Houdini’s Field, reversed, then back to front

Houdini’s field is nearly as good as my field. Today I got to explore three sides of it.

Whilst they had a cooked breakfast I got to have another check for Houdini’s daffodil. She said she couldn’t see it as a Farmer Tom has put lots of branches in the way, so I’d been sent through the sideways trees to investigate. I couldn’t see it either as I was too busy looking for friends.

Kamili’s Tom and She were going to untie the field this morning. Would we untie it too? One suggestion was to go and spin it around, but She wanted to do things before they did that. But another boat was needed to keep the field tied up along with Panda, Panda is a bit shorter than Oleanna, so she needed assistance.

So once I’d returned from my busy morning and hopped on board, a gap in the boats wanting to catch an outside of their own happened, She and Tom untied it and moved it backwards.

This manoeuvre happened at the same time as Kamili untied, the outside being held onto for a short while just by Panda!

Lots of waving goodbye. It was nice meeting you even though I kept my distance.

This reversed field was just as good as the unreversed one was, so I was given a couple of hours to fully explore it whilst they got busy.

Tom took everything off the roof and swept it. Then She got her two buckets and lots of cloths out. A scrubbing brush came out too, Scrub Scrub Scrub, rinse rinse rinse, Scrub Scrub Scrub, rinse rinse rinse. It was hard work just watching her, so I went to find friends again.

Then the cabin side and windows got washed, that will improve my view when they move the outside again.

My couple of hours were up so I came back. The doors were closed. Then She thought she could smell gas in the box at the front. Tom stuck his head down there and had a good sniff. He tightened everything up and said it just smelt of damp, She wasn’t so sure and I came out to give my opinion which they said they didn’t want, bundling me back inside and closing the doors again. I don’t know! Cats have a good sense of smell.

They untied leaving Lizzie She sanding and hoovering and painting. We pushed the outside away hoping it wouldn’t get away with just Panda holding it steady. Tom moved the outside whilst She and I had an afternoon snack, well I didn’t want one as I was quite full from my Sunday morning breakfast still.

Tom whizzed the outside round and brought the outside back, this time back to front. Panda had managed to hold onto it on her own despite being whizzed round.

She got new hot water and soapy stuff. Scrub Scrub Scrub. This side was extra dirty. She said something about the fire in Goole was still there in little tiny stubborn bits, so She scrubbed some more. Blimey I’d forgotten Oleanna had a cream roof!

Lots more boats came past, one She said was very pretty and it had nothing to do with it being red. Red She said it was their first time out and they were scared to death! It looked like they had difficulty in tying the outside up through the bridge, it does take a bit of practice, but they’ll get the hang of it.

She kept standing on the cat walk, in the way, so I had to keep inspecting the roof. Tom said it was just as well the Field wasn’t muddy, but I kept to my tip toes anyway.

Three different ways of seeing an outside through the day meant I was just a little bit tired, but not too tired! I could have joined in with the chatting on the towpath with wine, but I was confined to quarters as it was after dingding.

A productive day. She says Oleanna looks great, but it’s s a shame as now she knows how many bubbles there are! Will she get them popped before panto painting starts? She says it’s Toms turn next to get rid of all those scratches he made when he kept scrapping the outside! I’m not sure Tom agrees.

0 locks, 200m in reverse, 0.42 miles that way, 0.42 miles this way, 1 wind,1 do-ci-do, 3 boats to 2, 5 hours scrub a dub dubbing, 12 buckets water, 8 cap fulls, 1 clean Oleanna again, 1 wiffy box, 3 different sides, 1 exhausted Tilly, 1 best in show, 1 bottle of white on the terrace, 1 roast chicken with beans from Crick Post Office.