The morning was devoted to chores. We managed to keep the fire in overnight by banking it up with coal before we went to bed. This meant that despite the temperature dropping to below freezing overnight, we were still warm and it was easy to get it going again when we got up. The canal had a thin coating of ice this morning but that was nothing to this time last year:
The first job of the day was to sweep out. Ideally this should be done every day, especially at this time of year because so much debris is brought onto the boat. We are luckier than most because we have the canopy at the back so we can kick our shoes off and wipe our feet before we step onto the boat proper, but even then mud and debris gets inside the boat because it is in such proximity to outdoors. In addition everywhere gets very dusty and sooty because the fire is lit for so much of the time. I went round with a wet wipe today and was amazed at how much dust and dirt came off considering I only did it last week. The consolation is that on a boat you only have to deal with a small area.
The next job was emptying the cassette toilet which usually falls to me. That is fine, the weight of it tones my upper body as I carry it up to the elsan disposal point! If there are two of you this probably needs to be done every two days, although I know of people who manage it once a week!
I then went to cut some wood while P filled our coal scuttles up. He then filled up the diesel tank and ran the engine. If you are not using the boat for propulsion then it is a good idea to run the engine about once a week just to check it over and make sure it is still running ok. Because we run our appliances off shore power with an electric hookup we don't really need to run it for any other reason, but people who live on the tow path need to run their engines at least once a day just to provide power.
I filled up with fresh water even though I only did it a couple of days ago. I have a fear of running out of water, having experienced it a couple of times. The hose had been left outside in one of our storage boxes and we were worried it may have been blocked by ice, but it was ok. It is a good idea to keep such items indoors during the cold weather though. I have witnessed boaters running a hairdryer over their hose in desperation! Filling with water varies from boat to boat, but we fill up at least once a week in order to supply the shower and kitchen. Our drinking water comes from the tap on the jetty as I won't drink water from the tank. This is another daily job, filling up a 5 litre bottle with drinking water.
Our chores were done by lunchtime and I warmed up the soup I had made yesterday and we had it with some bread and cheese. This soup will last us all week and it cost next to nothing to produce, just a few vegetables - excellent!
I then went for a quick walk to check out a footpath off the tow path which I pass regularly. I have not been able to explore it before because I have always had Jack with me and he refuses to jump over the stile. The footpath was not very interesting but I found some lovely bits of wood which I carried back to the marina and put in our wood store.
We then decided to go bird watching and as dusk was approaching we thought we may see some owls. We went to the barn and field where they had been reported to be seen and no sooner had we arrived than a barn owl started hunting. I had the camera with me, but it is only basic so I only managed to get very distant pictures:
We also were lucky enought to see a short eared owl:
We came back and I had a lovely shower courtesy of the marina and then cooked a full roast dinner which was enjoyed by us and A on the boat next door. Jack paid us a visit and finished off the scraps and then went and slept on our bed for the rest of the evening.
All in all a great day, we managed to fit so much in - it was fantastic!
Work tomorrow though :(
Al
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