Who turned the heating off ?

Mmm... so yesterday it was almost too warm to sit outside & today it's back to fleeces, jackets & nearly but not quite, gloves. The delights of our English climate eh.

We didn't stay long at Jolly Miller due to some alarm going off intermittently on the small industrial estate, just long enough to pop to the local shop for a paper & fresh bread so no car boot on Sunday :-(

As it was sooo warm we decided to carry on cruising for a while to keep cool & eventually moored up on Lemonroyd visitor moorings & spent the next 2 days doing little apart from enjoying the good weather.

Yesterday we moved the short distance ( 25min cruise!) up to Woodlesford lock visitor moorings were it was again hot, we managed a stroll up into the pretty village for some supplies before lunch & then I got the washing machine going as the weather was forecasted to change. All washed, dried & put away by the time we went for our evening stroll. A bit annoying during the evening as a boat on the residential moorings opposite ran their engines till 11pm & then again this morning so we were glad to get away really.

This morning we moved up to Leeds, just a short cruise of an hour & a half to Clarence Dock & gosh it was/is cold! We need to be handy for the railway station tomorrow as I'm taking Sid back to the vets in Goole for his 2nd injection.

So we have the delights of the city to indulge ourselves in & have already been out for coffees & buns, but I'm fairly sure that by Saturday, when we are due to move on, we shall be more than ready for the peace & quiet of the countryside again.

nb Poppy in Clarence Dock 2 years ago

Hawthorn blossom near Pollington

you would think that butter wouldn't melt....

afternoon nap time

Soona staying in the shade at Lemonroyd

Phew, what a scorcher!

It's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago we were still lighting the fire & I was wearing a winter coat & gloves then today I had to dig the parasol out so Soona & I could spend much of the day doing this......

Sid seems to have cottoned on to the fact that the boat is home & the area next to the boat is the garden, he has been hopping on & off all day quite happily although Soona gets a bit cheesed off as he follows her around like an annoying little brother, occasionally jumping on her wanting to play for which she usually rewards him with a clip round the ear, he remains undaunted & always goes back for more.

come out & play....

follow my leader !

We haven't been totally idle, the boat has had a wash & we have made an insect screen for the hatch for warm evenings as I'm not fond of mossies etc & positively hate moths, irrational I know especially as I don't mind butterflies...

We did get the gunwhales painted yesterday just in time for the dandelions to release their seeds & the wet paint to be speckled with them, fortunately they were easily brushed off this morning.

Not so easily brushed off though was the damage done as 'Humber Pride' went passed, she is a commercial oil tanker & didn't seem to slow down much resulting in us dropping about a foot then bouncing back up causing the ( we thought!) carefully placed fender to remove some fresh paint,

oh well, nothing that some sanding & a bit more paint won't sort.

Moving up to Jolly Miller tomorrow & will probably stay a couple of days as there is a large car boot on Sunday that might be worth a visit, you can't beat a good rummage ;)

we are off !

Poppy went back in the water on Friday without a hitch although I wasn't there to see it as I had gone up to Scarborough to have some family time with Han & (some of) the grandkids.

Mike the electrician had fitted us 4 new batteries, car radio/cd & our smaller 600w inverter, which is working out really well, it happily runs the TV, freesat box, laptops & assorted chargers for phones etc. We just use the 1800w for the washing machine & my hairdryer ( very briefly & with engine running!)

We then hung about in Goole on the visitor moorings until yesterday as, for Mark's birthday last week I had got us some tickets to see Dara O'brian in Hull on Monday night & a jolly good time we had,he is a very funny guy.

After filling up with diesel at Goole Boatyard it was just a short cruise up to our current mooring, Pollington. We do like it here, it is sooo peaceful & we have been busy doing various chores. But we did find time to polish off a bottle of champagne last night to celebrate our new status as continuous cruisers.

We were hoping to get the gunwhales painted whilst out of the water in Goole, we got them sanded & prepped but the lousy weather meant they didn't get glossed so fingers crossed for the weather tomorrow. Gearbox oil needs changing too as when engine oil done it got left but we now have an 'oil suction pump' hopefully to make it easier mmm.... we'll see!

Little face at the window looking out

1st time outside, a bit scary!

Struggled to get a good internet connection here yesterday & gave up in the end as so frustrating but I have currently got the dongle duct taped to the window & that seems ok! Hopefully I will be able to upload this post.....

Finally,

favourite game, ripping the newspaper & a bit of boxing.

High & dry....

We expected to be lifted out for blacking tomorrow but a phone call from Viking Marine asked if we could be lifted today instead, so we are now sat on blocks after a noisy,busy afternoon of pressure washing & scraping.

Mark found it nerve wracking watching the lift whereas I wasn't too perturbed, it all looked very professional & went smoothly. The base was covered with freshwater mussels, I did suggest we could have them for tea - nice with garlic butter? Maybe not.......

Up & out

& safely down. Lets hope she goes back in just as smoothly!

We have also had a chat with the electrician, so by the time we leave next week we should have 3 new batteries, 2 new 12v sockets, a 2nd smaller inverter to save using the 1800w when just laptops etc on & a car radio fitted, hopefully with an aerial if all goes to plan.

Had a bit of a rethink about just going up to Pollington to return to Goole on the 26th for Sid's 2nd injection & decided we will head for Leeds when we've done here & I will bring Sid through on the train.

He had his 1st injection yesterday, they thought he was cute until they tried to give him his worming tablet, that shot across the room along with a piece of the vet nurses finger, 2nd attempt was done with him rolled in a blanket & claws safely out of the way. Success!

Moving on

We have moved onto Goole visitor moorings ready to pop across to Viking Marine on Friday morning to be lifted out prior to being blacked next week. I have always liked being here, it's quite industrial with working barges such as Humber Princess (oil tanker) & Battlestone (gravel) passing through.

& the odd restoration project, the view from the stern of nb Poppy

view from side hatch

So if you like working barges this is a good spot, also a busy port so as you pass the docks on your way into town there is usually something of interest.

Sid is settling in, loves his new game of trying to shred the newspaper - before you've read it...

Mark's struggles to read while Soona looks on disapprovingly

Don't be fooled by the ' aren't I a cute kitten' look, as soon as Soona moves Sid will be in her bed in a flash, much preferring it to his own & Soona is far too much of a wuss to turf him out again.

It's Mark's last day as an employee tomorrow, I was going to say 'at work' but as I have quite a few jobs lined up that wouldn't be strictly true. but it is a big milestone in our new adventure.

We were hoping to be headed west around the 18th or so but after speaking to the Vets there needs to be a gap of 3 weeks ( & not the 2 that I had thought) between Sid's 2 vaccinations, the 1st being tomorrow.

Still, an extra week won't hurt, we shall probably head out to Pollington & Whitley Bridge for a few days before getting back here for the 2nd jab on the 25th, then the adventure really starts