Yet again I have been very lax about posting, life seems very busy at the moment.
We spent the weekend at Rugeley, where we saw Sandra Willis again. On Sunday we managed to do something I can't remember doing in 10 years of boating, we ran out of gas and didn't have a spare cylinder. I thought I was going to be without until Tuesday when we could move but thanks to the wonderful camaraderie of the cut our friends Mark and Justina from NB Marmite brought us one by car. Paul and Jennie turned up on NB Panda Julienne on Monday too.
On Tuesday we did the journey to Stone, passing Sandra who had moved on from Rugeley on Sunday morning. Kit from NB Here Be Dragons walked down to help us through the final four locks to our mooring for the market. There were eight boats, two who we hadn't met before and we all had a good time. We even got a bit of fame, we are now on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXV6ZoVTTrY
After the market we had what is becoming the traditional traders invasion of the local pub. We then slowly all went our separate ways with promises to meet up later in the year, many of us at Birmingham. We left Stone on Wednesday but didn't travel very far, then on Thursday we traveled to Tixall Wide where we have been watching the rain.
Tomorrow and/or Wednesday we hope to move on to Penkridge as it is the best place for transport links and Ray has yet another hospital appointment on Thursday.
Since my last post we have traveled 27.2 miles and 18 locks
This year we have traveled 74.5 miles, 52 locks, 1 swing bridge and 1 tunnel
In 2013 we traveled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we traveled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we traveled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we traveled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have traveled 2612.2 miles, 2250 locks, 119 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
Monday, 12 May 2014
Friday, 25 April 2014
On towards the next market!
We had a mixed weekend at Alvecote, Friday was busy and people were putting their hands in their pockets and spending. The Hobbins clan came visiting on Friday, it was great to see them again and they were popular with our fellow traders as they were spending money!!
Saturday and Sunday were fairly quiet, the weather wasn't good, we packed up early on Sunday because of the rain and the few people that were about were browsers not buyers. Monday saw a turn around both with the weather and the trade. All in all it was a good weekend, great to catch up with traders we already knew and even met a new couple.
We stayed at Alvecote on Tuesday and got some tidying and cleaning done, then moved down to Fazeley on Wednesday. Ray had a hospital appointment on Thursday, which would have been a smashing day for travelling. When he got back we went and bought some plants for my flower displays, I've got some home grown seedlings but they are a bit small.
Today we moved onwards to Rugeley, a fairly long day considering the weather but the forecast is no better for the next couple of days and we needed to get here so Ray can get to the hospital on Monday and we can reach Stone by Wednesday. So we are here until Tuesday morning and then we will be heading for Stone.
Photos may be a bit few and far between, I'm not the most prolific photographer anyway but now I'm on the tiller most of the time I don't get the opportunity to use the camera. I haven't mastered the knack of tiller in one hand and camera in the other!
Since my last post we have travelled 21.7 miles, 5 locks and 1 swing bridge
This year we have travelled 47.3 miles, 34 locks, 1 swing bridge and 1 tunnels
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2585 miles, 2232 locks, 119 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
Saturday and Sunday were fairly quiet, the weather wasn't good, we packed up early on Sunday because of the rain and the few people that were about were browsers not buyers. Monday saw a turn around both with the weather and the trade. All in all it was a good weekend, great to catch up with traders we already knew and even met a new couple.
We stayed at Alvecote on Tuesday and got some tidying and cleaning done, then moved down to Fazeley on Wednesday. Ray had a hospital appointment on Thursday, which would have been a smashing day for travelling. When he got back we went and bought some plants for my flower displays, I've got some home grown seedlings but they are a bit small.
Today we moved onwards to Rugeley, a fairly long day considering the weather but the forecast is no better for the next couple of days and we needed to get here so Ray can get to the hospital on Monday and we can reach Stone by Wednesday. So we are here until Tuesday morning and then we will be heading for Stone.
Photos may be a bit few and far between, I'm not the most prolific photographer anyway but now I'm on the tiller most of the time I don't get the opportunity to use the camera. I haven't mastered the knack of tiller in one hand and camera in the other!
Since my last post we have travelled 21.7 miles, 5 locks and 1 swing bridge
This year we have travelled 47.3 miles, 34 locks, 1 swing bridge and 1 tunnels
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2585 miles, 2232 locks, 119 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
Friday, 18 April 2014
At Alvecote
I've got out off the habit of blogging during our time off, time to catch up again.
