No, not us ….. but 2 swans the other night! We were quietly watching telly about 9 pm and suddenly there was a terrific noise outside which set Foxxie barking. A kind of frantic, frightful whoosing. We looked out the window and 2 swans were going at it hammer and tongue, beating their wings and trying to get one another’s heads held under the water - feathers flying everywhere. We guessed it was all down to one male defending his mate’s nest from a wanna-be-daddy. Unfortunately we couldn’t get any photos as for some reason the camera refused to play. Don’t know what the outcome as they were gradually progressing down the canal and round a bend. Next morning, mummy swan on her nest and daddy (or was it wanna-be-daddy?) drifting around without a care in the world …. and no loser around for our dinner!
We are now on the Oxford Canal and moored up for the day at Napton Locks as for the first time since we set off, the sky is blue and the sun shining - we even celebrated with an ice-cream this morning after climbing six thousand feet up Napton Hill to see the restored windmill and church. OK, maybe not that much but pretty steep as apparently you can see 9 counties from the top. It was well worth the climb for the view, even though the windmill is privately owned so not open to public and, as a bonus, we passed a farm selling free range eggs at £2 a dozen.
Since last blog we have done 61 miles and 23 locks. Since setting out we have averaged 4.5 miles a day which has took some doing as when we were holidaying it must have been about 20 miles a day! We are trying very hard to get into the fact that we don’t have to go mad and don’t have to move every day!
pic 1: first violets of 2010 in churchyard at Napton on Oxford Canal - spotted April 8
pic 2: our first visitor on the boat
pic 3: man at work
S
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