Saturday 9th April
Today we had a day off and stayed at Rodley. Actually it was nothing like a day off because all I have done is clean! Firstly I cleaned the roof which, as it hadn’t been done since November, was absolutely filthy. It was a hands and knees with a scrubby brush job! That took me 2 hours at least, then we put all the stuff back on the roof and covered up all my hard work!
While I was doing this Ken was rubbing down and varnishing the back step and doorway. My job was by far the hardest though!
After a brief and I have to say well earned respite, at the pub of course, I cleaned the side and both ends of the boat, including the cratch cover, while himself tackled the Saturday Times and the crossword! Then I had a sit down while he got the dinner ready. After he came out again he got somewhat distracted by passers by asking the usual questions about living on a boat. I buggered off with Barbara to get an ice cream. I’m afraid there are just too many passers by here for an anti social old bag like me!
It is indeed very busy here, not with boats but with people walking, cycling, jogging, dog walking, being noisy and being nosy. It still amazes me how you can be sitting outside your boat or actually doing some work on it and people just come right up and stare in the windows like you’re not there! They also let their dogs poke their heads in the kitchen hatch, or over the side to where George is in his cage. This evening I had a narrow escape with my chicken wrapped in bacon. I had literally just moved it from the hatch to the fridge when a dog’s head came through the window. If the chicken had still been there I would have lost it for sure!
After dinner I cleaned the windows and that’s it for today! Tomorrow we all have to do toilet emptying things at Apperley Bridge then are going in search of a quieter mooring for the night.
