Staying at Home

We have decided that we may as well stay at home this weekend. We have someone coming to measure up for a new front door this evening, our new smart TV arrives today so we can get that set up tonight. We are going to pick up the new washer dryer tomorrow morning, so we may as well head back home and get that set up and put to work as well.

It will be the first time we have had a weekend at home in ages so it will make a nice change. We know that Naughty-Cal is tucked up safe on her berth so there are no worries there.

If we are staying at home it will also give us a chance to take the dog to some different places for his walks this weekend. Give him some new places to explore. We have been itching to go and see one of our local reservoirs at Lady Bower where the water levels are so low that the long gone village, flooded to create the reservoir is now visible. So it looks like this will be our chance.

All the Appliances

The washing machine has now gone leaving a gapping hole in the kitchen. But that will soon be replaced on Saturday with the new washer dryer.

Our new smart TV arrives tomorrow. We have been a bit behind the times with this as this will be our first smart TV. In fact we don't even have home broadband so as part of this purchase we have had to sign up to that as well. So the cheap TV is not all that cheap by the time we have finished. They don't arrive to install the broadband until the 18th December so until then we will have to manage with the tethering on our phones. We both get 30GB of tethering within our mobile allowances so we should have enough to last until then. Well in fact we will have more like 120GB to play with as both of our allowances will switch over during the period in question.

The last appliance to buy will be the replacement fridge for the boat. We are still not 100% decided which one we are going to buy. More on this as we decide which way to go. But none of the options available is straight forward. 

No More Washing

There will be no more washing, for this week at least in our household. We have sold our washing machine and the people who have bought it are coming to pick it up tonight, so we did our last load of washing last night.

Why? I hear you ask?

Well we have decided that we are going to stay in our current property for the next five or six years. The aim is to remortgage to a much better deal and have it paid off in five years. And as part of that plan I have said that if we are doing this then I want a washer dryer. No more hanging clothes up to dry around the house.

Now we unfortunately don't have room for a separate dryer so it has to be a combined washer dryer unit. We pick our new one up on Saturday morning so hopefully by Saturday afternoon we will have a working washing machine and also a dryer. Then I can make the clothes horses redundant and strip them down to put them in the recycling bins and we can regain our home from the acres of drying clothes we seem to accumulate at this time of the year.

Sunday Sunsets

To end another brilliant weekend we were treated to a spectacular Sunday sunset over Burton Waters. The sky looked like it was on fire.

The Birthday Bash

A few pictures for you today from the 70th birthday bash we attended in Saxilby on Saturday. We had a brilliant evening.

Well That's Expensive!

We had a brilliant night last night in Saxilby. There are plenty of sore heads this morning.

Our fridge decided that it has had enough this weekend. I don't suppose we can complain as it has not been turned off for ten years!

It is not going to be cheap to replace though. The cheapest price so far is £500 for the fridge and then a further £30 for the mounting kit!

And So It Begins

And so begins another busy weekend.

Sydney has been dropped off at the dog sitters for the evening as we have a party to attend in Saxilby this evening.

While he is away we are taking the opportunity to get the boat scrubbed up and get a few jobs done before we head out onto the river.

Calming Down

After yet another hectic week it is time tonight to calm down, chill out and relax. Even the dog needs a bit of a chill out from his current stage of the terrible twos!

So tonight we plan to have a quiet night in with a film and a few drinks and later on a warming meal of spicy bbq chicken and chorizo casserole served with some wild rice and home made garlic bread. Perfect for an autumnal evening on board.

I cheated of course and made the casserole in the week and stuck it in the freezer so that all we have to do tonight is warm it through for a nice easy ten minute meal.

Then after one relaxing evening it is back to the busy busy tomorrow. But more on that tomorrow. For today we will concentrate on being relaxed.

Ten Years In

We are quickly approaching the end of our tenth year with Naughty-Cal. I don't think that we could ever have imagined the places she would have taken us that day as we tentatively handed over the deposit and started our life as boat owners.

We had not even set out to buy a boat like Naughty-Cal, we were heading out to order a new river cruiser to gently plod around on the inland waterways. No way did we envisage buying a sports boat capable of taking us to sea.

We jumped in blind and could quite easily have made a huge and expensive mistake. But we took things gently to start with until we got used to how she handled and slowly but surely took bigger and bigger steps. 

Looking back we can still remember those big miles stones, our first trip down the Humber to Hull, our first sea trip in company to Wells next the Sea, our first sea trip alone to Kings Lynn and then our first big coastal trip alone to Newcastle and North Shields. We look back on these trips with fond memories and hope that there will be many more to come.

Stay Away

We were both relieved this morning to peek around the curtains and find that the snow that had been threatening to appear from over the hill had stayed away. 

It was cold all day yesterday and the rain at times had turned a little on the wintry side. Snow had fallen over the Snake Pass and the road was closed during the afternoon. So it had been a game of guessing where the snow line would stop it's advance.

We are not out of the woods yet, so to speak. We have another bitterly cold day forecast here in Sheffield with temperatures a touch down on yesterdays even and with the promise of rain showers again we could yet see the first snow flurries of the season in Sheffield tonight.

Fingers crossed it stays away as the weather looks set to get a touch warmer for the weekend.

Racking the Miles Up.

The run to Washingborough ended what had been a run of busy weekends. Now that's not to say that the next few weekends are not busy, because they are jammed packed what with parties and shopping and whatever else we manage to squeeze in, but there will not be quite so much cruising for Naughty-Cal. Most of our next plans are very local.

But this is no bad thing for the girl. She deserves a rest along with the rest of us. It has been a busy year and despite a slow start to the year and holidays away from the boat this year we have racked up an increasing amount of miles already with still well over a month of this year to go. In fact we have already well beaten last years total. But last year was unusually low for us due to the long distance Cal travelled by road.

A Busy Weekend

It has been a super busy weekend this one just gone. It was quite dog orientated but we did get some cruising in as well.

Friday night and Sydney is making himself at home on Lady Sea

Checking out the flybridge

And the lazzerette

Saturday morning and it is present time

And a visit from the Pierres and Helen and their latest two customers.

Beau was very much at home on Liam's knee

A frosty start in Washingborough

The start of a lovely day

The frost quickly thawing

And a birthday visit from Woody

The boys played for hours.

One very sleepy Sydney.

Still crashed out hours later.

But he did get up to have some dinner. But it was straight back to bed after a quick walk to stretch his legs.

A Beautiful Morning

We have had a beautiful morning in Washingborough. A cold and frosty start which quickly gave way to a sunny day.

We met up with Woody,  Sydney's brother and the pair spent the morning charging around and tiring each out on the river bank.

Sadly now it's time to head back to the marina.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday Sydney. Two today.

Having a Haircut

Sydney has been a good boy and had his haircut this morning. We are now waiting for a delivery to arrive before it is time for me and Syd to head to the boat for our weekend to start early.

Like A Friday

It feels like a Friday for me today as I have tomorrow off work so will be making an early visit to the boat this weekend.