Bartimaeus

We had had discussed the upcoming locks yesterday as one where there was some awkward positioning of facilities and bollards that had led to a minor contretemps with an on coming boater leaving the lock as I waited at the start. We had a bit of a contretemps just trying to remember the details and work out what was right or wrong. I was going to do locks but had not yet finished my mug of tea. I didn’t want to lock and drink or lock dehydrated, so I drove in. With no other boats or any waiting, it was unrecognisable to me as the same one.

I drained my mug and Shane drove the rest of the flight. I needn’t have worried too much about hydration levels as with the single locks, other people helping coming the other way and rainfall, I was neither over exerted nor under watered. Everything ran very smoothly, apart from the muddy towpath which I was prepared for and heeded warnings from oncoming boaters to avoid some sections and get a ride in stead.

Between two of the locks someone was getting fuel for their stove on the towpath. Shane called out to me, “If his name is Eugene, you can use the song ‘Be careful with that axe Eugene’ as a title.”

I was impressed with the size of his axe though and stopped to talk to him and asked picture permission. He showed me his smaller axe, for kindling. He liked Pink Floyd but couldn’t recall that track, so I concluded he wasn’t called Eugene, or he would have noticed. Shane has since played the track and you could not fail to notice it on an album and I will not be using it – can’t bear the screaming.

Today we were continuing along the snaking canal but in brilliant sunshine. Sometimes the curves meant asurpise appearance of a boat and it was a popular day out. Sometimes you could see a boat well ahead looking across the flat fields at another deep curve.

A few people have been moved to wear shorts (see bridge picture above) and I am quite surprised Shane hasn’t but he also has read the forecast mentioning very cold air and low temperature at night and morning. I suspect it is referring to earlier in the morning than we got out. The lambs were out and shaking their tails.The sheep could do with shearing.

The constant curves made for interesting driving. The water looked wide and it felt easy to pass but further was added by shallow water on both sides so gentle grounding, lifting us up, as we passed was a regular occurrence. We never got stuck, but you never really knew how much space to give each other, but we would glide gently off the silted sides.

While Shane drove, I was wrangling with a poem. I was not having much success. I had set myself too tight a set of parameters by trying to write a ‘wheedle’, a poem based on your Wordle score, and I had not done well in Wordle so had a hard time making it come together. I drove for a while, picking up the pace as we were being caught up by the boat behind. It wasn’t easy to let them past with all the curves, moored boats oncoming boats and shallow water.

Then had another go, at wheedling, using a different prompt (“Body Parts”) I had plenty time to rework it after lunch, while Shane had a video chat with ex colleagues and I tweaked another one I had started last night. It was so warm we both sat outside at opposite ends of he boat.n I rolled up my rousers ( but didn’t write out my legs in the Body Parts poem) and Shane came in after a while because he got too hot.

I got going on another day’s poem. Once Shane was done, we had a walk to Fenny Compton and it gave me head space to return to my lines later. I am more or less caught up now with the prompts; a productive poetry day, sitting in the sun.