Still afloat though it’s not all been plain sailing

We took a boat 34 years ago to our wedding not a narrowboat but a ferry boat with Jimmy the ferryman at the helm. I wore white with white wellies. The waters were not a canal but those of Loch Linnhe. Our destination was the Cathedral Church of St Moluag on the Scottish Island ofContinue reading “Still afloat though it’s not all been plain sailing”

Calmer karma community

Is it that we have created a life with less to worry about that makes living and working afloat good for our wellbeing? Is it that we live more simply? That we travel more slowly? That we live amid and amongst nature? That water, with all its beauty and calming properties, forms a permanent backdropContinue reading “Calmer karma community”

Flights and a sad farewell that galvanises us once more

Water has ruled the start of this week for us – too little and too much. The Bosley and Marple flights which between them account for 28 locks on our journey, have both been subject since 5 July to restrictions due to a lack of water. Both flights were due to close on 31 JulyContinue reading “Flights and a sad farewell that galvanises us once more”

Twists and turns but bearing up

Another week, another set of new experiences, new views, new challenges and new knowledge. Life afloat may be many things, but boring isn’t one of them. Last weekend we took ourselves part way up the Middlewich Branch off the Trent and Mersey, in part because we could, and we wanted to keep moving. We wentContinue reading “Twists and turns but bearing up”

Locked into a communication cycle & going nowhere?

Years ago I ran a higher education Master of Arts degree in communications. This week has brought home to me again just how vital good, clear communication is to us all. In the mass media we’ve seen again the resulting maelstrom of rumour and speculation that takes off when hard facts are not communicated clearly.Continue reading “Locked into a communication cycle & going nowhere?”

Tough decisions, backtracking and emergencies – one hell of a week

Making tough decisions that result in backtracking on plans, goals and going against peer pressure are always tough, even when the vociferous peers in question are total idiots. That’s what we encountered this week, the oddest week we’ve had in our years afloat to date. We sat at Tarleton on the Lancashire coast last SaturdayContinue reading “Tough decisions, backtracking and emergencies – one hell of a week”

Naked men, amazing women, safety precautions and searching

Some weeks are just packed with “things” that bear no relation to each other but create a very satisfying sum of their independent parts. This week proved to be one of those weeks. We crossed into Lancashire – stalwartly flying our Yorkshire Rose flag… and I am no longer complaining about the heat. Now IContinue reading “Naked men, amazing women, safety precautions and searching”

Hot stuff

If we had £1 for every time someone says “Is it cold on there? Or “ don’t live on your boat in winter do you?” – we’d be rich! No one ever seems to ask “Is it boiling in there at this time of the year ?” though and the answer is a resounding YES! Continue reading “Hot stuff”

What it takes to be a real life SUPERWOMAN 💪

Inspiration comes in many forms as we discover in our lives, and what chimes with or inspires each of us at different times in our lives varies as much as we do ourselves as individuals. For me this week, this hot week has brought starkly the awareness of how much we are inspired by oneContinue reading “What it takes to be a real life SUPERWOMAN 💪”

Wonder is wonderfully inspiring

Sometimes I wonder how I manage to get up in the mornings, and other times I marvel we manage to get anything done at all, such are the myriad distractions on offer but to be able to wonder, to marvel at something created by man or nature can be truly breath-taking and inspirational. We’ve encounteredContinue reading “Wonder is wonderfully inspiring”