Snow on the Oxford

Wednesday

Tonight we reside at Upper Heyford, which is presumably a cut above Lower Heyford, and not to be spoken of in the same breath as Nether Heyford - except that I just did it. Any way at least this upper place has a phone signal, which the lower place doesn't. Although the lower place does have Bones.

Anyone resident in GB will know that it is flippin'  'ot, which is alright except I only brought warm clothes. Hey ho. Down the canal this afternoon it was right hot and steamy, more like up the Orinoco with Col Blashford Snell.

Right now it is snowing.  That downy stuff from willows. We'll be ankle deep by morning at this rate.  This afternoon we had pink snow when a gust of wind blew the blossom off a hawthorn bush.

Most of the may blossom is gone now, to be replaced by cow parsley, elderflower, dog roses and the occasional honeysuckle. It's all extremely pretty, but you know that if you know the Oxford canal.

Next morning.

Well that was a good night. We walked up the steep hill from Allen's lock to the Barley Mow, for a meal and to meet up with Bones and Alex for drinkies. Bones' diy stories put my meagre efforts to shame. Note to self -must do more.

Anyway it was huge fun and now that we're based on the Oxford we can look forward to meeting up more often.

Arriving back at the boat, it was still warm outside so Kath and I sat outside under the stars and ate cheese and bikkies in the dark. Lovely.

There are quite a few hire boats out. It must be quite a baptism of fire for new boaters coming up here.  Most of the bridges are difficult enough for experienced boaters to get through, and there are submerged boulders at the edges of many of them. I fear our new blacking will need a touch up when we get back.

Tonight we aim to moor out in the sticks below Aynho weir lock.

I'm doing this on my phone, so no piccies today. Come back later for them.

Toodle pip.