Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd December 2007

This week we have been mostly experiencing ice, birthdays and four legged visitors. That is apart from a Tesco delivery – still a bit of a novelty for me.

Ice has been on and off the canal all week, usually on when it’s time to move off and off when we’re staying on. The sky has been grey, grey, grey, almost clear and back to grey.

The birthday was V’s. She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s (edited) so I’m sworn to secrecy.
A jolly good slap-up meal was had at the Thai restaurant in Harbro’ for which Claire and Ter made a foursome. Thai has always been a puzzle to me so I was glad of a mixture of ‘set meals’ which gave me plenty of taste experiences without blowing my head off.

Two other highlights of the week after moving to Foxton were cleaning the brasses (‘Limelight’ only just managed it this time, I shouldn’t have left it so long), and boats transiting the Foxton flight. The absence of boats on the move is such a contrast to the Trent & Mersey in the summer where “Slow Down .......” punctuates every conversation.

Another highlight was a visit from Mike and Jo (nb.Sarah-Kate) who popped in for coffee and to share their yummy pecan cake from foreign places.

But the weirdest bit was nocturnal visitors.

Rustle, rustle at 5 in the morning, somewhere in the cratch. A plate of nibbles brought out the culprit and the Eye-Spy book identified him as a rat.

This time we left ‘special’ blue ratty nibbles between the coal sacks and they promptly disappeared. A second plate disappeared soon after and by the next night we were clean out of rats. That was until the following day when I watched an unsupervised junior do his little tricks outside our porthole.
Without a care in the world this fella paraded and performed for the camera. Climbing stalks looking for seed pods, digging up plant roots and playing with the sparrows, he amused me until I couldn’t bring myself to dislike little rats anymore. Now I see why they make great pets.

My next task is to catch one, tame it and educate him in boat life. Saw someone walking a ferret on the tow path once, so perhaps I can get a ratty harness and lead for my new friend.
By day he could sit on the tiller arm as we cruise the canals but if he insists of sleeping during daylight hours then he could go exploring by night, checking out the tow path and other boats.

Just have to get this idea passed by V.

Anyone got a bird cage they don’t want?

Blogging is bound to suffer for a few days during the festivities but I’ve no doubt that the camera won’t miss a thing. It will then depend on what the editor (V) permits me to upload.

All that remains is for V and me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.