Here we are moored below Slat Mill lock on the dear old Oxford. We're slowly making our way back from Banbury where we spent the last two nights. Mooring was not a problem and we got a favourite spot by the entrance to Spiceball Park.
Cat calling
Ship's cat Gertie liked it a lot and spent all her time hunting in the bushes. This was not mainly a Good Thing. One, because she presented us with a couple of voles which we had to catch in the boat before releasing them outside and Two because we couldn't get her to come back into the boat at night. She just sat deep in the hedge ignoring our inducements to come back onto the boat. One of the voles was brought in at about 1:30am. Grrr.
Slow progress
We had all sorts of plans for where we might cruise, but a mixture of hot weather and our old age proved a limiting factor so we've slowed right down. Like the old saying "the bottom is too near the top" hereabouts and we've run aground two or three times.
Water issues
Our marina manager warns us by email that CRT is considering closing the canal between Claydon and Aynho sometimes soon. No decision yet but we wouldn't be at all surprised.
Here's a thing. I just did some sums. Cropredy lock drops the canal 5.5 feet and the next lock down hill is Slat Mill which drops 8 feet. If my calculations are right that means that Slat Mill takes 2500 gallons out of the pound whereas Cropredy only puts 1700 back in. I'm not aware of a feeder in between. No wonder that pound is notoriously low.
