast en route to Watford where Les is, sometime, due for surgery. See their blog http://boatlife.blogspot.co.uk/

I hope they get it all sorted before the Summer. They deserve some luck.
.


Another blog I like is:
 http://nbrocknroll.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/bon-voyage-rock-n-roll.html


This follows the narrowboat Rock'n'Roll which until very recently was owned by Carol and George (and Molly)

Rock'n'Roll in Bristol

I photographed Rock'n'Roll from the deck of SS Great Britain in Bristol some time ago and they have used it as the header on the blog ever since I sent them the photo. Now they are moving on to life on a new boat "Still Rockin' " and a new blog. Must get their picture if ever we pass on the cut.

 This little chap called by and stayed a long while today (Thursday) He was quite the little poseur.

Cowroast Lido

The Cowroast Lido newly formed between the road and the canal is still thriving with at least one resident cygnet, innumerable gulls, loadsa ducks and a pair of coots. Nobody seems bothered about getting rid of the water so I suppose as the year goes on and the water table falls so will the lido. We were musing in the Lamb pub in Berko that it would be great if it froze and the skaters could get on it. Or the curlers now that has become so popular following the Olympics. Rumour has it that the Tongans are taking it up and are being sponsored by a firm of international hairdressers. Come on you Curling Tongans!

 


 Talking of pubs the Cowroast Inn is changing hands on Thursday week. I wont go into its chequered history but suffice to say it needs a fresh start with a dose of enthusiasm so whoever takes over  let's hope they can make a difference. As one of the old-timers round here I have used the Cowroast since 1979 and had some very good times there. Sadly not recently. Live in hopes.
Beer in Punch Taverns has gone up 10p a pint this week so they aint worried about pubs closing. Bunch of shysters.

 You will, of course, recall that in the last post I told how a swan had hit the cables across Cowroast Lock and been taken away by the RSPCA. As yet no news of the poor old swan other than its mate continues to look very sad. Now I know nothing about anything so how do I know how a swan looks when sad.
here is definitely an air of longing and consternation about the beast. I don't even know whether it is a male missing its female or vice versa. I've never really got close enough to a swan to find out. And I aint about to try. I do know, cos I read it, that swans usually mate for life, though 'divorce' does sometimes occur, particularly following nesting failure. And if a mate dies, or is killed by a predator, the remaining mate will take up with another; however, if all goes well in the pairing, they indeed will stay together "for life."No divorces, no remarrying after the old boys shuffled off, no pre-nuptial agreements, no playing the field. I would think if you were a swan's solicitor (Penn, Cobb and Leggit?) you'd be hard pushed to earn a few bob other than with the odd bit of probate work. Not much there either as, apart from half a nest, the swan has only one thing to leave.
 Its mate. 
Very sad.  I hope for news soon but fear the worst.

On a positive note I have heard back from the National Grid that they will investigate the possibility of fitting warning dangly things  to the cables. 

STOP PRESS
Just before publishing I spied this pair sailing out of the marina! Has the injured swan been returned or has a new mate been found. All is confusion. We must know the truth. Watch this space.

 Slow down-whats th'rush






Until next time mes amis, be lucky.