2021

 Basically another relaxing boating year for me.  With a lot of cycling thrown in.  

108trips of which 52 were me going shopping from the boat!  A total of 1089 miles.  Sadly I did not achieve my target of 1416 miles because I didn't do any cycling in May at all.  I have set a more realistic target of 1200 miles for 2022 and already have 185 under my belt.

April was spent on my mooring, generally just chilling.

 

Then I set off to meet friends to do Birmingham in May and tackle the Walsall Canal Challenge.  First time of doing a challenge and I doubt I will do another single handed!  Also the first time I have spent any time at all boating in Birmingham.  Normally it is just a through route, head down stop one night etc.  But I thoroughly enjoyed it, it makes a huge difference having friends on their boats nearby.  

After the Walsall Canal and the Wyrley and Essington Canals we went through Netherton tunnel and I could not believe how different the scenery was on the other side!  Down to Stourport then back up the Staffs and Worcester canal.

Once I had had my second vaccination it was down to see my parents.  I had not seen them since August 2019.  They were safe and well.

July August and September I drifted around the Leicester ring.  So quiet and peaceful up there so it was a shock once I was back on the Trent and Mersey how busy everything got!

2022 is the year of getting things done on the boat like the BSS, blacking and some engineering works so the boating aspect I envisage will be a few shorter journeys here and there.  Onwards and upwards.

 

2020 - well that was a weird year.

 Started off sadly with an expected death in his family and basically never really recovered.

We heard vague rumblings of Covid-19 while we were in NZ but it seemed to be like the SARS which never really took off in the West.  What it did mean for NZ was that Chinese New Year was very quiet.  We were on the South Island on a motorbike trip just the two of us in early February so were quite pleased as the chinese drivers are not the best bless em.  When we returned to the North Island his sister and her family went to the South Island on a tramp so no internet etc and we moved up the hill to house sit and keep an eye on the cat and the chickens for them.  The world went mad while they were incomunicado and it amused us that the first text she sent us was - the world has gone mad can you get us some loo roll?  Since we were living there we knew full well that they had none in and had bought a four pack to keep us going but himself went out and got them a nine pack and so we too became part of the problem!  Yes even in NZ there was the rush on loo rolls.

As our return flight loomed we were getting increasinly worried as airlines were shutting down left right and centre.  His nephew had taken a sabbatical from studying to be a doctor for a year to travel and cycle/run up mountains etc  He left in February planning to finish up in Portugal in September. He managed one event in Chile but then he had to abandon South America and his bicycle as he caught the last flight out of Peru and into NZ before they shut the airport.  He then had to self isolate at his parents in a tent in the garden.  Luckily for us Singapore Airlines was still going and we caught all our booked flights and all connections.  We even managed to go out of the airport at Singapore to our hotel and we were let back in again the next day.  They took our temperatures at every possible occasion.  Very slick.  The planes were crowded with people who had been shunted off their flights.  But the toilets were scrubbed clean every hour or so by the staff.  One Danish girl who had been travelling in Bali was on her fifth flight into Heathrow so was facing yet another night in an airport. Before hopefully getting a final sixth flight back to Denmark. Her luggage had been taken off her in Bali and she had no idea if it was ever going to catch up with her.  We gave her all our snacks!

Heathrow airport was eerily quiet. Only our flight landed and that was an hour ahead of schedule because we clearly didn't have to circle around waiting for a landing slot.  We spent the night with my son on his narrowboat then the next day 22nd March we caught the coach back home.  Son and his girlfriend opted to spend lockdown up north with her family and poor souls they are still there as they can't return to the boat during lockdowns.  Our neighbours had sweetly bought us milk, bread and eggs and bravely fetched us from the coach station.

Lockdown 1 - strangely I enjoyed it.  April and May I had the best sleep I have had for years.  I think it was because nothing was expected of me.  Shame that I appear to have reverted to the not sleeping well since.

End of April I took up cycling and racked up 1260.4 miles to 31st December.  Once I got onto the boat in early June to move it from the old mooring location to the new one I continued with the cycling.  687 of my total miles were done on the old boat bike and the rest at home on the ebike.  (There are lots of hills at home).

