Calcutt (Chainsaw time again)

The wind had completely disappeared on Friday morning but there was still thick cloud.  I couldn’t believe how mild it was – I didn’t bother with a jumper or coat when I took Buddy out for his pre-breakfast walk.

Still but murky Friday morning at our Calcutt mooring

Deep Purple are doing a few gigs in the UK next November and the tickets were going on sale at nine in the morning.  I managed to get tickets for the show at the Barclaycard arena in Birmingham including one for my youngest son Jake.  I can't really imagine what they will be like in an indoor arena as I have only ever seen them in small venues or outdoors, but it's better than not seeing them at all.  It does mean we will have to get to Birmingham in the boat again as we can moor right outside the arena and it's still close enough for Karen to get to work.
 
Karen and I (and Buddy) went for a walk along the canal to Tomlow after I got the tickets.  We often see kingfishers around there but there were none to be seen this time.  In fact it must be three weeks since we’ve seen a kingfisher – easily the longest we have been without seeing one.

When we are moored here at Calcutt, Karen has to cross the causeway to get to the car on the other side of the reservoir when she goes to work.  I always take Buddy that way for his pre-breakfast walk and there are always gulls of some sort sitting on the bridge railings.

Of course, they never stay there long and are soon flying away when Buddy approaches

Karen went to Leam in the afternoon for her team Xmas party and I got the chainsaw out.  It was the first time I had used it since last winter and it wouldn't start at first. When that happens I let it sit for a while before trying again.  Whilst waiting I went to get the bow saw out - it seems unbelievable but I couldn't find it - how can you lose a bowsaw on a boat?

I tried the chainsaw again and it started first time and  I was determined to cut up all the logs that had been on the roof since last spring.  It took a couple of hours but I cleared the roof and we now have a full log store in the cratch.  I suspect that as the paintwork is so new we will keep logs off the roof for a while.

When Karen got home we spent some time going through the logistics of going to Norway next July for Matthew and Marie’s wedding.  He is the first of Karen’s children to get married and all our family is invited.  They are getting married in Tønsberg so we will probably rent a large house for all of us through AirBnB.  That way we can all be together rather than spread out across an impersonal hotel or guest house.

Karen wanted to put up the battery powered fairy lights and some baubles (made by her mum, Ann) so I retrieved them from where they are stored under our bed.   As I was searching them I came across the bowsaw - I just can't imagine what made us store a bowsaw under our bed.