22nd July 2011 - I was going to wash the boat! Honest!

After the ridiculousness of yesterday, I find myself having trouble sleeping and subsequently wide awake at 0630! I get up, have coffee, have more coffee (really helping with the sleep this!) then think "bugger it" and set off. It's 0730 and a great morning, river surface like a mirror and not a cloud in sight, I have to put my hat on!!

The River Soar:

A great time to be cruising. Some kingfishers and a stoaty, ferretty, weasely, mink type thing (I must brush up on my wildlife recognition!) watches me from the bottom lock landing of Junction Lock. Of course, I reach for the camera and it buggers off! All I can say is "it was a black stoaty, ferretty, weasely, mink type thing.

I cruise some more, passing Mountsorrel lock:

Another of my favourite types of lock!

I study the stream warning sign:

And actually take a look at the indicator:

And get confused! We're in the black and that's not mentioned on the previous sign.

Just after 1000 I arrive at Barrow-Upon-Soar and take the first available mooring. I plan the day and decide to go shopping, wash the boat and have a shower. So I go shopping. £60 at the Coop!!!! what the hell is in those bags!!!! Now I understand why Penny has a similar reaction when I'm in Tesco with her!

I walk back to the boat, it's about half a mile, really nice place is Barrow-Upon-Soar! I pass a pub by the bridge, 'The Navigation' Hmmm not much to, look at, oh, a riverside garden, maybe I'll pop back for a pint. I carry the shopping boatwards thinking "pub or wash the boat" I don't come to a decision and am on the boat putting everything away when a narrowboat pulls in to the vacant spot in front of me. It's the boat that locked down Foxton in front of me. We exchanged pleasantries, they'd been to Market Harborough on my recommendation, phew! It had been ok! Where's the pub says Alan, over there says me, you coming? So over we went for lunch and some pints of Abbot. I get back to the boat at 1530 and it starts to rain, no point in washing it now I think, so blog and book and snooze it is then! Alan it turns out is regional chairman of IWA North West (I think!) they're also on their way to the rally.

Just to get my one a week in, I'm having broccoli in stilton sauce tonight.

Today:  4.5 miles -     4 locks -     2.5 hours - a very short day!
So Far: 557 miles - 444 locks - 283.5 hours