Retirement with No Problem

Yesterday and Today – Oundle to Thrapston, then Thrapston to Wadenhoe, River Nene, 16 miles 8 locks
Weekend – Moored Aston Cut, River Nene

The most perfect weather at the moment, everything that makes the cold winter months worth it!

We are sort of ‘up and back’ for now, checking in at vets, or at least getting vets to ‘check in’ with us and visit No Problem to see how Lucy is coming along. 

We spent the weekend quietly at the delightful moorings just upstream from Aston Lock.  Quite a few boats came and went during that time, some had bbq’s.. and some just chucked their spent disposable bbq into the vegetation. .  Disposable it might have been, but ……..

Anyway, it was duly collected by yours truly, took aboard and properly dealt with in a proper rubbish bin.  I just can’t believe how some people can spend the most magical weekend in a magical place, enjoy their bbq  and just dump it and leave!

Apart from that though it was a good weekend, I left Vic watching Lucy while I went into Oundle with Chas and Ann of Moore2Life on Saturday for a spot of people watching in the warm sunshine, with a cup of tea and a tasty scone outside one of the many cafes in the town.  We also visited the local pottery, where we happened on a birthday party!  Young Ruby, who was just 7 years old, was entertaining her guests to a special afternoon at the pottery, and there they all were sat around a table painting mugs which would later be put  in the ovens to cure.  “They will pick them up next week, then they will look like shiney new mugs for them all” said the lady who owned the place.. amazing stuff!

A fairly early start on Monday then, well we needed to be in Thrapston for Renee the vet to check Lucy’s progress.. just the one low bridge.  I wasn’t sure about it this time.. well it was OK on the way downstream, but we had put on about 130 ltrs of diesel a couple of days ago which tends to make the stern go low and the bows go high.. plus the fact we had less water in the tank at the front of No Problem.. but with Vic just checking, there was to be no problem at Barnwell Bridge this time…

This area is well known for it’s stately houses, and if you’re not quick to spot a gap in the trees for a pic….

Then you will miss the sight of Lilford Hall, a Jacobean mansion built about 1645… and on the other bank is Picton vicarage and church with the same type chimneys and stonework as the Hall..

How about living here then..

Perhaps one of the most remote and beautiful locations on the Nene by Lilford Lock.  right on the forest edge. 

So tonight we are at Wadenhoe again, heading downstream.  Lucy is doing just fine, insisting that there really is no problem with using just the three legs.  We would all like her to use 4, including Renee the vet, but she is not overly keen on that at the moment.  In fact where we are moored there is quite a hill up to the church here, and this evening I have had her running up and down the hill trying to get her to put the ‘forth foot’ down on the ground and making her use it again.. but nope.. she is quite happy, thank you very much, to use just the three…  Stitches come out tomorrow.. maybe they are pulling a bit, hopefully taking them out might just make her a four legged dog again..