Hadar and Waiouru

"There are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder,  smile a little bigger, and live a little longer."  ~ Anonymous

     Sorry to take so long to post folks. Between working part time (people forget that only Les is living it up as a retiree), activities of daily living like cleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking, etc., and keeping Les on a regimen for his health, I find myself continually playing catch up time-wise.

Entrance to the Saltisford Arm

     Last week we cruised from Radford Semele to Warwick, stopped to pick up groceries at the almost-canal-side Tesco store, Les did some running around in town for manly bits and bobs, we filled up with water, came up the two Cape locks and stopped at dusk far later than we usually do, totally knackered and pleased that our nearest neighbors were dead quiet all night. We were of course moored by a cemetery!
   For some reason we lost our Freeview television which had been working fine the previous evening, and that put Les in a tizzy. We don't watch a lot of telly but we do have our favorite shows at any given time: Canals-The Making of a Nation was airing a six part series we didn't want to miss; Rick Stein's food travelogue, From Venice to Istanbul is one of my latest favorites and we are both enjoying the latest series of New Tricks and Terry and Mason's Food Adventures. I will leave it to Les to bring you all up to date on The Freeview Saga and how he fixed it in another post.

Looking down the Saltisford Arm

     The next afternoon saw a welcome spot of sunshine as we cruised into Saltisford Arm to a joyous reunion with our friends Keith and Jo Lodge on NB Hadar.  The last time we saw each other was at Bourne End in March of 2013 as Les and I were on the way down to the Lee & Stort and then the Thames.
     In the interim ill health visited both boats with Les' diagnosis of cancer and Keith's biliary operation and recovery. Suffice it to say both men look great and feel well and Jo is as radiant as ever.
     We spent two days moored in Arm and I have to say it is lovely there. The gardens are delightful, the Saltisford Arm Trust take great care of the buildings and property, and it is a simple walk out the side gate and down the sidewalk to catch a bus into the center of Warwick.
     Sadly, I didn't get to see Warwick Castle because I've injured my left knee quite badly. Two visits to a local osteopath finally got the muscles and tendons to relax but the treatment was excruciating.

Keith and Jo in front of NB Hadar

     Meanwhile I hobbled around the grounds of the Arm and delighted specifically in Jo and Keith's boat-side garden. Tea and a long natter aboard Hadar brought us both up to speed. I met Marmite the boat cat and Paddy the dog.
      The Lodge's came to dinner aboard NB Valerie and the craic was grand. If you ever get a chance to hear Keith's stories of working on a historic narrow boat don't miss it. His blue eyes sparkle with delight as he spins a good yarn of the once-ways on the cut. He knows more about working and living aboard than the rest of us have forgotten.
      Jo is filled with energetic light and laughter. It seems the Saltisford Arm Trust is a good fit for her and the Arm is a fantastic place for NB Hadar as a permanent mooring.
     We introduced them to several board games, including The Great Game of Britain--a railroad game of great strategy and fun which our friends Sue and Ken Deveson on NB Cleddau introduced to us last March. We knew after our first game it was our kind of fun and we found a used game set on E-Bay. Keith liked it so much he ordered one for Hadar!
    We cruised out of the arm and settled nearby on the towpath so Les could get stuck into fixing our Freeview. He had previously mapped out our travel so we could be at Hatton Railroad Station for Tuesday the 15th. He has to travel down to London for the latest scan results. Ahead of us we had the 21 lock Hatton Flight--my first huge flight of locks--to climb up before we reached the station.  It was my hope the osteopath treatments would sort my knee as they did last January, so I could take the locks in turn with Les doing five, switching off and steering for five, doing five more, etc.

Looking up the 21 lock Hatton Flight: up 146 feet in less then two miles!

     The morning came to attempt the flight. We stepped out on the stern with tiller and pin in hand to see NB Waiouru turning into the Saltisford Arm! We strolled down to say goodbye to Jo and Keith and hello to Tom and Jan.
     The Lodges were out but we did manage a cup of tea and a piece of Jan's lovely cherry cake before we finally said we've got to go do the flight. Tom kindly offered to help us and so the three of us set off--I steered and the men worked the locks. Two hours and thirty five minutes later in lovely sunny weather and we were up! Both men looked hot and knackered, so I fixed scrambled egg burritos and American Lemonade for lunch. Many thanks Tom for your help.

Out of one lock...

     My knee pad (patella) is catching on the lower left corner and putting any weight on my knee has been terribly painful as its quite swollen. The osteopath recommended a visit to a GP for a possible scan to see if I might have a torn miniscus. I've been to the GP as a temporary patient and she has dubiously ordered x-rays of both knees and physio for me, so we are stuck here in the area for the foreseeable future and it is Les' turn to take care of me.
     I can travel by train down to Warwick Station for £2.42 round trip--less than it costs me to travel anywhere in this country by bus! It takes eleven minutes and we are in central Warwick so that makes it handy for appointments. Les has a senior rail card so he can travel for £1.20!

and into the next!

     Meanwhile this has been a lovely, quiet stretch of canal which is exactly what we prefer.  The trains are close by but they don't bother us and they are seldom the high speed Virgin trains that rip through the countryside lifting the sod as they fly by with their obnoxious sounding horns.
     I sanded the port side of the boat and Les painted it. We also got a handle on our water pump which has been running off-on-off-on-off-on continually for months, driving me barmy as I try to sit and read in the evening. That too is another Les tale to tell, it being manly man kind of work and all! Now we just need to get our Ebispacher fuel operated heater serviced, and I think we will be ready to head north after a bit more work on my knee.
     NB Waiouru is coming up the Hatton Flight in the rain this afternoon and I've invited Tom and Jan to dinner for Spaghetti Bolagnese, so she won't have to cook after all that work. We are looking forward to another evening of good craic in the company of friends. To quote Mo of NB Balmaha, one of the kindest, funniest, and most delightful boaters I've ever met, "Aren't boater's the loveliest people?" Yes Mo they are...and not a one of them we've met will ever be forgotten.