It's a hard life, but somebody's got to do it

You wake up in the morning, sun streaming though the windows, beautiful green countryside, ducks swimming past, a kestrel hunting in the field opposite, trees along the towpath laden with apples, sloes, rosehips and haws. After a leisurely breakfast you set off with the sunlight sparkling on the water at a sedate three miles per hour (or thereabouts). Hard life isn't it!

We cruised down to Blisworth tunnel in the company of two historic boats and one hire boat from Leighton Buzzard, then followed through at a reasonable pace to Stoke Bruerne, where we paired up with the hire boat to work our way down through the seven Stoke Bruerne Locks. The sunshine had brought the gongoozlers out and the cameras were clicking on the way down through the locks.

Nothing much else to say about the day, just another lazy day in the sunshine. We moored about 4 miles north of the northern edge of Milton Keynes.

Today's journey 8.3 miles, 7 locks and 1 tunnel

So far this year we have travelled 408.3 miles, 378 locks, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels

Since Ray retired we have travelled 1139 miles, 1025 locks, 55 swing bridges, 38 lift bridges and 40 tunnels