A catch up and pottering about.

Friday 26th September.

Gosh almost a week gone by since my last post! I'm still adjusting to the retired lifestyle and feel I should be doing something, anything, so at least at the end of the day I can say "well at least i've accomplished something".

Medical stuff first I suppose, as I have friends and relatives who have an 'interest' so to speak.

I saw the new GP Tuesday and was disapointed to find he has not yet received my notes and scans etc, therefore hadn't a clue about my condition. However, he phoned me later in the day with an appointment for Thursday, (yesterday) to see the ENT dept at the local hospital. (thats Ear, Nose, and Throat).

Nice doctor, had a good feel round my neck and then shoved the camera up my nose and down the back of my throat to have a good look at the site of the first cancer. Not pleasant but I have to say he was a lot more gentle than the last doctor it was done by!

To cut a long story short, I am now waiting to be summoned to Derby oncology dept for what will be more scans and tests prior to surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. 

Enough of that for now anyway, this is a boating blog! Innit!!

Jobs done this week? Well, I've aquired the first of 4 planting troughs planned for the roof.

 I thought it would be nice to paint them in 'Bracken' style livery so here is my first attempt

First red round the outside.

Then green inner panel.

Just the beading to do in white. Hopefully the quality of my paintwork will improve by the time I get to number 4 tub. By then of course I should be proficient enough to do the roof!

Another job, inside, whilst dodging a shower of rain has been to wire and fit a 12 volt socket to plug the TV, or phone charger into when not on shore power.

For instance when I pluck up courage to venture out of the marina into the big bad outside world!

Actualy I did go for a cruise round the marina last saturday. I first moved the boat onto the fuel pontoon to put some diesel in the tank and to also change a gas bottle, so I thought whilst the engine is running I'd have a little cruise round the basins. Well its good practise for me at handling Bracken alone, and of course it puts some charge into the batteries, and saves having the battery charger hooked up to the shore power, and of course its good fun!

Talking of starting the engine- another job this week has been to fit a push button switch in the engine bay so's I can start the engine with the blow lamp in one hand and press the newly fitted starter switch with the other hand. Simples! 

All I did was run a new live wire from the starter battery, through the new push button switch to the starter solenoid. This way I don't need 8 feet long arms to put the blowlamp to the air intake whilst turning the ignition key! Works a treat!

Looks a bit heath robinson at present, it'll look better when the switch is mounted on a plate. The wire is only energising the solenoid so is not carrying a large load and the button is only pressed for a few seconds whilst the engine fires up. Wonderful thing blowlamps!

Well that's about it for now, speak later.

Time spent with friends.......

It wasn't all doom and gloom in Kent. I stayed with my good friends John and Dee as I no longer have a residence 'dan sarf' and they made me very welcome. In between hospital appointments I was able to 'tidy my affairs' so to speak, pay bills in other words, and also visit friends and relations.
On Sunday 14th I took John, Dee and their son Philip to the Tudor Rose carvery for Sunday lunch by way of a thank you for not only 'putting me up' but also for 'putting up with me'. My youngest son Simon also joined us for lunch and a good nosh was had by all!

Glad we weren't arm wrestling for the bill !

Dee and Phil.
Dee on her 4th glasss of vino!

The Great One!

I can recommend the Tudor Rose for good food at reasonable prices. Situated near Sittingbourne Kent I have eaten there many times, and thoroughly enjoy their Sunday carvery.

Back on 'Bracken' I've been pottering about, doing a few odd jobs and generaly enjoying my new leisurely  lifestyle.. One little  job has been to fit a motion sensitive light into what was a dark corner  where the fridge lives.

Ok in daylight but a dark corner as evening comes.

Battery powered LED light with motion sensor...........

.........so when you reach under to open the door, hey presto the light comes on.

Actually works well in the dark, light comes on as you walk past without opening fridge door.

