Retirement with No Problem

Wansford to Elton, River Nene, 6 miles 3 locks

We stayed at Wansford yesterday, we had a very quiet and relaxing day, today quite the opposite!…

We won’t run out this year for sure.. chopped vegetables ready to be mixed with the mustard sauce.. piccalli coming up!

After my picture yesterday of misusing a ladder in a lock by holding NP on a rope through it, I thought I better show you that I have been a good girl and less lazy today…

A very pleasant cruise with the clouds clearing by late morning to give us glorious sunshine for once.  I always dread Yarwell Lock, it was the scene of a very frightening incident in April 2005 when we passed through upsteam.  No Problem1 nearly got tipped over.. linky…

I said given time I would forget the experience, but I haven’t forgotten yet. Today, however, was much calmer, but a bit of a problem going out of the lock and turning 90 degrees for the upper lock landing gave me grief, and it was only when Vic dived into the weed hatch and came out with a load of weed, fishing line and a shopping bag made me realise why I couldn’t turn properly!

I thought it had been a bit odd on a couple of tight corners earlier, NP was not coming round them as nippy as usual, I put it down to me daydreaming a bit in the sunshine!..

The old mill at Yarwell has been turned into an office for a huge caravan park.. there are also plenty of private moorings here, but tis not a place that is very boater friendly with lots of signs for no rubbish, no water and defo no mooring for passing boats!

With the prop now clear of debris, our speed went up to 4 and half mph, quite nippy.

There is very little flow on the river at the moment, but two days of rain and that would change dramatically.  No rain for us yet though!

We arrived at Elton at lunch time after passing this really lovely house on the left bank…

It is actually on an island, what a lovely place to live I must say..

After lunch we flexed our muscles, fired up the chainsaw and got stuck into the rest of a huge branch that had come down close to the moorings last year, and after getting permission again from Sir William of Elton Hall Estate we chopped up what we had left last year when we were here about the same time..

This will be our log supplies pre christmas, all ash so it will burn beautifully… not a bad action from the axe man don’t you think!

I spied a couple of apple trees along the footpath which runs along side the Nene before Elton Lock, so my evening walk with Lucy and Meg took me that way.. the rucksack was full… all I need now is some blackberries and that will be our jam making complete for this autumn!

We have friends arriving tomorrow which we are looking forward too.. a meal and a few pints at the local pub no doubt tomorrow night.. I am looking forward to that..