Goole
The forecast being dire, we decided not to move today. Well as we used to warn Tilly, ‘Don’t use the outside up too quickly’. As we currently only have four miles that we can cruise staying put in the marina wasn’t a bad option.
The day started out drier than we’d expected, but then it made up for it. Plenty of rain, the wind changing, pushing us away from the pontoon. This did mean that the moorhens had a touch more space to build their nest, under our pontoon. They are being so busy.
They collect sticks and grass, swim over to the pontoon then climb up a rope. Vertical or angled, doesn’t matter which, up onto the top of the pontoon, before dropping down onto the ledge below. It gets quite frustrating when the material they are carrying gets caught under their feet on the wobbly rope from our stern.
If I can find a good place for a camera then I’ll try filming them. Tilly of course has spent a lot of time watching their every move. She is grounded whilst we are in the marina, mostly because of our nearest neighbours. So when she’s not being kept amused she has spent much of the day being round in front of the stove.
The morning started off with the weekly Geraghty family zoom. Topics covered, doughnuts, the London Jewish Bakers Union, the Unicorn Scientists Party which we suspect will do better in years to come at local government level.
Then I got on with trying to work. I say trying as I seem to have a permanent panto block whilst painting my model. I decided to start on version three of the Inn backdrop. The first had been too dark, the second a touch too busy.
I traced out the design using tracing paper and carbon paper. Remember carbon paper that used to be used in typewriters, well I find it useful when tracing things, very handy when having to do lettering on scenery. You can print out your letters to the right size, lay them out, then use carbon paper to transpose them onto the set, it saves a lot of marking out or scribbling on the back of the paper.
I worked away, blocking in the colours, trying to simplify the previous attempt. Then I looked back and realised a minor adjustment would give me a much richer version than I was currently working on! One day I’ll manage to do a scene in one go instead of going round in circles.
Mick had a chat with the Lockie at Keadby today, booking us in for our trip up stream on the Trent. Apparently a boat had left Goole this morning, when they had reached Trent Falls they had pushed against the out going tide and continued on up to Keadby. This boat took around six hours to reach the lock, where as if you waited for the tide to be in your favour it would maybe take two.
We’ve been toying with trying to cover as much tidal water as we can in a day. Could we make West Stockwith Lock instead of going up at Keadby? Yes this was possible, but the next day we’d still only reach Torksey as the tides are too late in the day to reach Cromwell Lock within working hours.
When the rain calmed down a little into the afternoon, Mick had a walk up to the Co-op for a newspaper, some carrots and eggs. The eggs were vital for this evenings dinner.
A few days ago I’d made double amounts of bolognaise sauce. So today I was going to make a Lasagne. I’ve totally given up on bought gluten free sheets of lasagne as they take so long to cook, even when par boiled before hand and turn out a touch pasty. I make buckwheat pasta with yoghurt, tapioca starch, egg, olive oil and psyllium husk. A bit of effort is worth it and today I got to try out the new dish I’d bought at Dunelm. Being pyrex gluten free flours seem to stick less to it and the corners are more rounded so the washing up is easier, so this makes Mick happier.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wet day, 1 busy nest building moorhen, 3% of the vote, 0 night work, 3rd go, 2nd one wins, 1 round cat, 1 newspaper, 10 eggs, 2 many carrots, 1 dish approval.