Kingfishers....

It only seems a little while ago that we had a severe winter and the Kingfisher population was decimated as a result.... However, nature is a wonderful thing, and kingfishers seem to be thriving again. We see them every day now, sometimes several in a day, in such diverse places as Rugby, Nuneaton and Atherstone!! The difference though is that they seem to be much more people friendly, the other day one stayed on the branch as we passed by only 6 feet away, then there was the one that posed on the tiller of a moored boat as we passed, why oh why don't I have the camera ready for such shots....

A new beginning.....

The summer is now over, autumn is with us, it is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Soon it will be winter - where has this last year gone? After spending the summer in London doing voluntary work, we left Little Venice on the 10th September and cruised to Limehouse. Next day we exited Limehouse onto the tidal Thames at 0630 on a beautiful sunny morning and had a very nice cruise up to Teddington. After paying a small fortune for a Thames licence we set about cruising the non tidal river, hoping to go as far as Lechlade before going back onto the Oxford Canal an then back to the Midlands to spent the winter continuous cruising. We are now proper liveaboards again - our circumstances have changed and we have always wanted to do at least one winter continuous cruising. The weather had other ideas though..... we got as far as Abingdon and the Thames went into flood, red boards everywhere, we were stuck in Abingdon for five days. When we could eventually move again the lock keeper at Kings Lock advised that we get back onto the canal as soon as possible as more rain was forecast and he reckoned the red boards would be back the next weekend.... and he was right! So, we got back onto the canals..... and guess what, the River Cherwell went into flood as well and we had to stay put on the Oxford Canal for a couple of days! We are now past the river sections and are gently cruising northwards again without any worries. We have checked the winter stoppage lists and know roughly where and when we will be going. I shall not be writing my 'new' blog everyday, but, only on those days that I have something interesting to say or something to show you.