We took a day off on Sunday, Ray wasn't feeling his best and it was very windy so we stayed where we were. On Monday we carried on through the last four Curdworth locks to the junction at Fazeley where we took a slight detour by heading away from Alvecote so that we could moor within walking distance of the shops. As we approached our mooring we saw Paul(of PJ Fenders) walking Patch, he stopped to help us moor then went back to his boat to fetch Jennie. After a couple of cuppas and a natter they headed home and we got ourselves sorted to go shopping. Then on the way back from shopping we stopped for a coffee with them, it's a hard life this boating lark!
On Tuesday we headed back the way we had come as far as the junction to meet up with Ali and Lou on Da Vinci and Lowry and Sandra on Golden Boyz,so with Paul and Jennie that made five boats heading for Alvecote. On Wednesday we headed for the marina apart from Sandra who was doing some good trading where she was so she joined us yesterday.
The weather forecast is pretty good for today and tomorrow but not so good Sunday and Monday,I've spent far too much time nattering to Ali and Lou but I have got a few more bits made. Hopefully we will have a good weekend.
Since my last post we have travelled 9.3 miles and 6 locks
This year we have travelled 25.6 miles, 29 locks and 1 tunnel
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2563.3 miles, 2227 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
We took a day off on Sunday, Ray wasn't feeling his best and it was very windy so we stayed where we were. On Monday we carried on through the last four Curdworth locks to the junction at Fazeley where we took a slight detour by heading away from Alvecote so that we could moor within walking distance of the shops. As we approached our mooring we saw Paul(of PJ Fenders) walking Patch, he stopped to help us moor then went back to his boat to fetch Jennie. After a couple of cuppas and a natter they headed home and we got ourselves sorted to go shopping. Then on the way back from shopping we stopped for a coffee with them, it's a hard life this boating lark!
On Tuesday we headed back the way we had come as far as the junction to meet up with Ali and Lou on Da Vinci and Lowry and Sandra on Golden Boyz,so with Paul and Jennie that made five boats heading for Alvecote. On Wednesday we headed for the marina apart from Sandra who was doing some good trading where she was so she joined us yesterday.
The weather forecast is pretty good for today and tomorrow but not so good Sunday and Monday,I've spent far too much time nattering to Ali and Lou but I have got a few more bits made. Hopefully we will have a good weekend.
Since my last post we have travelled 9.3 miles and 6 locks
This year we have travelled 25.6 miles, 29 locks and 1 tunnel
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2563.3 miles, 2227 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
Saturday, 12 April 2014
On the move again
I know I've been very quiet but that's because life has been mainly boring!
We have spent most of our time working round the cycle of Ray's treatments. The good news is that he is coping well with them most of the time and is now over half way through. He is still suffering some nausea and feeling the cold. On the up side he is now just above what he always considered his normal weight.
We had a nice visit from Tim, Margaret and Nicholas during half term,don't think I've already mentioned that. Then we had a visit from The Hobbins clan and the Bristol Jones for my birthday. We all went out for a meal on the Saturday night and then met up for lunch and birthday cake at the moorings on Sunday, the weather was very kind to us and we were able to spend some time outside. My wonderful son Keith bought us a fridge/freezer as a combined Christmas/birthday present to both of us to make up for the ones he missed!! It is good to have a working fridge again and even better to have a freezer again.
I've been growing some herbs from seed at the moorings and Ray has made some boxes to hold the pots on the top of the boat while we are travelling. I've some ginger beer and rhubarb wine brewing but apart from that we haven't really done a lot.
We set off from Ocker Hill on Thursday morning and are heading for Alvecote near Tamworth for Easter weekend. We are taking it slowly as Ray is still not 100% and a full day of cruising would be too taxing for him.
On Thursday we tackled the first eleven of the Perry Barr locks, then did the last two of Perry Barr and the Minworth three on Friday. Today we moved down the first seven locks of Curdworth locks.
We managed the stretch of the Tame Valley from Ocker Hill to the Perry Barr top lock without incident but then we had clear about half dozen branches before we could start down the flight. All went reasonably well until lock 11 where we picked up a collection of carrier bags and rope and chain round the prop which gave us a good reason to call it a day! The next morning I had to let water down to fill the pound between 12 and 13 because the water level was so low but apart from that the rest of our journey has been uneventful.
There aren't many boats on the move, we have only seen a couple of boats a day, well none on Thursday apart from CRT work boats but that's no surprise on the Tame Valley.
This year we have travelled 16.3 miles, 23 locks and 1 tunnel
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2554 miles, 2218 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
We have spent most of our time working round the cycle of Ray's treatments. The good news is that he is coping well with them most of the time and is now over half way through. He is still suffering some nausea and feeling the cold. On the up side he is now just above what he always considered his normal weight.
