Visitors and getting educated

When I took Buddy out for his first walk on Sunday it was grey and drizzly.  Karen and I have a routine morning schedule irrespective of whether or not we know what we are doing for the rest of the day.  I get up and turn the gas on and whilst the kettle is heating up I stoke up the fire.  I make a pot of tea for Karen and a cafetiere of coffee for me.  Karen reads in bed with her tea and I write the blog with my first mug of coffee and then take Buddy out for a quick walk.  He is so undemanding; he stays in his bed until I say it’s time to go out.  I take a second mug of coffee with me as we walk along the tow path.  It makes me feel happy and relaxed just wandering along sipping my coffee especially when we are in a built up area and there are commuters using the tow path.

We wanted to move out of Hinckley and back into the countryside as Cheryl and Stuart were joining us for the day.  We decided to move the Stoke Golding/Dadlington area – historians know the area for the battle of Bosworth.  I put all my wet weather gear on and set off.  A sweet old lady, still in her dressing gown, came out of her flat opposite to wave us goodbye.  She had popped out the previous evening to congratulate Karen on her lights rigged up on our little live tree at the front of the boat.  Not very obvious in this shot but I am showing Christmas spirit by taking a picture.

  
Anyway after about 200 yards the drizzling stopped and a short while later the sun came out and by the time we were out of Hinckley there were no clouds in the sky.

The Ashby is very shallow and consequently it is hard to moor and it’s best to use designated mooring places where the sides have been dredged.  I had arranged with Cheryl and Stuart to meet us at a certain bridge but found it impossible to moor.  We found some moorings about a mile further and fortunately had a phone signal so could ring Stuart and let him know the alternative rendezvous.  We had a lovely day and after a roast lunch went for a walk with our visitors.  

It’s always fun having Cheryl and Stuart over as Stuart is one of those people who research the area they are visiting – and I mean proper research, geographically, historically, politically etc.  It means I don’t have to read up anything at all as Stuart eagerly divests all his knowledge during the day.