Almost Back

My home mooring

I am only a day away from my home mooring at Fradley. I don't expect it to look as neat as in the above picture as I haven't been there for four months!

I am experiencing a mix of emotions. I have loved the cruise. I love mooring in new places and finding unexpectedly brilliant walks. I have loved seeing Bonny transform from an anxious, disobedient dog to a pretty chilled and happy one who is (mostly) very obedient. I have loved feeling my confidence grow as I tackled new cruising challenges. Most of all I have loved the freedom of it all. I can choose when to move, how far to go and where to moor up. I can choose to stop for a week or move on the next day. I am free of a timetable, free of 'shoulds' and 'oughts', free of other people's expectations.

But I am also happy to be heading home. It is nearly August and the cut is getting really crowded. It will be a relief to be moored up and not have to move on every few days. It will be good to get my car back and not to have to carry my shopping for miles. It will be good to see friends I left behind on the mooring and also friends further afield.

I will be visiting my friends Graham and Jan Finch who went from boat to land based living in April. Also living in Yorkshire are my friends Brian and Cynthia so I will be killing two birds with one stone. Then I will be house sitting for Roger and Shirleyann while they are in Canada. Such a hardship, staying in a lovely house in Devon and catching up with friends I made when I used to live there. Bonny loves it there too, even though she gets bossed about a bit by Maisie the cat!

Before that I need to give my tough little boat a well deserved service. There is also a list of jobs on her that I will need paid help with. Then there is Bonny's service at the vets and the car to MOT. Between all that I shall be deciding what to do next!

Meanwhile I am moored near Handsacre where there is a terrific circular walk. In the morning I'll pop into Kings Bromley Marina for the first time since I worked there, for a pump out and diesel up.

Then I shall either have one more night moored in the woods or just go straight down my last lock flight in a while. I have been totting up and in my four month cruise I have worked 311 locks, various lift and swing bridges and cruised 422 miles. Time for a rest methinks!