COWROAST CHRONICLE
Another wet week but better than of recent. Less than an inch of rain some days.The weather seems content with short sharp heavy showers rather than the permanent deluge of the last three months.
For a couple of days it was almost like Spring and now the snowdrops and daffodils are making serious attempts to display. Looks like Roy and Annie on Panther are first in the daffodil stakes.Though I wouldn't trust him not to poke a couple of plastic ones in the ground.

The ducks, swans, geese and anything else that flies and fornicates round here are going through their pre-coital routines spending more time spooning in the woods than floating on either the canal or our lovely  new lido. I love the way the ducks, in their own duckish way, can manage to look embarrassed when one walks past their courting.

Bloody men! i'm staying up here till you calm down

The first steps......not sure what they are planning but then ...life is a pair of ducks isn't it

We have geese, a pair-and I'm told that's all that's needed-at Cowroast for the first time for quite a while. They are by far the noisiest inhabitants of our commune honking away for no good reason. They probably do have a reason but it aint obvious to this mere mortal.The ducks will nest anywhere and the geese have yet to decide.But I'm watching them....I know how territorial geese can be. Years ago there were a pair on the towpath in Berkhamsted between the Crystal Palace and Boat pubs. If they got their dander up, or should that be gander up, then you had to walk down the parallel road rather than get attacked. I know from personal, painful experience that swans and geese when they are in a bad mood go straight for the nadgers.
We've also got rabbits on the mooring which would suggest that the mink isn't about-yet. Mind you this old boy that I saw on the path on Monday didn't look too fit or spritely.

I looked up red eyes in rabbits on the web and apparently they get conjunctivitis like ooomans and one of the causes is depression! So we're going to have a Happy Bunny campaign the form of which is yet to be decided. All suggestions welcome-perhaps I can get a grant from the local burrow council

 Oh and I took this picture of a kingfisher in Wigginton of which more later.

All alone

Every year I promise myself I'm going to harry the appropriate authorities about the various cables that cross over the canal by the lock. In the past we've lost swans and geese who haven't seen the wires and finish up brown bread. We need some straps or coils or something to warn the incoming birds. Blow me down I'd not long written the above and all the lights went out. All over Cowroast-even the BMW garage. (at least that will give Johnny Bosch a taste of what we had in the Blitz) The cause? A power outage caused by a swan flying into one of the aforesaid cables! The RSPCA have taken the swan away so hope they can get it back to full health.In the meantime its mate pines.
If I hear anymore I'll let you know.

The canal is still very full of water (what else?) and I keep fancying a spin down to Bulbourne. Independence loves deep water but whenever we have a half decent day I'm elsewhere. Took a fill of diesel from the Coalboat "Towcester" on Saturday so I'm fuelled up for heating for another month. By which time we should have broken the back of what has been a soggy rather than cold Winter. Mind you it's not just the canal that's full-the back road to Northcott is swamped and closed. And that's my rat run to the pub at Northchurch.





Now the wind has calmed down and the trees look less threatening Mike on Albion Mills has returned to his mooring.

I've just realised my Boat Safety Certificate is due for renewal in May. Where did that 4 years go? When the scheme first came in it cost 35 quid -now I'm looking at just under 200. And I bet the examiner isn't making a fortune out of it. So I must get a date booked in and do a list of things necessary to pass. They have changed the rules again particularly on gas, but I don't mind because a poor gas installation is a fairly speedy way into the Great Marina in the Sky.


The BSC is due at the same time as the MOT on the car. Nice cheap month there then.

OTHER BOATYBITS
Ady is still toying with buying a boat and we went to look at a few last week. Nothing appealed and driving back I was thinking that in all the years I've been looking at boats for sale I am always surprised how little effort brokerages put into dazzing the boat up. Indeed they almost seem to be saying we don't care if you buy it or not. Every one of the four boats we viewed last week had stuff lying about-bits of redundant plumbing, sealant, mucky basins, shower trays ,shelves, cookers. Now I know my boat looks like that all the time but when I sell her I'd like to think I'd daz her up a bit.
If you visit a second hand car dealer in the worst part of town there will be clear evidence of an attempt to smarten the cars up. I know it's mainly cosmetic but people wanting to sell a boat must realise first impressions count for a lot and brokers are taking enough commission to warrant more effort.A boat is a big investment and if it looks like someone just got off it and couldn't be bothered to tidy up then you look elsewhere. Rant over.

As a bit of light relief you might enjoy this video. It is of the Pontcyssillte Aquaduct which I crossed in Independence back in September

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zj1vXds7RgU

Bits and Bobs

My last post showed Ollie modelling one of the excellent aprons made by SEAMS. (Still a couple available) Here you see him modelling a paramedic's stretcher having come a cropper sur la piste. I don't know the French for clumsy bugger but his knee is repairing nicely thank you. Good luck Ollie-looking forward to a Phantome Vasseau dans L'Agneau..

Caz's birthday approaches so as part of the pre-birthday warm-up we went to the Greyhound at Wigginton for Sunday lunch and very good it was too

As were the photos of the kingfisher on the wall (see above hee hee)

 In the evening Battlecat helped out with the crossword. He's very good at the one across question which does rather get one down........


Talking of getting one down I fear I have no progress to report on the Chilli Challenge. Despite conditions akin to the Hothouse at Kew , frequent inspection, prayers being offered to St Omiass, the patron saint of chillis and no end of advice from people who don't know their oboe from their brass I have no progeny. The Facebook reporting progress

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chilli-Challenge-2014/1446548205577797

has had its first "germination" report (Two world wars, One World Cup and innumerable penalty shoots-out and the German Nation still give us grief) but here on Independence no signs of growth. A waiting game......I still think my seeds might have been tampered with....or my compost....or my seed tray. Hmmmmm.

The Marco Polo on which I soon set sail is currently on a cruise of Norwegion Fiords. From my previous post or, more likely, from the newspapers you will be aware that a man died following an incident in the English Channel involving a freak wave which smashed windows in the ship's Waldorf Restaurant. His widow has complained that the ship is poorly maintained and to be fair she is entitled to be a bit miffed. However, I could not avoid a wry smile on hearing the the owners had offered her 25% off her next cruise which, in the unlikely event she will wish to  travel in that particular vessel again, she will still be worse off as she will now have to pay the single person supplement. Apparently everybody on that trip got the same offer before the wave hit but as the Times pointed out the following day "this was because of a norovirus  outbreak earlier in the cruise"
I'm really looking forward to the trip!

 I know black cats are meant to be lucky but what about black sheep. I came across these three when walking round College Lake, Bulbourne.
Presumably there are three families somewhere missing a ne'erdowell.......I might take one on board Marco Polo with me if they are lucky. I might also take the man that's doing my Safety Certificate for Independence as well.....and my flares....