Dizzie and RomanWay

8/1/2024
This is NOT a finished article
It mayl be edited and polished
during the coming month or so.

Mon 8th January 2024
Up early to prepare the boat for leaving.  Walked away at 10.37 for the 10.45 to Northampton which got me on to the 1032 to Peterborough and landed me in Lynch Park at 2.15 for a quick shop in Orton Tesco before I fetched up at the flat at 2.37pm lugging my dolly trolley full of laundry and my 1953 copy of Bartholomew's Gazetteer,,, 

 I do not overmuch feel a need to explain the photos above ... but ...

Watling street has been a recurring part of my life for fourteen years and Watling Street is nowadays the A5.  Take it from London via Dunstable and Towcester to the next village along the A5 Weedon.  Pull in to the Tesco shop and park and then walk up hill past the antique shop and the hotel til you find the canal below.  I am almost under High Street Bridge (photo6) sandwiched between A5 and the rail line to Edinburgh (photo2)  two minutes from where you have parked (photo3).  Until arriving here I was seriously off grid for months sometimes 25minutes walk from a bus stop or miles from a pint of milk so Weedon is a dream mooring.  I am living the off grid life (photo1&5) sifting my charcoal nuggets (photo4) for diamonds, tending my fire, staying warm and dry, bailing out my boats (photo1&5) and updating my blog from a warm bed ... what's not to like?

TUES 9th Jan
Flat life is totally different but it puts perspective into boat life. At the flat I have central heating, constant hot water, a fine bed, nice clothes, shops round the corner, a bus outside the door, medical centre , pharmacy. All the trappings of and land life in fact.  Early to bed.  Early to rise.  Get the shipping forecast at 5.20am. Make coffee.  Dress slowly in layers and at ease.  Be at my desk by 6.45am writing this blog and other stuff til 9.45 when after cereal and a large omelette ... eggs, mushroom, tomato, diced onion ... shave, footbath, or a soak?  drop into 'surgery' to book a review of  my cholesterol and my statins.  Iceland the shop to stock up on frozen food but only for two days. This life is so unlike my off grid persona that it is unreal.

WED 10th  Jan
Ever since I got the keys of the flat late May last year I have tried to visit the flat at least once a month and more recently that has been once a week if possible the pattern developing into three days here four days there which translates as a return road trip to or from the boat or the flat twice a week.  Wed has become the day off in my week and is more rather than less likely to be in Peterborough or touring around with my bus pass. I did a trip to Kings Lynn via Wisbech with a local bus loop out there to see the outflow of the River Nene at Tidal and at Interface. Amazed to find that one of the reasons the Nene floods so much is an inability to empty because of the restriction of built up river banks all the way from Thorney to Lynn ...

THURSDAY 11th Jan
Today at the flat is laundry. and kitchen familiarization and even Television (Mr.Bates vs The Post Office) and getting ready to return to the boat on Friday or maybe Saturday ... to float away