Sunrise on the last day of August just outside out little town.
Taken by a local photographer Keith Sergeant.
Sue xx
Showing posts with label Canalside Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canalside Life. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 August 2023
Monday, 21 August 2023
By the Water ... and Home Fires
I had another lovely walk along the canal with the dogs this morning.
We go along the road and then come down the old stone steps at George's Triangle, a lovely little half-tended plot of wild and planted plants by the side of the stone bridge. The bees were already out and about and buzzing around the flowers.
It looks a lovely raggle taggle mess, but the wildlife love it ... and the dogs always have a good sniff.
We enjoyed the walk along the canal back to the house as there were lots of different narrowboats moored along the towpath this morning and it's always nice to see a few different ones. I look at the boats, taking great care not to peer into the windows and the dogs sniff out the bushes and hedges that line the path and we all say hello to anyone we pass.
Back at home I've been watching this on DVD just recently, it's a really good series, well both series one and two are equally as good as each other.
It's keeping me on the straight and narrow for my rationing challenge.
It was only when I got to the end of series two that I remembered how they left it all up in the air ready for another series ... and then never came back with one. What a shame. The good things get cut off in their prime and the boring and obviously much cheaper to make programmes go on and on and on.
Time to dig out my DVD folder and find something else to sink my teeth into, or maybe I should pick up a book and read for a while instead.
Sue xx
Monday, 7 August 2023
Early Morning by the Canal, Family Visits and Getting My Ration Head On
It was lovely first thing this morning and Ginger came to tell me as much at 6.20am. He wanted to go out and looking at the positioning of all my floor length curtains he had had a peep at all three usually available exits before deciding that he needed his own personal door person to facilitate this. He went out and half an hour later, after a breakfast snack at Alan's he was back to mine to claim his usual morning treat of Dreamies and fall asleep once again on the armchair.
By this time I had put the first load of washing on and was sat clutching a mug of coffee and watching some YouTube. It was just so nice outside that once the washing machine had done it's thing, I pegged the clothes out on the line and took myself canal side for a walk on the towpath.
The boaters were still tucked up in their huge beautifully decorated metal tubes, the paths were clear and the sun was shining, what a brilliant way to start the day.
I love the stillness of early morning. and as it was still barely past seven o'clock I only saw one other person to say 'Good Morning' to, a lady with two excitable Spaniels.
As I got closer to home the water was sparkling in the early morning sunshine, I have fingers firmly crossed that we have another good day all day today. Yesterday was lovely, sunny and warm and as Alan's sister came to stay for the weekend we enjoyed sitting in the garden catching up on news. Earlier she too had enjoyed the early morning towpath, going for a jog in sunshine but getting pretty muddy as she burned up the miles along the canal-side after Saturdays heavy rains.
Later we left all three dogs ... our two and her German Shepherd Tia ... back at home snoozing and had a pleasant wander around the sleepy Sunday High Street, with Alan and Alison comparing property prices between here and Peebles, before stopping for a coffee and a slice of cake in Booths café.
I love that our High Street has shops that virtually all still close on a Sunday, even in retail you need a day off and our shops are virtually all small independents. Of course the supermarkets are open and our new Factory Shop was open although pretty deserted. Our little town is like a step back in time occasionally ... in a very good way.
And speaking of stepping back in time, it seems I already have my 'rationing head' on, I have started saving my citrus peels and popping them into the freezer, first this lonely little Easy Peeler skin at the start of last week ...
... and then the squeezed out ends from the lemon bought this week for my early morning drinks.
Once I have added the skins from the other six that I have in the fridge and the cores from the two apples in there I will have a bag of bits and bobs ready to add to some Compost Heap Jelly, which will make good use of my sugar ration when rationing begins at the end of this month.
In the meantime I have been sorting through my food cupboard, donating a couple of things that just won't get eaten and getting things organised on shelves so that I know what is available to eat and when, during my rationing months.
I need to finish my narrowboat book this week and then start reading up on rationing again to get my head in the right space for this ongoing money-saving personal challenge.
What did you get up to at the weekend?
Sue xx
Saturday, 25 March 2023
Of Narrowboats, Seeds and YouTube
It may look a bit gloomy, but it's just early in the morning, the world is barely awake but it's nice to be out walking the tow path with only the sounds of the birds singing as my soundtrack. The crunch of my feet on the soggy gravel barely disturbing anyone.
I love narrowboats and we always get a few different ones to wander past. It's hard not to look into the windows as you pass, but you can look in the direction of the boats when the curtains are closed without feeling too guilty.
I was desperate to plant some seeds the other day, although I know it's still a smidge too early for me here in Lancashire. So I quieted the urge by planting two Courgette seeds in a pot. They sit on my windowsill with their plant pot encased in a reused polythene bag. Their own tiny greenhouse.
The hope of things to come. 💚
Some Weekend Watching, just a few of my favourites from this week.