Took my time moving the boat and I chose a route with the fewest locks so that I didn't have to touch things others might have touched too often.  I found it very relaxing as normally I am a head down get the miles in kind of a girl.  So I didn't get to go to Ellesmere Port or Chester or even back up the Llangollen as had been the plan.

In August I took delivery of son's cat and she spent the month with me on the boat while he and his girlfriend managed a much curtailed travelling acting tour of Britain.  It should have been for the whole of the Summer from May to October but a month was better than nothing.  Cat and I meandered down the Coventry Canal to meet up with some friends on the Ashby Canal and we did social distanced chatting on the towpath.  We even travelled in convoy into Coventry Basin.  Thoroughly enjoyable. I then meandered back up the Coventry canal and left the boat on its new mooring in the middle of October.  A much shorter boating season than normal early June to mid Oct instead of March to Nov but probably more days in total on the boat.  As once I was on it that was it.  I picked a good year to choose to retire it turns out.

Lockdown or not lockdown we haven't altered our habits for the whole year we have basically shielded ourselves at home or on the boat not seen anyone, not had anyone visit.  (other than son and even then it was no hugs, elbows only) I have made many masks.  Cloth ones and plastic bottle ones.  We have both worn masks for shopping since the 23rd March and as the first incarnations were made out of some gazebo material I had lying around they definitely protected us from them as didn't, as well as protecting them from us.  I have taken up lots of different crafts, painting, crochet and my latest craze is tablet weaving.  I am not very good at it but I am determined to get the hang of it.  Made my own loom and everything out of stuff from home or the skip opposite!

Christmas was hard simply because our heating packed in on the 23rd December and today 4th January the plumber came and fixed it.  Our heating is generated by a Stanley cooker (like an AGA) so cooking a full roast dinner using one induction hob, one camping gas ring and a combi-microwave oven was a an amazing feat carried out not by me but by himself.  A week ago the immersion heater decided it too wasn't going to play the game so not only no heating but no hot water either.  And it snowed.  BAH HUMBUG!!

Still I am hoping that that is all behind us now and 2021 can only improve.

The ecobricking continues.  I am waiting for himself to finish another 2 litre bottle so I can finish all the 2020 generated non recyclable plastic before I feel that we have totally put 2020 to bed.  (He had actually saved me enough bottles while I was away but I turned three of them into masks.)

I went on a walk near Christchurch NZ and kept coming upon these little mot juste.  Eventually I came upon the explanation.  They had been written by a young woman coming to terms with terminal cancer.

RIP 2020

2019 in a nutshell

Boxing day to 8th January 2019 was spent rushing my boat down south for Small Boy to live on it AGAIN while he finished his Drama Degree.

February, March and the beginning of April spending time with family in New Zealand including a fabulous packhorse ride on the South Island which involved taking the horses from a completely isolated station across Lake Wanaka on their enormous flat bed barge.

To give you an idea of scale the builders working at the station

 had come over on the barge with 5 concrete mixers, a bulldozer and a couple of vans.

Hauling the very heavy mooring rope

April May looking for and buying a boat for said Small Boy as he is now a convert to boat life.

June fixing his boat and getting it ready for him in the form of proper two pack blacking, making the engine bay more accessible etc.  I also did some work.

July I solo boated his boat down to London for him.  And painted one of his galley windows to give additional privacy in case you nipped to the loo and forgot to close the door between the bathroom and the galley.  I know no one could actually see through the gap between the blind and the side of the boat but looking out from your seated position you could see them soooo clearly it was quite offputting!  He requested a view of Mount Sunday from his trip to New Zealand.

End of July and the beginning of August we swopped possessions back and forth and he broke the rudder of my boat (after I had broken down because the engine dropped all it's coolant into the bilges) by dragging me backwards to a suitable location for RCR to find me and we hit an underwater obstacle.

 

Luckily Uxbridge Boats Centre did a rear lift and sorted out the 8 inches of bent tiller in an afternoon.

Rest of August I solo boated up the Thames (apart from the Tidal bit when I made him accompany me)  The first week on the Thames I was suffering from vertigo.  Not ideal when you are on your own.

