Odin Starts To Learn He is a Boat Dog

(Boats Chalice & Sickle - posted by Cath)

Odin was allowed out in public on Monday - when his immunisations had taken effect, at 11 weeks old. It was a bit of a shock for him as we took him to a puppy training class. He actually did very well, managing to walk well to heel, and having great fun playing with the other puppies. It is important that he learns how to behave around other dogs, as well as other animals.

Odin sitting quietly - actually watching Michael behind my left shoulder

On Tuesday we set off from Cheddington with Chalice much later than would have been ideal. For Odin this was another big event - until this point he didn't know that he is a boat dog.

We realise that everything that much of what he sees is completely new to him - boats, ducks.

We picked Sickle up below Grove Lock, where we had left her the previous weekend, after the Linslade Festival, and moved on up to a mooring near to the big Tescos in the middle of Leighton.

Pitstone Wharf (Chalice) and Grove Lock (Sickle) to Leighton Buzzard (Both)
Miles: 6.8 (Chalice), 1.5 (Sickle), 8.3 (Combined), Locks: 9
Total Miles: 8.3, Locks: 9

Owning a dog again

After the tragic events that lead to us being dog less back in February , we had largely decided that we were going to be without a dog for a year or so. However, being out on Sickle in April I found it very difficult travelling the same sections of canals that we had done with Charlie only last summer. Then at Stoke Bruerne Gala when a golden cocker passed us, I found my eyes drawn to it, neglecting the conversation I was having. When the cocker walked back past I asked if I could 'pet' it, and embarrassed myself by bursting into tears. Alan decided it was time to look at becoming dog owners again.

We made enquiries, and were pointed at a family of young labradors. Years ago I owned a black lab cross. When she was 10 years old I moved in with Alan, and the dog came with me, for the last 2 years of her life. She thought that Alan was wonderful. So we went to see the puppies, just to find out about them, mind...

Well, of course, everyone knows that that doesn't happen. If you go to look at puppies then you know that you will be captivated.

So, Odin came to live with us last Friday.

Good Grief - I Have a "Fan Club"

( posted by Alan)

This made me smile!

Link to Narrowboatworld article.

I'll largely leave it up to anyone reading this to research how much "self promotion" electioneering I actually did via the NBW site.

Suffice it to say, I made a firm decision not to, other that to point out it wasn't hard to research who I was, (or indeed any other candidate might be),  with the use of Google.

Most people could probably work out it might have been worth trying to find out about any of the 30 plus CaRT "Boater" Council candidates by the use of Google, but apparently by doing so on Narrowboatworld, I may have done an excessive amount of self promotion! 

I suppose the average NBW reader may not be capable of working this out for themselves then ?

Photo: Sarah Hale who gave permission for me to use it!

I have not checked with Sarah Hale of "Chertsey" whether they sought permission to use her picture, which they have clumsily cropped.  My assumption though is that they did not.  If so, this would be about par for the course with the plagiarism that this site regularly resorts to.

An Easy Run Back To Base

(Boat Sickle - posted by Alan)

I'm only very belatedly coming back to this particular day, I'm afraid.

Events since, such as the arrival of our new friend "Odin" have rather overtaken things.

Suffice it to say, that having decided not to proceed down the Stoke Bruerne locks the previous day, we were of course left with a somewhat longer run home than had we already cleared them.

Cath winds the final paddles of the Stoke Bruene flight.

That said, when there are no restrictions, Stoke Bruerne proper, back to Sickle's home mooring is a nice gentle run.  Once the Stoke Bruerne lock flight is out of the way, it is mostly just a question of counting down the miles, which start in very rural Northamptonshire, largely avoiding all population, until you get to Cosgrove, and then the approaches through Wolverton for the long winding trip around the top of Milton Keynes - still often surprisingly rural.

As Cath was still overloaded with school-work, I did most of the time at the tiller, and the trip passed off quite uneventfully.

After many weekends wherewe have been boating, this one was to be the last before we actually get to take a weekend or two away from the cut.

Stoke Bruerne to Home Mooring
Miles: 17.6,   Locks:8
Totals for Stoke Bruerne & Braunston Trip 
Miles: 85.8,   Locks: 50