Today, (Saturday 20th) was a damp and gloomy morning. After the recent dry and summer like weather today it was raining, so I decided to light the fire. Not because it was cold but because I wanted to 'prove' the fresh paintwork on the stove whilst I could have the doors open front and rear of the boat to let the fumes escape! Glad I did too, the smell was overpowering to say the least as the temperature  went up.

Seemed like a good time to top up the water tank and wash down the outside of the boat where all the sooty deposits from the chimney had settled.

After a half hour or so the fumes and smell had gone and it was ok to go below.

I let the fire go out as it wasn't really needed but at least when I do need the fire it wont stink me out!

Kent and back

I had to go to Kent for a few days, so apologies for the lack of updates, but hopefully i'll be staying 'put' from now on.
My reason for the trip to Kent was to attend a couple of hospital appointments.
 An MRI scan on Thursday the 11 th in the morning, and a needle biopsy and ultrasound in the afternoon of the same day. None of which is particularly pleasant, but unfortunately necessary. The results of these tests have confirmed the Cancer has returned and so surgery will now be needed.
Obviously my having changed location from Kent to the Midlands will mean new doctors, hospitals and treatment etc. but I'm happier and in a better frame of mind being based on 'Bracken'. Whatever the future brings, I have the pleasure of being where I love to be, afloat.

Quart into a pint pot will go!

Anyone who is familiar with narrow boats will  know that storage space is in very short supply and although I thought I had whittled down my possessions into keeping just what was necessary, it became obvious during the unloading that I still had too much unnecessary 'baggage' !
I had just commenced unloading when I had my first visitors. My very dearest friends of many years  John, Dee and their youngest son Phil.
 John and I go back many years, before either of us was married in fact.
 I was best man at his wedding and he was best man at mine so there's obviously a lot of history there.
They were in the Midlands visiting their eldest son and family and called in to see me before they headed home to Kent. It was only after they left I realised I hadn't taken any photos of their visit! Next time for sure.
Jenny arrived just before they left fortunately, so was able to 'catch up'.
My sister is the perfect partner to help sort what to keep and what to not keep. But beware, she is ruthless! "David why do you need 4 skillets?"and, "You don't want that old whisk its rusty, and why do you need so many odd forks and spoons and knives? and why do you want 4 chopping boards?!!" and then would you believe it, my sister STOLE some of my teaspoons!! Just because I had about 15 of them she nicked some! I can see I'm going to have to keep an eye on her when she visits in future. And then if that wasn't bad enough, she made me throw away my pyjama bottoms, the ones with the snowflakes pattern! I'd had them for years and never wore them but thats not the point! Huh, sisters!
She kindly took a number of things back to her house to store for me, promising not to sell them without telling me first so i suppose I shouldn't begrudge her half a dozen teaspoons and two wooden chopping boards should I.  (I retrieved the whisk out of the rubbish box. Ha ha!)

Looking aft, more like home now the Spitfire picture is hung. (actually it's screwed to the wall, not hung)

Porridge in the morning now the microwave is here.

Having trouble finding homes for all my fridge magnets

The car beneath Monet poppies is Johns MG Magnette, totally restored by him over the course of 3 years.

Memento Vivere, it's Latin for 'Remember to Live'. Very apt.

A new chapter.

I drove up on Sunday loaded up to the roof. My poor little Polo was right down on the springs and I was just hoping  and praying i wouldn't get a puncture. Can you imagine having to unload a car full of clutter to get to the jack and spare wheel? Not a pleasant thought!
I had to leave a couple of items with Bev, there was just no way I could get them in the car so my old accoustic guitar and a couple of antique plant pot containers are there for collecting from her in a couple of weeks time.
After a brief visit to Morrisons in Lichfield to grab some basic essentials, I arrived at Kings Bromley Marina and my new home, Bracken.

D'you like the figurehead on the roof just above the front doors? He's been with me many years.

Not much time for unloading as I was expected at G & J's  for dinner so just time to fire up the fridge and tidy away some items that Graham had brought up a couple of weeks ago, before heading off for a lurrrrvly roast chicken dinner. Monday I start trying to 'shoehorn a quart into a pint pot'.