September Himself joined me for the trip up the Oxford Canal including a brief sojourn in Banbury awaiting a new alternator.  Then up the Hatton Flight on the Grand Union and to the top of Lapworth Flight. Where I was abandoned by Himself.   I then continued solo down the Tardebigge. Pleased to say this took me a total of 6 hours,  That clearly wasn't enough so I spent the next day helping Chamberlain Carrying Co (fuel boat with butty) down at least 20 of the locks.  I waited for Himself to rejoin me for the trip via the Droitwich canals and up the Severn.  However, whilst waiting the rains fell in that there Wales so after getting stuck in Droitwich for four days as we also couldn't return the way we had come either, we finally gave up waiting for the river to drop, returned under the M5 and went back UP the Tardebigge.  This time in 3.5 hours.

I reached my destination by the middle of October.

Now I did do eco bricking whilst on both boats and Himself very sweetly saved all his non recyclable plastic for the 3 and a half months I was away.  Sigh.  I have just this minute finished packing it all into bottles.

So pretty much a year has passed since I started ecobricking and here is the result.

The top row were validated etc before I left in July.  The second row are what I bricked since July and the third row is a just started bottle.  It looks full but that is because the plastic likes to fight back in the early stages of stuffing.  I have added up the weight of each bottle and the two of us have saved a total of just over 7kgs of plastic from going to Landfill.  Very pleased with that.

Further point on the journey along the plastic free highway, and a detour down the zero waste lane.

So for the plastic that cannot be recycled and that we cannot prevent from entering our home we have started Ecobricking.

 https://www.ecobricks.org

Unfortunately for us we only had a 2 litre bottle in the house (and we had to wait 2 weeks for it to be emptied and ready for use!).  These are much harder to fill to the correct weight especially when you are beginning your ecobrick workout.

So this is the bottle and currently it weighs 342gms.  There is a small amount of plastic in the metal waste bin waiting to go in and the white length of pipe is my current poking stick.  The wooden ladle will be used once I have smaller bottles to fill.  (might have to search in hedge bottoms for one though)  The bottom half is pretty solid but there is still room in the top half (looks full because the plastic bounces back to fill the space)  I hope to have reached the minimum target weight of 666gms by Christmas.

Once you start this process it really makes you think about just how much we throw away.  But the other benefit is that you no longer feel guilty when you buy something that comes in a non recyclable wrapping, because you have a way to deal with it.

We missed the landfill collection last week - but in fact the black bin outside is empty and the one in the kitchen barely a quarter full so not a problem.  We started saving the plastic wraps etc when we put the last bin out two weeks earlier.  And pretty much all that plastic is in that bottle.

IN OTHER NEWS

I have made myself a pair of trousers out of a pair of curtains from a charity shop.  Mainly to practise as I have some material that I bought years ago that I don't want to make a mistake with.  I have been hankering after a pair of highwaisted trousers, that fit me.

Curtains

Unpicking

Not perfect as I decided last minute to add a front zip and waistband, on top of the original waistband from the bottom of the curtains.

The pattern for a front zip rather than a side zip is slightly different (you have to allow for the placket).  Plus I was going for an elasticated waist in the beginning anyway, since I didn't want an outside seam which is where the side zip could have gone.  But I had extra capacity in the material department once I had sewed the legs together because I had overestimated just how big I was so decided last minute to insert a zip instead of the elastic.  (Better than underestimating I guess)

So the next pair will not be so bulky around the waistband which will help the poor sewing machine!

Very comfortable, and with an untucked top no one will know!

I am not a natural seamstress but have a have a go attitude!  I have become a huge fan of you tube.

Whilst researching how to make a pair of trousers without a pattern etc I came across a blogger that is trying to not send any of her unused sewing material etc to landfill.  So she saves every clipped bit of thread, snippet of material and projects that didn't work and reuses them at a later point.  She has some good tips.  One of them being that she found a use for all that dross as stuffing for a cuddly toy.  Would work with cushions too.  I would put a link but I can't remember her name!  She also made eye masks using the bra cup infills as the padding.  I have some of those lurking around so I might just make myself an eyemask for the airplane.

Plastic Free (well as much as is possible these days)

After watching several progammes about the plastic in the oceans and in the landfills I am endeavouring to not intentionally buy any more plastic stuff that I can easily find an alternative for.

