Up to the Canal Tomoz. !!!

So, we are at Northampton. Yesterday, we ( 2 boats) were really steaming through the locks, so decided to get all the way to N'hampton, and then the heavens opened.
It had been a sad start off, as whilst at Irthlingborough we had met Sue and Vic on No Problem( their blog is Retirement with No Problem). Lucy their 13 year old border collie was not too well, and that morning Sue came to tell us that the vet was coming out, and, yes, as you can probably guess, it culminated with Lucy going off to sleep. I have just checked out their blog, and bless them, thay have 56 messages from well-wishers. They are such a nice couple.They have young Meg,another border collie, and she is missing her chum. hey ho. all us dog owners know the heart break , don't we. ?

Anyway, our cruising companions decided to do the Rothersthorpe Flight today. I had told them of the impending bad, really bad weather, but was told by M, that her crystal ball said it was going to be ok. Well, I can tell you I have scoured N'hampton to try and find her a newer model, as the one she is using is RUBBISH . Haven't heard from them yet, but I reckon they must have got soaked. We will be off up tomorrow, in the sun and cloud, and will meet them for Towpath Tipples later. yippee. we will turn right at Gayton, so Rick and Val, if you should be reading this, we will be going to the pub at Weedon for 2 for £10. ( last of the big spenders, are we !!!!). so if you want to meet up, let us know.

Well, on our way again this morning, and it was cold and sunny. Apparently we will have snow tomorrow. !

It was Finlay's birthday yesterday and he was 10. He received a teeth cleaning bone from us( that gave him wind), he received a charcoal biscuit from M&J+2( that stopped the wind), and he had a good walk. Obviously, from the way he is sulking on his/our bed it was not enough. !!!

Whippets! me likee.

We are now at Rushden and Diamonds mooring, with absolutely NO FACILITIES, tut tut Environement Agency. We are 2 days away from Northampton, where we will have a frantic shop at Morrisons, I will get my ear-hole investigated( it hurts.) and then 3 to 4 hours later should be on the Grand Union Canal. Hurrah.

Have just met up with NB No Problem( Sue and Vic). They are off on to the Ouse for the summer. she does a real professional blog about narrowboating , with loads of info. Reading her blog, whilst still in Spain, waiting to sell our property really kept us going, I can tell you.

Have made my 1st cake this season in my Very hot and Hot oven. Burnt it, so now it sleeps with the fishes. !!! 2nd cake ( victoria sandwich) has turned out looking more like a frisbee, HOWEVER, it ain't burnt. !!!!

HELLO to PETER.

No, Melva, those were the cairns Ben and Tally,belonging to
the cruising buddies.Do NOT start andy rumours in Spain. We have already been
there. !!! LOL

Yesterday (Saturday) we had a long days cruise , due to the weather being dull and cold,
and made it to lovely Ashton Lock mooring, right beneath the red kites nest.
On Sunday we woke up to ice on the top of our boat, and the
chimney of our friends boat , in front of us ,was merrily belching away. What a
lovely sight. As I took this photo, I
could hear a woodpecker to my right, and the kites calling somewhere up in the sky.
So, washing machine on , and off we all went and what a
lovely day for cruising, what we think, is the most beautiful part of the
Nene. To top it all we were escorted by
, no less, than 8 red kites.
Arrived at Islip at lunchtime, contacted a chum in Spain,
and would like to say a VERY BIG “
HELLO” to Peter. !!!!
Hope you are having a lovely time with Mo and Tony.
Love and hugs from

Jen Jen and Mick
Xxxxxx

So its now Friday, and the good news is that we are finally
able to move. !Alwalton lock is repaired. We have moved up to the lock and onto
its mooring, and then tomorrow, we have about a 5hour cruise to Elton.
It has been lovely at Ferry Meadows, with the weather being
glorious, but the dogs do not like the pontoon as they get their claws caught
up. And at the moment we are in the
process of clipping Finlays . at a rate of 1 or 2 per day. !!!

We were woken up this morning at about 6.30, with a load of
quacking and slapping of web feet on the top of Trundle. 2 mated up mallards
were breakfasting on my pansies, Shocking. !!!.
Then I watched some posturing and snorting and shoving ( no
it wasn’t Mick, this time).The swans were protecting their females and
territory. They are a bit like dodgem cars when they get hunkered down and get
moving.

The Route

Braunston to Warwick and Birmingham( perhaps), then up Wolverhampton flight of locks and onto the Shroppie, Llangollen and Montgomery, Leeds and liverpool and the down the Rochdale to Manchester,then onto the macclesfield and peak forest canals. Now, if I have got some of the rout wrong, I am sure some kind boaty type will put me right. !

well we were off. ! Had a good night at Whittlesey and got through Stanground onto the nene. and then STOP. doh!, Environement Agency are doing some work on Alwalton Lock. so at the moment we are at Ferry Meadows. loads of birds, feathered variety, so I guess our clean and shiny narrowboat will be covered in poop, bu the time we leave. but as Mick says, we will come up smelling of roses. Hopefully work will be done by Friday, so everyone cross everything. Ta. oh and its baking hot. !!! I WANT RAIN, I WANT RAIN.

Trundles Trip 2011 .... All Points NORTH. aye up!

We're Off. ! so long as there is water, we are on our way. at the moment we are at Whittelsay about to enter The River Nene, with our chums M&J+2, on their boat.