Sunday 16th June I love my girlies sooo much!

An early morning shower, wanted to be cleansed for fathers day, A lovely long skype with Tony and Rose and calls from my girlies,  all before a  brunch of ham and eggs, , tomatoes and mushrooms. Went on a take some photos stroll,

topped up the water and left this beautiful halte at 1pm. A stunning run through some more lovely scenery before we decided on a rural night moored at ecluse 22.

 

 It proved a difficult berthing with the water very high on the bank and I used the boathooks as poles to help keep Doucette clear of the bank.

 

It was a great setting and I settled down on the poop with an ice cold one to catch up on some blog whilst watching the world go by, it was peaceful bliss, nobody, until the................New Zealanders incident.

A bumper boat entered the lock from the opposite direction. It was a new zealand crowd I had already met on their outward journey at Decize. They were late and were struggling to get the boat back in time. One of there number had jumped ship to prepare the lock and having done this made his way down for a chat. I had committed the mortal sin earlier of thinking they were australians. we had some banter bfore he rejoined the boat and they exited the lock.......sideways. He missed us by inches as the boat was about to complete a full 360. The helm saved the embarrassement of this by thrusting the throttles forward and launching the bow into the bank at speed. The impact noise was horrid however at least the bumper lurched round and headed in the right direction and more importantly Doucette had remained unscathed. The kiwi helm had clearly lost it. The helm over, the 40ft boat now clung to the metal sided bank like glue and he just kept pushing the throttles forward but the helm was obviously steering into the bank. The graunching noise as it battled along the bank with a trail of mud and debris being raked up was enough to make you cry. 50metres further on and the boat had given its all and gave up the fight. The engines cut out and at last the stern was able to drift away from the metal hoardings along the bankside. I assumed he was a gonna and we would be offering tea and biscuits until the le boat rescue squad arrived. Miraculously with billows of smoke, she fired into life again. Looking and sounding like a bride and grooms rattling tin dragging car, the kiwis drifted off up river with a train of grass, weed nettles, twigs  and bushes trailing in its sad wake. It had been an absolutely astonishing but quite magnificent performance. How le boat can make money is beyond me!

 

Suddenly we were once again left alone with our surroundings.  Just the noise of the crickets, the odd moo from a young calf, a distant retort from  a shotgun signalling the end for another bright eyes and the soft whistling from our feathured orchestra.The sun glistened on the canal as at last it lost some of its earlier brutal intensity. A hawk gliding majestically but circling with hungry intent high above the tree line. This was bliss. Time for another cold one.

 

 Carla and stacey had been unable to send me fathers day cards so had both made video cards. I was at last able to download them. This silly old sod nearly cried. Like every other proud dad, I love my beauties to bits. I was just gutted I could not give them both a huge hug right then. It was brilliant and made me just soo happy.

A chicken salad with new potatoes served on the poop coincided with the opening of another earth show. It had been a scorcher and from nowhere there appeared a stack of cloud layers. A clash of Titans as a swirling cauldron of heavy dark clouds rushed under a high bank of pure white cotton. The collision immediately turned the canal into corrugated paper and suddenly the trees were flailing. The cows hit a one way street with a plane to catch under a deep rolling rumble. Then came the forks of lightening, awesome. The crew suggested we take cover but I was loving it and could see how rapidly it was moving past us and doubted we would see rain and just as quickly as it had come the wind had gone. Over coffee we watched and listened to this spectacular demonstration  of natures power. Shards of cracking fork lightening instantly illuminating the now night sky as they battled north. Above in a sea of stars soothed the cows to slumber and signalled us to bedtime.

All was calm, it had been quite a show