So far I am trying to use

Kitchen
washable kitchen scourers rather than a sponge.
washable kitchen cloths once the current j-cloths have been used
I like using paper towels (these probably have plastic in them too knowing my luck)
and once we run out of the current batch of plastic washing up brushes I will buy wooden handled ones.  I have source some online that only cost £1.25 so won't break the bank.  If I look hard enough maybe Wilcos have them in stock anyway.  We will see.

Bathroom
I have bought some bamboo toothbrushes.  I was sceptical that they would be any good as I prefer an electric toothbrush and since my mains one died I have been using the oral-b ones with a battery.  Do you know?  My teeth actually feel cleaner with the bamboo version although with muscle memory I find I can't stop cleaning until I have turned it off!  I am sure that will fade eventually.  The bristles are still plastic and you either snap the whole head off or pull the bristles out before disposing of the handle in the compost.

Toothpaste comes in a plastic tube - never really thought about that so I have bought some truthpaste (peppermint and wintergreen) which comes in a little jar like the miniature jam jars you get in hotels.  Works fine although I think it should come with a tiny wooden scoop / spoon.  You mustn't get it wet so poking your toothbrush in the jar is probably not a good idea.  Currently using a toothpick.

I have bought some dental floss - made of charcoal (don't ask me how this is possible!) which comes in a tiny glass dispenser you can then buy more floss to refill said dispenser.  This is actually better than the normal floss as it doesn't slip through your fingers.  Very pleased with this.

I bought a 5litre container of Castillian Soap a couple of months ago to reduce parabens blah blah which is the basis of most other soaps shampoos etc and am currently using it for washing my hair and hands, also in the washing machine.  My hair is squeaky clean.  I still have plenty of bars of soap to use up before I am solely on this but getting there.  I can then reuse the 5 litre container in the compost toilet on the boat!  Sweet.

On the boat I have plenty of the various shower gels etc received as christmas gifts over the years to get through before I can go completely plastic free in this area.  At least I wasn't the one doing the buying.

For when I go travelling I have bought some soap in a bar that is also a shampoo.  That will reduce the 100ml problem.  Not used this yet so can't comment.  I will make a little bag for it out of that plastic mesh you buy some vegetables / oranges in so that I am at least reusing the damn stuff and it doubles up as a scrub and you hang it up and the soap dries.  Win Win.

Teabags
We tried to dispense with bags but we drink so much tea that I am afraid we have slipped in this department.  We are not perfect!  This is not a Royal We there are two of us.  One of us is embracing this ethos more than the other!

Shopping
Loose vegetables and fruit where possible. 
Would prefer supermarkets to have paper bags by the loose rolls section and while I am quite happy for my carrots to be handled by checkout staff for some reason I am not keen on them handling my bread.  And no I do not wash the carrots when I get home so no real reason for this phobia!
Starting in October himself has promised to only buy meat from the butchers rather than the supermarket so we can take our own containers and reduce some of the plastic entering the house.  Less of a problem for me as I could easily be vegetarian, but I am not.
I have made a couple of shopping bags out of an old sheet.  Plenty of king sized sheet left to make more so each time the plastic long life shopping bags die we will not be swopping them in for replacement ones, just returning them to be recycled.  I jazzed up the shopping bags using scraps of more colourful material left over from dismantled shirts etc.

If we buy water in a bottle then we reuse it for as long as possible before finally putting it in the recycling.  I know there are problems with plastic water bottles but we very rarely have to do this, so the risk is fairly low.

So there it is.  Me trying to do my bit to reduce the amount of plastic that I potentially send to the oceans/landfill.

Don't get me wrong we have loads of plastic lidded containers etc that we will continue to use, the point being that we might still buy plastic but we want to reduce the stuff we throw away because we have no use for it. The unwanted packaging.

Lets see how this pans out.

Back dated news of my latest shenanigans

Well I did the Cavalcade in New Zealand and it was quite the best adventure I have had.  Loved it all despite:

Being thoroughly and completely traumatised on the first day by the sheer number and steepness of hills (up and down) that we did, the interesting and challenging terrain we covered, the 10 hours of riding, the breaking of the breast strap leading to the coming off the horse on the steepest of hills I have ever encountered at 8 hours in. Basically by the time we arrived at our first night stop it took two men to physically haul me off the horse (one to push from one side while the other caught me and propped me up against a hay bale.   One and a half hours later after lots of sweets and lemonade my legs and arms stopped fizzing and I was pronounced fit to continue.  I have never been so physically and mentally exhausted.

