Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Tuesday 24 September 2013

24th Photos


Halden striding out purposefully!



The 'real' reason for the visit?

it's all gone slow again but these are the main ones I wanted to put on!

24th Sept.'13

We've been quite busy over the last couple of weeks and much of it has been connected to the motorhome. John felt (and I agreed) that the inner door was more of a liability than anything else and so he removed it. Only to find that it formed part of the seal and now we had a large gap around the door. So he put it back on again and just took off the handle part, which has always been a nuisance and with a bit of clever fiddling about, he has made it a lot easier to manage.

The Marina had it's 5th Birthday celebrations earlier this month and Tom and family came over on the Saturday to see the sights.

 
Nellie went straight to Grumpy and wanted lots of carrying - he's delighted since he'd decided a year ago that she'd never love him since she cried when she saw us a couple of times after baby-sitting her! Men! he wouldn't be told that it was a temporary blip.
 
 
Here she is watching the small paddle boats - again with Grumpy! Next time she'll probably be on them!
 
There were quite a few stalls and things to do, all for free! The IWA could do worse than to take note, people come to things when there's plenty to do and it doesn't cost the earth!
 
We had a weekend visiting Rob and family down at Camborne (Cambridge not Cornwall). Halden has grown considerably in the 5 months or so since we last saw him and is a live wire, never still for long, quite exhausting just watching him!



We went to a farm where you could wander around the animals and have a rather nice tea and cake. It was meant to be for Halden's benefit but seeing the goats there, I wonder if it was really for Robert! I can't get the pictures to upload at the moment so am going to continue and then try again later.

After seeing Rob we collected Paddy from the kennels and prepared the motorhome ready to go off on an overnight trip down south. We wanted to see Cropredy Marina, near Banbury since we'd liked the area when cruising past and we also would like to be closer to the Thames and nearer the rest of the family for visits. However it was not the right marina for us. I think we've been spoilt here, and anywhere we move to has got a lot to live up to. After that, in the most horrific weather conditions, we went down to see Mum. We found a nice campsite near Dorking to stay overnight and then luckily the weather was lovely the next day so we were able to take Mum out into the village in her wheelchair and go to the pub for lunch.

We had problems with the starter battery and realised that it is now 5 years old and due to being left for long periods it has gone flat quite a few times, despite our best efforts with a couple of portable solar panels that we try to trickle feed it with. The problem apparently is all the onboard computer stuff nowadays. Not really my subject!

Anyway we now have a new battery and so all is well. We are hoping to go off for a few days to Yorkshire in a week or so.

This weekend we have Jan and Rog visiting so we'll be off to Stenson for a couple of nights while they stay in the Bubble Inn there. Then next week TA DA... we are having solar panels fitted to the boat so that next year we won't have the same power problems that we had this year (fingers crossed) after that we'll be free to be away for a bit. Lets hope that the brilliant weather we're having at the moment continues, otherwise we are likely to abandon the trip. Yorkshire moors in the rain don't really appeal.

still no joy with the photos - sorry Halden, I'll try to get them on next time xxx.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

4th September '13

Both vehicles now taxed, MOT'd and insured - bank account empty!

We went to Calke Abbey on Sunday for a walk and found a swing in the woods!


John at a jaunty angle!



Paddy wanted to join me - silly dog!

After that interlude we have been quite busy, well John has, he's almost finished painting the boat up, covering up the bumps and bruises!



This is the last bit of the blacking to be done - he is having real problems with his right shoulder after all the stretching and straining it's had to do recently.

This hasn't stopped us going to the gym - we're quite getting into it. I'm off to my first Pilates class this afternoon to see if it helps strengthen my back. Before that I have to go and collect a new pair of contact lens'. It's all spend, spend, spend this month.

We're going to be busy though with the Marina Festival this weekend (worth coming to if you're in the area) and next weekend off to see Rob and family, a fortnight later we've got Jan and Rog visiting as well as me going off to a 'style' day with Susan at Bicester. Then it's October! Where has the year gone?