We had a nice visit from Tim, Margaret and Nicholas during half term,don't think I've already mentioned that. Then we had a visit from The Hobbins clan and the Bristol Jones for my birthday. We all went out for a meal on the Saturday night and then met up for lunch and birthday cake at the moorings on Sunday, the weather was very kind to us and we were able to spend some time outside. My wonderful son Keith bought us a fridge/freezer as a combined Christmas/birthday present to both of us to make up for the ones he missed!! It is good to have a working fridge again and even better to have a freezer again.
I've been growing some herbs from seed at the moorings and Ray has made some boxes to hold the pots on the top of the boat while we are travelling. I've some ginger beer and rhubarb wine brewing but apart from that we haven't really done a lot.
We set off from Ocker Hill on Thursday morning and are heading for Alvecote near Tamworth for Easter weekend. We are taking it slowly as Ray is still not 100% and a full day of cruising would be too taxing for him.
On Thursday we tackled the first eleven of the Perry Barr locks, then did the last two of Perry Barr and the Minworth three on Friday. Today we moved down the first seven locks of Curdworth locks.
We managed the stretch of the Tame Valley from Ocker Hill to the Perry Barr top lock without incident but then we had clear about half dozen branches before we could start down the flight. All went reasonably well until lock 11 where we picked up a collection of carrier bags and rope and chain round the prop which gave us a good reason to call it a day! The next morning I had to let water down to fill the pound between 12 and 13 because the water level was so low but apart from that the rest of our journey has been uneventful.
There aren't many boats on the move, we have only seen a couple of boats a day, well none on Thursday apart from CRT work boats but that's no surprise on the Tame Valley.
This year we have travelled 16.3 miles, 23 locks and 1 tunnel
In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2554 miles, 2218 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 103 tunnels
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
A bit of a catch up
Well it's been two months since I wrote anything. Life is a bit on hold at the moment, on a three week cycle based on Ray's hospital appointments.
He has chemotherapy at the hospital on Monday of week one, two hours of being hooked up to an IV, this normally leaves him feeling a bit rough but not too bad. After that he has two weeks of taking pills at home, these have been making him feel a bit nauseous and progressively more tired as the two weeks progress. Then he has a drug free week during which he starts to feel more normal with an oncologist appointment and blood test on the Thursday and the following Monday the cycle begins again.
The treatment has not been as bad as we feared, the worst side affect is hypersensitivity to anything cold, anything even slightly cold is painful to touch so I'm hoping that today's weather forecast threatening eight inches of snow isn't hitting us here.
We haven't been very energetic or productive over the past couple of months but we hope we might be able to do some cruising once the weather warms up a bit. We did make a start on our little bit of garden today while the sun was shining.
Apart from that nothing to report!
He has chemotherapy at the hospital on Monday of week one, two hours of being hooked up to an IV, this normally leaves him feeling a bit rough but not too bad. After that he has two weeks of taking pills at home, these have been making him feel a bit nauseous and progressively more tired as the two weeks progress. Then he has a drug free week during which he starts to feel more normal with an oncologist appointment and blood test on the Thursday and the following Monday the cycle begins again.
The treatment has not been as bad as we feared, the worst side affect is hypersensitivity to anything cold, anything even slightly cold is painful to touch so I'm hoping that today's weather forecast threatening eight inches of snow isn't hitting us here.
We haven't been very energetic or productive over the past couple of months but we hope we might be able to do some cruising once the weather warms up a bit. We did make a start on our little bit of garden today while the sun was shining.
Apart from that nothing to report!
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Merry Christmas to all
We have now settled in on our mooring at Ocker Hill where we have been made to feel very welcome by those of the other residents that we have met so far. The site is divided by a road bridge so our contact with people from the other side of the bridge has been limited so far, let's face it the weather hasn't exactly been conducive to socialising!
We did do a bit of travelling in the time between my last post and arriving here. Our friend Sandra who is a solo boater was coming from Walsall into Birmingham so we met her part way to help her with the locks. We then went to Smethwick with her where she was trading at a community event and travelled into Birmingham with her afterwards.
Then it was time to head for Ocker Hill and our new home. We arrived here on the 18th which gave us a day to get a few things sorted before Ray's hospital appointment on the 20th. We are having a quiet Christmas Day but are expecting visitors tomorrow.
