Sunday 2nd May

A daunting day ahead, packing up the boat after six and a half months. Wondering if everything will fit in the car and what to do if it doesn’t!

It was a glorious morning, not too chilly as we set off from our mooring at 9am. The blue sky and sun ensured we saw the leafy canal at its best. There is nothing nicer than meandering through the countryside, not a building, car, train in sight. Just the reflection on the still calm water of trees and bushes with blossom adding colour and variety. Happening upon a rustic hump backed bridge or a field full of cows or sheep. Walkers along the towpath, often with a dog at heel, a cheery smile and a passing of the time of day. Time taking on a very different tempo to time at home. When I first named my blog narrowboattlc, the tlc was a nod to ‘tender loving care’ but I thought of ‘tea, love, chat’ as another variant. Now at the end of this trip I realise what I really want ‘tlc’ to mean: ‘time to listen and chat’, with the emphasis on the time. It has been such a luxury to spend probably 80% of this adventure not tied to specific timings. Obviously when we had to attend medical appointments or Zoom calls that were at set times we had to abide by our watches, but for the most part our day has been our own to do what we want when we want. That is a luxury not to be taken for granted and if I take home one thing from this trip, I hope it will be to give myself enough time to ‘smell the roses’ as I think the saying goes! A decade ago when I first mentioned the narrowboat idea to R it was because I wanted to slow down time. I’m not really sure that is possible, especially as we get older. Today as I was packing up I came across a file of my jottings relating to various studies I had attended over the past couple of years. I thought being on the boat would be an ideal time to revisit them and make some sense out of them. I realised that I hadn’t looked at them once. I haven’t found the time! Time has, even with very little to do, gone in a flash. I haven’t even managed to write more than this blog or read as much as I thought I would. Days have just disappeared. Even when we were locked down at Berkhamsted and then Leighton Buzzard, we still were never bored or without things to do. There’s been a lot of walking, a lot of tending to our basic necessities, a lot of Zoom communication! Nearly every evening R and I have watched something together. We could have chosen to read books but that is quite solitary whereas huddled over a mobile phone has bought us closer together! Tonight was an exception to the rule – R did continue with a book as I watched the last episode of ‘Line of Duty’ (not a series he has seen at all) so as not to see a spoiler alert tomorrow! To be honest we were both fairly tired. I had spent a good few hours packing up our things whilst R then carried them to the car and packed them in as tightly as possible. Then we walked towards the next set of locks wondering whether to move the boat tonight or tomorrow. Our mind was made up by a chance conversation we had with a boater who remarked how windy tomorrow is likely to be. So returning quickly back to the boat R moved the car along the canal whilst I moved the boat. R met me on the towpath and we proceeded to do the last three locks of our trip (well R did all the hard work – I just steered!) before mooring up for the night.

We had time for a long Zoom with our friends T and M who have been in lockdown in Ireland for over a year so will be great to see them in the flesh again one day. Meanwhile we have enjoyed some good Zoom conversations over recent months and last night was no exception. I mentioned that I would really like to turn this blog into hardcopy – an old fashioned book that we can flick through and relive memories as my memory forgets details fairly rapidly! T said she had planned to do that for me as a birthday present but inadvertently I had spoilt her surprise! She’s much more able and creative than me so I jumped at the chance to ask her to help me. I’d like to add more pictures, like the ones we have of people we have seen. Being aware of anonymity has prevented me from publishing too many faces as I don’t know who wants to be seen on a blog, but in a personal keepsake I’m hoping that’s OK. T is willing and able to help which will spur me on. I am so digitally incompetent that I have yet to turn our daughter’s wedding photo’s into hardcopy. Another job I thought I’d get done on the boat …..