Changes afoot

Changes afoot are actually changes in the galley.  My original specification for Yarwood's galley was painted Shaker style doors.  An 'executive decision' made by Himself when I was safely off visiting my Mother during Yarwood's build meant we ended up with varnished sapele doors; as below. 

A year on and the framing of some of the doors was beginning to warp and bow a little and this was irritating the hell out of Joe.   As most of the movement in the doors was above my eye line, being rather vertically challenged, I didn't notice so was not exercised by it but I jumped at the opportunity to get the doors changed and this is what we have done during our sojourn at Brandon. 

We found a kitchen door maker in Huntingdon, went and looked at the products they produced and placed an order.   Last Saturday the doors were delivered and we set to to remove the original and replace with Shaker style doors in an ivory finish and thing are so much lighter and airier!

Next stop Denver

Graham and Jill ( Nb Matilda Rose) are sitting on the starting blocks at Denver Lock and we are a 'lap behind' sitting an hour up river at Hilgay Bridge.  Tomorrow morning we will leave this mooring and slip down stream to moor behind them on the lock landing and await the decision on whether we can cross the tidal Gt. Ouse to Salters Lode lock.

It took some time this morning to prep Yarwood for our departure from Brandon.  Joe, wrapped as Nanook of the North, first had to remove the accumulation of weed washed down by flood waters from alongside the boat before diving down the weed hatch to remove three, yes three, sacks of weed from around the prop. That done, we set off down stream like a cork out of a bottle towards the Great Ouse, stopping at The Little Ouse Moorings for fuel,water and gas.  I counted myself very lucky as while Joe was subject the biting cold winds and bitter temperatures on the back of the boat I was playing Widow Twankey and getting all the laundry done inside in the warm.  I prepared lunch and made soup for tomorrow and only stuck my head out in the cold to assist with mooring up and servicing the boat.
Now we are settled for the evening/night, dogs walked and fed and us showered and deliciously warm!

Two planks to safety

The recent flood waters coming down the Little Ouse saw Yarwood steadily rising as the water levels burst the banks.  We went from the use of one gang plank to keep the tootsies dry to having to rig up two planks - Joe did the rigging, I watched from the confines of a warm boat while Himself waded about with trousers rolled to his thighs, rubber shoes and no socks on.

 Two planks to safety

 Frost on the ground and Joe in 'shorts'

 

When the waters dropped, the planks were gradually removed and stored and we were left with piles of weed that Grey Wagtails picked over...but would they stay long enough for a photo? No.

 

Little Weed

Get out of Jail free...well maybe, maybe not.

It seems we have a window of opportunity to get off of the River Great Ouse system on Saturday.  I have spoken to the Lock keepers at both Salters Lode ( the lock on to the Middle Levels) and Denver (the lock onto the tidal Great Ouse) and with the dredging of silt that had blocked both locks now all  but complete, there is just a chance that we can get across the tidal stretch into the Middle Levels.  This crossing will be dependent on Paul at Salters Lode lock being able to get level waters so that he can open the lock fully and allow both boats, Yarwood and Matilda Rose, who are both 66' footers and therefore too long to fit into Salters Lode lock, to get through.   Lots of ifs and buts and maybes but if we don't try the next window of opportunity is several weeks away.  So tomorrow will see us pulling pins from our mooring here at Brandon staunch and heading down stream on the River Little Ouse towards Denver. 
For today we will be making a last visit to family for what has become a weekly 'luncheon club' visit to a local  pub/restaurant; well last for a while if our exit is successful...if not, lunch will on for next week again!

Mince pies and Pork Scratching

This morning Jill came a knocking with a gift of some homemade mince pies.  This close to Christmas it seemed rude not to break open the sherry and toast the season so there we were at 10.30, noshing a shared mince pie and quaffing a glass of Crofts...very civilised.
Joe and Graham had gone  off to the Little Ouse Moorings to see owners, Natalie and Danny and get a new bottle of gas for each boat so they missed the early morning imbibing; Joe has since returned and we now have NO mince pies left...funny that.

When the men retuned, we saw Nb.Matilda Rose away - they have headed into Ely - and then hauled Yarwood backwards on to the EA mooring at Littleport rather than the pub mooring.  We had phoned ahead on Sunday last to The Swan on the River and asked about a hook-up on their shore power but on arrival we were told that they still haven't resolved whether they want to continue offering this service.   We were hoping to use shorepower get all the laundry up to date before going away for Christmas; we will still be up to date but Yarwood's genny is providing the power instead.
I have been out across the fenland walking the dogs this morning leaving Himself to run the vacuum around the boat - a much easier task when you haven't got the dogs sprawled about the boat objecting to being moved!

 Dog walking on a  dank and misty drove road

 Where we were greeted by these wee fellows, Gloucester Old Spots?

 

 

 Fletcher keeps his distance, standing on the opposite side of the road from the pigs whilst inquisitive Floyd has to meet and greet each one.

All pressed forward for a welcome back scratch - humans are so useful - and posed for the camera in return

Fare thee well West Row

We pulled pins this morning having enjoyed four days mooring at Judes Ferry Inn in the village of West Row in Suffolk.  The Landlord is really pleasant and friendly and he keeps some good real ales.  We did eat in the restaurant one evening but were all a bit disappointed by the fare; too much Masterchef influencing us I expect....

Dog walking in the area was a real bonus, offering a plethora of footpaths and routes to explore and even a walk across country into the town of Mildenhall.  One of the judgements I make about a mooring is the access to dog walking, a good mooring must offer me more than a strip of flood bank to wander up and down for ten minutes.

 On Sunday, after it had closed of course, Jill and I finally located the West Row village shop which will come in handy if/when we come back this way in the New Year.

This morning, Jill and I left on foot ahead of the boats, walking across country to Isleham lock with the four dogs.  It gave us and the mutts some exercise before we piled back on to our respective boats and headed off up stream to Prickwillow again where we have moored up for the night.   Tomorrow Littleport beckons for one night before making our way back towards Ely ahead of Christmas. 

Up the Lark without a boat

We are currently moored at Judes Ferry which is the end of the R. Lark navigation ...but not the end of the R Lark.   This morning, ahead of the promised high winds and lashing rain, I took the dogs for a walk along the banks of the unnavigable Lark.    We got the timing a bit wrong, well I did, the dogs don't do time unless it's meal-times and then they seem to have a very KEEN sense of time.  Anyway, the get-out-ahead-of-the-rain worked but the get-back-before-it-started didn't; we arrived back at Yarwood soaked and muddy.
Tomorrow promises better weather, apparently,  so the plan is to walk into Mildenhall along the river and explore the town.