Deck painting

As soon as Sue and Vic had moved off their mooring at Ely we pulled Yarwood back from where we had been breasted against Nb Matilda Rose into the vacant mooring - this activity was accompanied by a cheerily shouted commentary from Vic about  jumping into graves...

As soon as we had got Yarwood secured I toddled off with the dogs leaving Joe to start painting the tug deck.   We had concluded that the lovely gloss green painted finish on the deck hatch had be sacrificed for a more practical and safe raddle deck paint paint.

Man on a mission...

Drove walking and beer tasting

Here we are in lovely Ely, strapped against Nb Matilda Rose's (MR) flanks and therefore not taking up valuable mooring space.   MR has broken down is awaiting either a new starter motor or a solenoid or something... both items seem to come with an exhorbitant price tag in the 'Vetus' brand!
 We met  Brian and Diana from Nb. Harnser on Saturday and enjoyed a beer and chat and now
Sue and Vic of Nb No Problem are with us as they are currently unable to get back on to the middle levels to start their planned journey south and we have been taking advantage of the situation; long walks with five dogs out across the droves around Ely.

 Walking the droves

 Sue, Baxter and Jill getting in the way of me taking photo's of  picherscoo flowers

L-R Vic, Me, Graham, Sue and Jill - Enjoying a pint in The Cutter Ely.

PS.  One small thing to report..

The water is mighty deep in places along the river front at Ely

I know..

I fell in between the boats on Saturday and my feet never made the bottom and it seemed to take forever to kick up to the surface!

Exit, Little Ouse

Having arrived at Brandon lock on Thursday last to meet my brother and sister-in-law Joe decided that he didn't want to stay.  It had rained all the previous night and during our cruise up river that morning, the water levels were up and Himself was simply very uneasy about getting caught so no sooner had we moored up than we were on our way again down stream towards the Gt. Ouse.

 Hockwold Sluice gates

 Quaintly named...Road Bridge 

 The Ship Inn at the junction of the Gt. and Lt. Ouse

 Moored at Littleport on the EA moorings by the Swan Restaurant

We stayed here for a couple of nights through some very lively winds before setting off to rejoin the crew of Nb. Matilda Rose moored in Ely.

Saturday morning, still windy but the sun has come out.  We had pulled across the river from our overnight mooring on to the water point where we replenished our supply before heading off to Ely.

Up an at em..

Pulled pins this morning at 7.30 and slipped away towards Brandon.  It is peeing with rain, Himself is in full wet weather gear on the helm and I am, well I am writing this...
I have managed to switch the dishwasher is on and I do intend to run a vacuum and a duster around the boat before we arrive in Brandon. When moored up we will await the arrival of my brother and sister-in-law, David and Denise, for a lunch date and their first view of Yarwood.

Lt Ouse Idyll

Having arrived on Monday at our idyllic mooring here on the Lt Ouse we enjoyed our evening meal outdoors in the sunshine and stayed there to toast the sunset.

 The scene in the following morning as I took the dogs for their first walk

Farewell MR..

 At nine o'clock Matilda Rose slipped away up river towards Brandon.  Graham and Jill have a date with a dentist and need to be in Ely on Wednesday evening so they took the opportunity to run down to Brandon to turn the boat and get some provisions.  Joe accompanied them leaving me with Yarwood, the dogs and my own devices. 

Widow Twanky's laundromat..

Left alone, I did some laundry and got it out in the sunshine to dry, cleaned brass, read my book, constantly threw a ball in the river for Fletcher and Floyd to retrieve and prepared a BBQ for when MR returned.    In between all this activity I tried to get decent photographs of the Marsh Harriers that were hunting along the river margins, and the Barn Owl but to date, not very successfully...  

Down sizing - from Great to Little

Monday morning when most of the expected weather front had passed, the dogs had been walked including Meg and Penny Pup, we said our farewells to Vic and pulled pins.  We were heading up the River Great Ouse on to the River Little Ouse where we were going to visit The Little Ouse Moorings and get diesel, water, gas etc.   Matilda Rose lead the way but the wet weather was not quite finished with us and it wasn't until we turned left on the Lt. Ouse that the rain abated.

 MR leading us under the railway bridge that carries the Ely to Kings Lynn line

 And yet more rain!

 Turning on to the Little Ouse

 We breasted up by the diesel pump at the Little Ouse Moorings and waited for Nb. Matilda Rose to take on diesel, water and gas and when MR was finished they slipped away and we pulled Yarwood into the pump staging.   A very reasonable 90p a litre for diesel, self declare, and £25.42 for 13kg of gas.  Lovely people and they will get our custom again.

 After servicing Yarwood the sunshine broke through and the cruise up the Little Ouse was just lovely, what a gem this river is!  I took the helm for an hour or so while Himself sat on the tug deck and enjoyed the views... the service from the crew was not up to scratch however, no cuppa for me on the back!

 Pretty enough?

 There in the distance we spot Matilda Rose moored up

 I toot on the horn gets the MR crew out of their seats to help us moor

And there we are, gang planks out and chairs to the ready

Yesterday, all our...

Early morning yesterday Graham gave Sue a lift to Ely rail station so she could go south to see family for a few days, Jill and I took the MR and Yarwood mutts and Nb. No Problem's Meg for an extended walk - Penny the pup was left with Vic.  By the time we got back the sun was out, so very soon were the chairs and the fishing gear.

 Jill  and Vic enjoying the sun and a chat

 Graham's first catch of the season - a 6" perch

 Penny the pup starting another rumble with Muttley

 Penny again getting the better of Muttley

 Then this sends us all back to our boats

Local colour

A little more of the local colour here on the G Ouse

 Ox eye daisies

The banks and hedgerows are alive with a profusion of ox eye daisies, dog rose and poppies

 There are a small herd of cattle on the bank by the mooring and just one wee calf

 Nosey neighbour

Great Crested Grebe

Hare today..

One of the many attractions to our sojourn on the R. Great Ouse is the walking and the wildlife and yesterday Sue ( of Nb. No Problem) and I together with Fletcher, Floyd and Meg took ourselves off for two hours on a circular walk along the flood channel, across country to the banks of the R.Wissey, a tributary of the G. Ouse, and back to the boats via the flood banks of the G.Ouse.    Yesterday I didn't take a camera and therefore missed to opportunity to photograph any of the three dozen or more hares that we 'put up'...silly me. 
Today I thought to remedy yesterday's mistake so off I went with my two dogs to revisit some of yesterday's route and look what we found!

Another little bit of magic!!!!

Social whirl

Between the three boats, Yarwood, Matilda Rose and No. Problem, currently moored together here at Silt Fen we have six dogs, well five dogs and a puppy actually.  The mooring site is fenced and the dogs have been free to play together...this is just wonderful for little Penny, Sue and Vic's (NB. No Problem) new addition to the boat crew, as she has four new playmates to terrorise!

  
As well as the dogs having a wonderful time together though much the same can be said for the humans.  Our first evening was spent in the local pub enjoying a meal together, last night we held an impromptu BBQ and tonight there is to be a giant paella for all to share.  All this eating is being punctuated with group dog walks and lots of chatter and laughter...magic!

Guest photographer...

Here are a series of photographs taken by Sue (NB. No Problem) of Nb. Yarwood making it's way up the tidal stretch of the R Gt. Ouse from Salters Lode lock to Denver sluice.

 Yarwood just emerging on to the tideway

 Here we come, keeping to the right hand side

 Turning around the back of the sandbank that is obstructing the entrance to Denver lock