A MIXED MONTH and a short blog

For those many people who read this blog hungry for tales of life on the canals I'm afraid this posting is short on life afloat. A duff back has meant that for the last few weeks my time on the cut has been restricted. Various quacks, fizzios and psychosteopaths have had a prod, poke and pull and the situation was pain stopped play.

Buggeration thricefold.

However......some good news
The bridge at Cowroast has been tarted up with brickwork replaced and railings painted. Good to see and fitting as the bridge was built in 1914

As I have commented before probably some of the men who built the original were dead within the next four years.

The mooring by my boat looked like an absolute sodden tip. A couple of weeks ago because of my back I paid somebody to empty my shed of crap assuming that I would soon be fit enough to transport all the junk to the tip....sorry Civic Amenity Site. Well that hasn't happened and it's rained enthusiastically and the aforementioned crap became  a very soggy and depressing pile of junk. Similarly the boat has been untended for at least five weeks and is cold, damp and sad. 

But things are looking up.

On the back front (eh? how's that for an Oxymoron) the osteopath has been giving me a going over paying no heed to my wimpish and delicate nature and has wrought some improvement. It is by no means perfect but compared to a fortnight ago is definitely moving in the right direction. The G P has referred me to the hospital so we wait for an appointment. Onward and upward.....fingers crossed.

We had a very pleasant visit from Pam's sister Tricia and bro in law Tony During which time we managed a dinner at the newly opened Bill's in Berko.Which was pretty good.
Plus a trip to College Lake where Autumn is at its best

On the boat front the wonderful Nicklinettes, Natalie, Ollie with Grandson Joseph arrived at the mooring last weekend and beavered away to tidy the shed, mooring and surroundings plus filling coal scuttles, stowing coal and tidying roof and front well. Oh and Joseph installed my lovely new microwave. I can now function comfortably on board as Winter tightens its grip.

And for entertainment the swans had a punch up over territorial rights

What a fine bunch-soooooo grateful

                                                                                                                  

The things some people collect!

And for dinner a tartiflette by Ollie and a salad by Natalie. Brilliant!

Sadly since my last blog I have lost my dear friend, Lucky, who was known and admired by many of my boating friends. I wasn't sure whether to include his demise on the blog but it happened and he warrants a mention. A lovely, gentle man, with a lovely family. Pali Mali Lachman -no wonder we all called you Lucky-it was a pleasure and an honour to have known you.

On a happier note an old boater friend, John Gerber or Little John as he is generally known reached the 80 mark on 19th November and I publish this photo in his honour.
Until recently John lived on his narrowboat, Kingfisher at the moorings at Bourne End and before that in Cowroast Marina. He moved ashore in Northchurch.
Here he is seen dressed as Prince Charles at a party to celebrate HMQ's 25th Anniversary. Unfortunately the photo does not do justice to the giant,false ears he was wearing. Well, he told us they were false.

Happy Birthday John!!

And here's a picture of Ollie just before his second and final (we hope) knee operation. This time it was at the Chesterfield Hospital in Bristol-private hospital but on the NHS-the world's gone mad.
What is important is that the last I heard he is doing well . Cheers Ollie and thanks again to you, Natalie and Joseph for your great help at the mooring
STOP PRESS

I've just heard that Ollie is bored in hospital so he must be making progress. Anyway if he was bored before wait till he's read this rubbish.

Arrangenments for the Cowroast Lock Boaters' Christmas Gathering are coming together with my hopes for a slight reduction in numbers being in vain. I'm afraid it's going to be as full as last year but that's better than nobody turning up.This year I've suggested that the money raised (assuming there is some) be donated to DENS the local charity for the homeless. 

So it's next stop Christmas...now where did I put that penguin?.....