Freakin Frugal. Frugal Daddy in the dumpster again. I find it so sad that supermarkets throw so much perfectly good food away, and even more sad that animals have lost their lives only for their flesh to end up in landfill. Happily they rescue a tiny portion of it, and share it with neighbours and others.
Never Too Small. An apartment with the same square footage as my little lodge. It's always interesting to see such different layouts to mine and what people have done with them.
Gittemary Johansen. Zero waste shopping in Denmark with the original sustainable badass vegan.
And finally:
What's for Tea. Meals of the week from Cheryl in Scotland ... why are other people meals so much more interesting to look at than your own?
If the rain stays away today I'll be sorting out my tiny garden ready for a Summer of food growing. Just a little bit in the raised beds and lots of pots, but just a little bit is better than none.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Sue xx
Sunday, 26 February 2023
Early Morning Canal Side Walk, Breakfast Out and More Spending
The dogs and Alan were having a long lie in this morning.
Ginger had been over to me for his daily early morning treat of Aldi knock off 'Dreamies' and a cat stick, and then he decided to go back to bed at his Dad's. It was looking to be a good start to the day with the sun peeking out every so often between the puffy greyish clouds, so I decided to go for a walk on my own.
I did what we call the 'reverse loop', along the road up to the canal bridge and then down the ancient stone steps to the tow path. Without dogs stopping at every bush, post or unusual thing on the verge to either sniff at or wee on, the walk seemed more peaceful and somehow stiller.
This is the first time I have done this walk without at least one of the dogs by my side, and it's strange but I noticed different things for the first time.
The tree stump with the painted pebbles commemorating someone who had died recently, the fact that the tow path seemed clearer and neater than usual. The sparrows flitting in and out of the hedge, chunnering at me as I passed. The stillness of the water and the lovely reflections of the trees and bridges.
As I neared home I noticed the tiny narrowboat called My Newt had sold.
Well I'm assuming that it has sold, there was a notice in its window the other day saying 'For Sale £14k' and a phone number. I was briefly tempted but fought the temptation admirably. 😉
Just after I got back home Mavis' face appeared at the window and Alan called round to ask if I wanted to go out for breakfast. Never one to not to look a free Sunday morning breakfast in the mouth, I of course said yes. And once Alan had taken the dogs for a brisk walk to use up a little of their excess energy we all set off in his car for Daisy Clough garden centre and tearooms, and breakfast.
It was lovely, and very busy as it always is. People round here can still afford to eat out it would seem. I left an hour later clutching the sugar I hadn't used, the napkin Alan hadn't used (waste not want not) and a packet of Courgette seeds that I really needed.
Another £1.90 spent.
Along with the £27.70 I spent yesterday, in readiness for something that I am starting tomorrow.
My spending challenge has really taken a battering this month, and it's time to add up everything that I have spent now that the end of February is looming.
Oh and I did my first BIG shop yesterday, I need to find my camera and download the photo and add that to my running total. I'll show you what I bought on the next post.
Sue xx
Monday, 12 December 2022
Blogmas Day Twelve - Health and Safety for Santa
Photographing my Advent calendar goodies in a different place for a change.
This feels like it's getting too samey ... anyone fed up yet?
Today seeds as you can see are Kale and the jam is marmalade, and in the Christmas tree recycled decorations calendar I have some little acorn type things, I can't remember what sort of tree these come from but they are real.
The little tree is starting to fill up nicely.
Meanwhile, outside the lodge the pavements are sheer ice, although the roads, once you are off our little cul-de-sac, have been gritted. It was the Santa Run in town yesterday, downscaled to a Santa Walk for health and safety reasons.
We can't have two hundred Santa's breaking their legs now can we. 🎅
Sue xx
Saturday, 16 July 2022
Our Luxury Narrowboat Holiday On Board Legato
Grab yourself a cup of coffee ... or something cooler ... and settle back for a little round up of our holiday, as requested.
Although the mornings saw us briefly in jackets as we meandered along the canal at 3mph, the outer layers were soon taken off and we basked in blue skies and sunshine, so much so that by the end of our four days of cruising we both had red faces and Alan a nose that got redder and redder as each hour progressed.
The pace of life along the canal is so relaxing, well you do have to snap out of it occasionally then you come to narrow bridges, boats on either side that are moored up or boats heading towards you that sometimes seem to forget until the last moment that you should pass each other on the right-hand side. But mostly you find you relax into it and rely on each other to point out hazards or things of interest.
I discovered that I am absolutely fascinated with bridges.
The stone they are made of, the worn well-trodden flights of stone steps beside some of them, the rickety fences and gates by others, and the cobbled towpaths that go beneath them all had me transfixed.
Luckily Alan was the designated Skipper and me in my position as 'Crew' could occasionally take my attention away from hazards ahead and relish the wildlife, the bridges and the green, green fields and magnificent trees that line the canal in so many places.
Our first nights mooring was simply at the side of the canal.