Day two was better but my legs still wouldn't work as the thigh muscles were still jumping around like a bag of frogs and my knees were shot from Day one.  Less in the way of hills but we had to travel in strict single file through the trees in the Bush by the side of the Clutha River.  Steep drops down into the grey swollen water and a narrow path I wouldn't want to have been walking on let along riding.  This day was highlighted by a wasps nest.  Luckily I was at the back of the group of 70 horses so our section took a detour and never met the wasps.  Other people were not so lucky, horses and folk covered in up to 30 stings each!  The other 'highlight' was me encountering a low branch fixed at both ends that concertina'ed my neck and body down until I slid backwards off the horse (breaking the reins in the process).  As my neck is already suffering from previous accidents as I was being pushed down I really thought "this was where my neck would finally break!"  Another 10 hour day.

Day three was the best, fabulous river crossings, rolling hills, sunshine, an appearance in the South Otago Newspaper.  Only 8 hours.

Day four to save my horses back I took this day off from riding and joined the back up crew in transporting everyones gear to the next night stop.  Great fun with a lovely bunch of people who support their wives/husbands/friends in being able to ride the cavalcade and have their accommodation, horse paraphernalia etc miraculously appear each night.  On this day I missed the excitement of one girl who fell backwards off a rearing horse, thoroughly breaking her arm etc that required a helicopter ride out.  But I did get to have a shower!

Day five we reach the sea, we don't need to have packed lunches as the catering crew meet us at the seaside and provide a wondrous feast.  What a change from soggy sandwiches and hard boiled eggs.  The sea mist never lifted so we missed the view of the lighthouse.  The farmer had especially cut a swathe we could ride on four abreast through the bush such that we would round a corner and be faced with the most magnificent view.  Nah we could barely see two horses in front!  And while we could hear the sea below us on the cliffs we couldn't see it.  Which I was quite pleased about as I could ignore the potential 'plummeting'.

Day six only a half day with more riding along the beaches.  An encounter with a sea lion that split the group in half.  The only way past him was achieved by one large group of folk going into the sea while the rest of us went into the dunes.  The sea lion couldn't make his mind up as to who to chase and as he darted left and right we slipped past in ones and twos.  A bit further on another sea lion scared a young horse and one of the wranglers came off backwards and was crushed.  He was unable to remount so we had to send a local back with a quad bike to bring him to the road for the ambulance.  Lunchtime we joined up with all the other trails (4 horse riding, a light wagon trail, a heavy wagon trail, two walking groups and a cycling group) and paraded through the host town.  Over a 1000 horses passing down the high street make a lot of mess!  The host town locals tie balloons outside their houses to indicate that here you can turn up and be provided with a towel and use of their showers.  BLISS.

I will definitely be doing the cavalcade again - but maybe with the light wagons as that will be less 'challenging'.

I only took photos when I felt it was 'safe' to do so.  Wish I had taken a go pro or similar and got photos/videos of the really gnarly bits.

See the slope to the right we went down that (and much steeper ones)

A brief clearing in the bush

We got our feet wet.  You can see how deep it got by looking at the riders at the front.

My little pony.  He was NOT AMUSED

Sea Lions before they decided they didn't like us!

Did I mention I was awarded the Awesome Sash on the Friday Night?

I got to wear it on the Parade!

Everyone else had been awarded it because they had a) been really helpful, b) been shoeing horses before and after doing the days ride, c) generally being amazing.

I was awarded it because I had come the furthest to be traumatised.  ;)  Plus they liked my poetry!

I have also completed the swimathon.  2.5km in 1 hour 26 minutes.

Swimming Outside the Box

Since I have been enjoying the 

Get Fit 

(for the Horse Riding Cavalcade in New Zealand)

Swimming 

what I have been doing recently, I have decided to take it up a notch.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katherine-watts1

I may regret it but it feels good to have another goal to aim for.

As I might be doing some training swims in the River Great Ouse please do not run me over with your boat!