Back aboard...

We had a great weekend in Wales visiting Mum and Dad. Later Saturday we were taken out for dinner to the Ship in Tresaith a few miles up the coast. The pub is above a rugged little cove which points directly west, you get some lovely sunsets over here (and about half an hour more light in the evenings). 

We went clubbin Cardigan style on Sunday. That meant Golf club for a drink (full membership is less than I used to pay for use of a driving range on the South coast) and then on to the Boating club for another drink :) before going home for a Sunday roast and watching a wholly inappropriate DVD in front of Granddad - he took it all in his stride as usual.  

Sadly we had to get the car back to Daventry by lunchtime Monday which we managed with time spare to stop for a coffee somewhere near Redditch. We had decided to take the long way round heading towards Cardiff, across the Severn and up through Gloucester to avoid any snowy parts.

The wind hadn't abated when we got back to LJ in Napton and it was still bloomin cold. I swept the chimney quickly and we got the fire lit. It was just above freezing so I was glad that I had done a mini drain down of the water system.

I bought Dad a spice Dabba for Christmas but, tsk tsk, he hasn't made use of it yet. He has forgotten how good he was at making curry back in the early 80's and how his mates Nick and Paul used to come round on a Saturday evening for a good old curry binge long before there was anywhere in west Wales to get a takeaway. The closest thing you could get to a curry was a Vesta pre-packed dehydrated something or other. So for Dad and Jess (who loves curries and cooking for friends on her day off) I have written a mini curry course that I developed to get the maximum amount of fresh flavours for my curries and a simple way to get them tasting fairly similar every time, it even includes ahow to make Paneer. It also uses a couple of key simple stages so it is quite easy to make a few different dishes from one starting point - I expect a curry banquet next time I visit, all homemade!!

I do think that it is important to be able to cook what you like to eat when living aboard for two reasons. Firstly some of us haven't got the budged to pay for the takeaways and restaurant meals that we used to when we lived in bricks and mortar; secondly, even if we have got the necessary funds how often are we moored in the middle of nowhere when we really fancy a curry, sweet 'n' sour or pizza?

My two Spice Dabba's

I have added it to a new tab at the top of my home page along with anything else recipe-wise I have put on the blog. It is quite a lot of reading but worth it - well if you like curry ;)

My non-routine routine...

My non-routine routine...

A year or so ago I had trouble sleeping. We would start our usual nighttime routine after the 10 o'clock news had finished and usually be tucked up by elevenish, me listening to a downloaded podcast on my iPhone.  I used to be exhausted so sleep came quickly. The problem was holding on to it. By about 2.00 I had usually been woken by a stab of adrenaline right through the guts. What had I forgotten yesterday? what was I going to have to face later today? I am not going to get through the day, let alone next six days unless I get back to sleep. 

I would stare at the Phillips docking station clock for a couple of hours, just watching the numbers count up. I would drift in and out for the last hour or so before giving up and starting the morning routine at six. Shower, shave and... the other one, double espresso and a breakfast bar before convincing myself that if I put the extra hour in this morning in the office it will pay dividends. It rarely did. 

I still seem to have a bit of a nighttime routine. We never watch TV late so it starts with me announcing 'I'm tired, I'm gonna bed'. This can be any time between 9.30 and 1.00 but often over winter it has been dictated by the temperature of the stove. Now more often than not it is radio (4Extra) rather than podcasts that I choose to listen to but I am usually asleep before the 30 minute sleep timer is up. And that's me done until morning. I am still rubbish at laying in though. If its cold, wet and windy I can usually make it to eight at a push but I much prefer waking up, and getting up as one continuous fluid movement. 

This morning I was awake early, my brain still tries to tell me I had a crap nights sleep, ok I've got a bit of a stiff neck and arm from messing around with the batteries yesterday, but big deal. I make the fire up (then turn it low) kettle on top, and managed to drag Deb up by 7.00. A few minutes later we were off out in the blustery, just above freezing, watery morning sunshine for a walk up, over and round Napton's hill. A rather pleasant village with great views over Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, through farmland, past the windmill and through sleepy old stone terraces (and some rather big houses as well) full of people starting their morning routines. We were back on board, refreshed, three miles and an hour and a bit later ready for breakie and ablutions. I like my non-routine routine.

Nap ton Windmill

A pretty little terrace of cottages 

A little tug style hire boat in the early morning sunshine

30-3 Really?...

30-3 Really?...

After leaving Barby we had a quiet but grey trip back into Braunston. You never quite know how busy the moorings are going to be in Braunston so we moored up as soon as we could and took a stroll nearly up to the locks. There wasn't too much space between the two bridges junction and the marina so we decided to stay put. 

The main reason we are hanging around here is to wait for Midland Chandlers 'Freaky Friday' 20% off day. 12v fridges aren't cheap and not getting the discount would have been a deal breaker. I hadn't seen it advertised anywhere so walked back over the road to ask (again) when it may be and to get a shopping list together. One of the lads there said it had been advertised but nowhere we were likely to see it!  Anyway it is all day on Friday 5th April, so if you need anything that's your day. Do check first and compare Internet prices because some of their prices are way out. 

The only other things on the list here were to get some more rope and sit in and watch the last day of the rugby six nations to see England win the title with a grand slam or at least get the title, we only needed to loose by less than 8 points and job's a goodun. Saturday was set to rain but I hadn't figured on the effect of said rain on our satellite dish. We rarely watch TV and it has only been turned on for the rugby over the last few weeks. Braunston is a bit of a communication black spot though and by the time the England-Wales match had started the digital signal was a psychedelic blocky mash of colour so I watched most on my mini tab using the midi. It was lucky we had any kind of TV signal as we had difficulty getting through cloud and trees. In the end England were embarrassing, I know that Wales held the title and we had a young team but there is no excuse for a 30-3 defeat. I'm only glad I hadn't paid to see them. 

We had promised ourselves a quick bite out for a few weeks so took the opportunity to head sliding through the mud up to the Boat house - a Marstons two for one pub. Although fairly cheap chain pub fodder we have always found it pretty good in there. Good beer, friendly service and reasonable prices at least if your party is an even number and you all get the two for one. The walk back was horrible and we ended up back at the boat with soggy feet and jeans as the mud had changed to deep puddles. 

Snow again

Waking up the next day to snow, we decided to try our luck with the hard standing 48h moorings outside the marina. We were going to bus it into Daventry the next day to try and get a good doc to write my monthly prescription. Having moved to the better moorings we now didn't have a phone signal to call the docs so we went in on the off chance. A well organised receptionist took all the details and booked an afternoon phone appointment with said doc. My phone rang at just gone two and my prescription was waiting behind reception minutes later. Definitely the best surgery so far. 

Much dryer mooring

Deb fancied a sit down 

Having spent far too much money at my favourite rope and fender emporium we headed off down the Oxford canal to Napton on the hill to wait for 'Freaky Friday'. Having arrived with the intention of giving the batteries their first desulfation cycle (4 hours charge at 15.5v) we decided to use a bit of the power and sat down with Debs leftover soup and a toasted cheese and chorizo sarnie, all cooked on top of the wood burner  and watched 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' for the first time The film was good but blimey the adverts are weird these days. Slice up a cricket ball with wooden stumps, add an oxo and - magic a stir fry... what's that all about!

Rural moorings with large gardens

Lick of paint and it'll be fine

Nearly time for babies :-) 

The desulfation cycle went fine, although probably too late to start the regime with this set of dying bats, and  today we took the batteries out and cleaned out the battery box and checked the cells with a hydrometer to see if they were poorly or dead. Prognosis is that they should last the summer. 

New mooring