Retirement with No Problem

Today – Moored Prickwillow, River Lark
Mon – Stretham Ferry to Prickwillow, Old West River and River Lark, 12 miles 0 locks
Sat and Sun – Moored Lazy Otter, Stretham Ferry, Old West River

The whole family came up on Saturday to collect their two mutts after their holiday, so we had a great evening together, although with 4 adults 2 children and 3 dogs it was a bit of a squash for sleeping over, but we all managed somehow!

Sunday we all went walking in the morning followed by a fabulous Sunday roast at the Lazy Otter, well recommend that to anyone passing.. All too soon though it was time to bungle them all off in the car to head back south..

I was totally exhausted.. the responsibility of having George and Tilly for three weeks was huge.. I didn’t even have the energy to clear the boat on Sunday after they left, leaving it all ‘till Monday morning.  I can’t remember ever being soooo tired!

So Monday it was time to go through NP and get everything shipshape.  Actually it didn’t take too long and soon we were underway with the washing machine working overtime heading for the River Lark where we planned to moor on the EA moorings by Prickwillow bridge.  What a lovely name that is, Prickwillow.. but then some of the names of places and areas around here are.. names I have come across lately such as Snoots Bridge and Fidwell Fen Farm –  North Angle Farm and South Angle Farm, and in the middle of those two there is Triangle Farm! – Then there is Whitehall Farm and White Hall Farm with only a quarter mile between them!.. I bet the postie gets confused.

Anyway.. We stopped off in Ely for diesel (40p ltr), milk, bread and to empty loo cassettes before going onward to turn right along the River Lark. There were no other boats at the moorings with the water tap - we moored late in the evening yesterday and are still here… My backyard today then..

Last night we emptied the water tank, or at least bucketed it out, and although we had not filled up since before last weekend, there was still three-quarters tank left in there even after a couple of showers and three loads of washing.. We thought it would dry out quite well over night last night, and sure enough, it was dry this morning.

We were delighted with the state of it.. hardly any rusting coming through bearing in mind it had been two years since we did this awful job ..

So here he is then..

This is what is called getting stuck in!!… Nooo not literally!   It didn’t take Vic long to paint it all after preparing it earlier in the day, and by early this afternoon all was finished, and I hauled him out with no ill effects.  I remember two years ago it made him really high, and he appeared with a big grin on his face, but this year I insisted that 10 mins in the hole and 10 mins out was the maximum he was allowed to do, and bless him, he complied, albeit reluctantly.. I got my way!!

I went walking this afternoon, beautiful countryside here and the smell and taste of ‘harvest in the fens’ was in the air..

I met the drivers of these two later.. a couple of pensioners doing it all themselves.  They were telling me that running a fenland farm these days is terribly hard, they get very little for their corn per  ton… they said they would like to retire someday.. their day starts at 6am and ends at 8pm at this time of the year.. they were OK, they were happy with their life and said they wouldn’t swap it for anything else just as long as they could get along as they were.. they were happy with their lot.

So we wait here till the paint in the water tank is absolutely rock hard dry.. Vic says tomorrow.. we will see