2nd April 2012

As I write this on the morning of the 3^rd May it has been raining again since the early hours and it looks like our moving on will be a good few days more now. I am including a few photographs of the sluice, showing the amount of water flowing down river.

We had a good day yesterday with dry weather, giving us chance to get out and about with poor old Socks, as he does need a good run every day. However a lot of the day was taken up in doing a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle together. It is something I have never done before, but it does give your brain a good workout and can be very therapeutic (or at least that’s what they say).

The couple who had hire a boat for a two week holiday finally gave up the idea and went home yesterday after spending a week tied up just behind us on the backwater. I have to say, for us at least we have the rest of the year to look forward to but for Peter and Verity it was a holiday before they moved house. What a shame for them, but we wish them all the best with their move. We now however have another couple who are babysitting the boat until they are able to get it back to Fox Narrowboats when the water finally recedes.

Back to the day and my walk with Socks, we set off not planning to go too far, however whilst walking, or should I say wading down the lane, Socks began to enjoy running through the flooded areas so on we went to the field on the other side of the river by crossing the bridge. Once in the field I let him off his lead and off he went, full pelt down the raised area between the river and the flooded fields. Backwards and forwards and not going too far away from me, whilst throwing mud into the air as he went, making sure he didn’t go anywhere near the water.

I could see a gate ahead which led into another field and as I didn’t want him to go there I called for him to wait, which he did, and I was amazed. However when I got to him, I saw why he had been so good in obeying me. Between the field we were in and the gate was a small area where the river had broached its bank and water was flowing through. Not so good after all, he just didn’t want to get his feet wet, typical. On the way back however it was a different story as he spotted a large branch in the water about 10 feet away, and without thinking he ran straight to it, splashing his way in the water to reach it, and by now it was up to his chest.

He made a grab for the branch he ran straight back out and I was in fits of laughter as he once again turned and went back in, splashing, leaping and having a great time, and so it went on, in and out all the way back to the bridge with Sally waiting on the other side. Then it was a short walk back to the boat where he got a wash in warm water before being allowed back on-board.