Ray's first chemo appointment is on the 7th January so fingers crossed that it doesn't affect him too badly. At least here we have everything we need, even a laundry room with washer and dryer so no more wet washing lurking. We even have a washing line for stuff that can't be tumble dried, weather is decent I'll use that rather than the tumble dryer anyway. There are two supermarkets within walking distance and three 'corner' shops even closer. If we can ever afford it there is a pub and chippy very close too!
Since my last post we have travelled 19.1 miles, 14 locks and 3 tunnels
This year we have travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2537.7 miles, 2195 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 102 tunnels
We did do a bit of travelling in the time between my last post and arriving here. Our friend Sandra who is a solo boater was coming from Walsall into Birmingham so we met her part way to help her with the locks. We then went to Smethwick with her where she was trading at a community event and travelled into Birmingham with her afterwards.
Then it was time to head for Ocker Hill and our new home. We arrived here on the 18th which gave us a day to get a few things sorted before Ray's hospital appointment on the 20th. We are having a quiet Christmas Day but are expecting visitors tomorrow.
Ray's first chemo appointment is on the 7th January so fingers crossed that it doesn't affect him too badly. At least here we have everything we need, even a laundry room with washer and dryer so no more wet washing lurking. We even have a washing line for stuff that can't be tumble dried, weather is decent I'll use that rather than the tumble dryer anyway. There are two supermarkets within walking distance and three 'corner' shops even closer. If we can ever afford it there is a pub and chippy very close too!
Since my last post we have travelled 19.1 miles, 14 locks and 3 tunnels
This year we have travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2537.7 miles, 2195 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 102 tunnels
Sunday, 8 December 2013
A home for now
As usual everything changed,after I said we had no more hospital appointments to think about for nearly four weeks we got a phone call and Ray had a check-up with the nurse the following Thursday. Then we got another phone call to schedule an appointment with the oncologist on Tuesday so in the past couple of weeks he has had two hospital appointments.That meant that we didn't go very far. We hadn't expected to see the oncologist until after Ray was 'signed off' by the surgeon. Everything is looking fairly good, none of the lymph nodes were affected by the cancer but there were some cancer cells detected in the blood vessels in the section of bowel that was removed. Chemotherapy will start after Christmas, Ray will have to spend a few hours at the hospital on a drip once every three weeks and then take pills for a couple of weeks, a few days off then back to the hospital for the next session. That will continue for six months, after that Ray will have surgery to reverse the ileostomy, probably about August or September.
As all this ties us to the Birmingham area for about nine months we decided to bid on the residential mooring at Ocker Hill. After a bit of stressing with CRT who initially weren't happy with us having two boats on one mooring even though the mooring site is five feet longer than the combined length of the boats common sense prevailed. We successfully made a bid which was unopposed so we got the mooring for the reserve price. This means that from December 20th we will no longer be continuous cruisers but it doesn't mean we have stopped travelling. If you can't find Ocker Hill on a map it is almost due west of West Bromwich. Taking the mooring has meant we have transferred Ray's chemo back to Sandwell Hospital as it it a lot closer.
We did take a little cruise round the Soho Loop so that we were within walking distance of City Hospital for Ray's appointments but we are now back in Birmingham to complete the paperwork for the mooring and collect the keys because it is a secure site. My posts here will probably be infrequent, maybe once or twice a month as life will probably be rather boring for a while.
Since my last post we have travelled 3.9 miles
This year we have travelled 440 miles, 420 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 28 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2518.6 miles, 2181 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 99 tunnels
As all this ties us to the Birmingham area for about nine months we decided to bid on the residential mooring at Ocker Hill. After a bit of stressing with CRT who initially weren't happy with us having two boats on one mooring even though the mooring site is five feet longer than the combined length of the boats common sense prevailed. We successfully made a bid which was unopposed so we got the mooring for the reserve price. This means that from December 20th we will no longer be continuous cruisers but it doesn't mean we have stopped travelling. If you can't find Ocker Hill on a map it is almost due west of West Bromwich. Taking the mooring has meant we have transferred Ray's chemo back to Sandwell Hospital as it it a lot closer.
We did take a little cruise round the Soho Loop so that we were within walking distance of City Hospital for Ray's appointments but we are now back in Birmingham to complete the paperwork for the mooring and collect the keys because it is a secure site. My posts here will probably be infrequent, maybe once or twice a month as life will probably be rather boring for a while.
Since my last post we have travelled 3.9 miles
This year we have travelled 440 miles, 420 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 28 tunnels
In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have travelled 2518.6 miles, 2181 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 99 tunnels
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