Tomlow (no more relaxing on the towpath)

Friday was one of those days where we had to get the chores done.  We chose a good day because it was grey and gloomy.  We had to do things like finding a jewellers as we had a watch and a ring that needed repairing. We also had a few other high street things to do and as the car needed all four tyres replacing before winter we drove to a tyre place in Leam where we could leave the car whilst we went shopping.  

We were glad to get home and go out for a walk even though the sun didn’t break through all day.

A couple of juvenile cormorants by the reservoir – quite happy standing there until Buddy got too close

He has now been trained not to chase birds and ducks but they don’t know that of course – cormorants and gulls escaping Buddy

Saturday promised to be a much better day weather wise and the sun was out nearly all day.  We needed to top up with water so got some washing done and cruised down to Calcutt to get the water. 

Whilst we were there we took everything off the roof and washed it down and also the side that we could reach from the towpath.  Really we should use warm soapy water to clean the boat properly but at least we got the worst of the mud off and managed to soak each other in the process as usual.

Ryan came past on his fuel boat so we filled up with diesel and bought a few more bags of coal.

Ryan casting off after supplying us with fuel

We went down the three locks at Calcutt and then moored at Tomlow, yet another one of our favourite places.  At one of the locks we met a couple coming up who were on their first trip on their new boat that they had just picked up - they were so excited and we knew just how they felt.

Our mooring for the next few days at Tomlow

Aileen got in touch during the day and we have now made plans to see them once more before they have their boat shipped to France at the end of the month.

The weather has certainly turned colder now and we keep the stove on all day.  We were last here in August when it was really quite hot.

Buddy with his sunshade in the summer heat when we were last here

We sat outside and ate nearly every evening in August but it’s not really that kind of weather now.  I found this picture from when we were last here and it reminded us that we used to stay out until it was quite dark.