After having the hour long tuition journey out of the marina, taking in all the information we needed to know about how everything on the boat worked, how to drive it, turn it completely around and the rules of the canal and then returning Eammon the owner back to the starting point, then setting off ourselves and travelling for a couple of hours we were ready to just tie her up, let the dogs have a run around and crack open the wine.
We had to laugh to ourselves when we saw a familiar landmark in the distance and realised that if we were to have driven straight along the A6 we would have taken about twenty minutes by car to reach this point of our holiday journey!!
Posing with his flask of tea just minutes before the wine and beer came out!!
We slept like babies, with the water as still as anything and hardly any noise outside. The dogs were slightly disturbed by this strange new environment but they settled down after a while.
And then it was morning and time to set off again, crossing small viaducts and going through lots of bridges as we made our way up North for a few hours.
Following the paths of the canal means you see so many fields, animals, houses and so much wildlife. It's a beautifully slow pace to the day and you soon settle into the rhythm of the canal.
Everyone that passes, whether they be on another boat or walking or riding on the towpath says a cheery 'hello' or waves and smiles. It makes for a happy atmosphere and a relaxed frame of mind.
We saw many swans on nests ...
... and swans that followed alongside for a while.
And then stopped in their tracks to feast on the oats we threw in for them.
We saw more Herons ... both on the waters edge and in flight ... than either of us have ever seen before. They are such huge, graceful birds that fold away to little skinny-minnys once they are stood still.
Our second night was spent alongside Galgate Marina on the visitor moorings.
After arriving late afternoon and tying up, we walked along the tow path with the dogs and went to the canal-side pub for a late lunch Then it was a quite night relaxing with some television, wine and nibbles.
There was some rain overnight but by the time we woke up it was all passing over and we had a healthy breakfast to combat all that alcohol and then set off on our slow travels once again.
We carried on in the same direction at first under another couple of bridges to the nearest winding hole, to turn the boat around and head back the way we had come.
Alan did it so smoothly and before we knew it we were facing in the opposite direction and heading back. It was time to head briefly for home to check on Ginger and leave him some fresh food.
I managed to get a shot of this amazing tree root system clinging to the stone sides of the canal that I had spotted on our outward journey.
We passed by boats that were up for sale.
Boats the like of which we had never seen before.
And lots of clusters of boats that obviously lived along the canal permanently.
The whole week was absolutely fascinating to both of us, and while Alan had his eyes mostly glued ahead to keep us safe, I could notice the details a little bit more and point out things for him to see when he could look away.
My view varied between the canal ahead, the banks and towpaths and every now and then down into the boat to see what the dogs were up to ... which was mostly snoring in their bed.
They soon got into a rhythm and began to realise that the engine slowing right down, Mum grabbing the centre line and hopping off the boat and then Dad manoeuvring into the bank meant that it was time to clamber out of bed, stretch and shake out those little legs because soon there would be a walk, some food or just time for a play.
The boat was beautifully fitted out and everything that we could possibly need was there, plus more. We hadn't brought any more than the absolute necessary with us so it as quite easy to keep things relatively tidy.
After feeding Ginger, watering the plants outside and making sure everything was okay at home we walked the two minutes back to the boat and resumed the holiday. This time we were heading South to Barton Grange Marina where we had our fingers firmly crossed that we would be able to get one of the two visitor moorings on the canal itself ... we did ... phew!!
After a chippy supper we settled down for another relaxing evening on the boat.
And then before we even knew it the end of the holiday was in sight and it was time to head back taking all day to do it. Drinking in the sounds and sights of the canal and getting a good look at everything we had spotted on the way down.
We weren't the only ones looking!!
This time each bridge brought us closer to home.
And still they had me fascinated.
And then before we knew it we were once again moored close to home and it was the final time for me to grab the centre line and pull the boat in while Alan got out the 'nappy pins' and tied the boat at the front and back to keep her safely at the towpath edge.
One of the guys from the boat company was going to meet up with us at our patch of the canal on his way back from teaching another couple the ways and working of their holiday boat and then take us back to the marina where our car was waiting. It was the first time that Alan wasn't in charge of steering and safety, and he could completely relax and let someone else do the work for twenty minutes.
Here's a short YouTube film of us cruising on the Lancaster Canal.
We are now back home and still totally relaxed. It's a good sort of holiday for chilling out, meeting nice people, for seeing nature and for getting back to basics ... or in our case a very luxurious 'basics'.
Did the little doggy life-jackets come in handy I hear you asking ...
YES they did ... Mavis fell in!!
The only other casualties were Alan's flask and the wooden brush off the top of the boat ... luckily all three overboard items were safely recovered.
One final photo of the Skipper.
We went with The Duck Island Boat Company who are based in Garstang Marina local to us, and who we now highly recommend.
If you have any questions just ask, I could have rambled on for hours, but I won't ... or maybe I did!! 😁
Sue xx
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