Tag Archives: marina

A Bit of Blue

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Oh I was tired last night. Not Cat was off somewhere, so my planned early night turned into anxious minutes wondering where he was. Sonny turned up. The first time in weeks. I went inside to fetch him a snack, and when I came out again, I saw Not Cat slink through the bikes. He wasn’t happy. His tail was down and he hid under cars. It took around twenty minutes before he came to me. I wondered if he had had a run in with Sonny. Then, this morning, I found a tabby and white in the binshed. I smelled him before I saw him. I don’t know where he has come from, but he doesn’t seem injured. If he is still around when I get home, I shall make investigations.
Anyway, I slept later than I had intended. Not Cat was enjoying the garden, and intrigued by the new boy. No problem, no rush.
We left at last. My first proper drive in the car I bought a couple of months ago. It is much lighter to drive than the Clio, so my fears about my arm soon faded. I didn’t check the time we left home, but traffic was ok, and soon we were across and heading out of London. I have not driven East for months. The big old pub that has been for sale for ages has been sold, demolished and there are new flats being built on the site. The naughty knicker shop is still in business. It is on the main road, running through an impossibly suburban area. Someone should make a Radio 4 programme about it. Perhaps they already have.
His gingerness was vocal to start with, but settled and slept. Was it the Serene-Um with which I have been dosing his food for the past twenty-four hours? Maybe. I stopped and shopped, forgetting to buy olives. And on we went.
The boat was less spidery than I had feared, though a large striped one has just scuttled out when I drew the curtains. I ran the engine before bringing the boy aboard, and caught up with some news from a fellow boat owner.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful, Take Two

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Some more pix on this prompt. I find it interesting how many of us associate water with peacefulness, though the photograph with the prompt didn’t strike me as peaceful.

So, to kick off, here is the marina under snow last winter. When there is no one about, the marina is the most peaceful spot I know. I feel my breathing change when I am there.

Marina Under Snow

Summer this time, still at the marina, and the swan parents have a new brood.

The Swan Family


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Boats

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Some pix from the marina. Just looking at them makes me feel relaxed.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hidden Take Two

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The rain began on Thursday evening, and I went to sleep with the sound of it on the roof of the boat. When I woke in the morning it had stopped and the temperature had dropped. The marina was cloaked in a shroud of mist that was deeper by the river’s edge and stretched away across the fields, hiding the flat landscape under a white cloud.

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Feline Adventures on the Gunwhale

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The shaky video is down to my nerves I’m afraid, but it is a recording of Not Cat’s first steps on the gunwhale. He was very cautious. Too cautious perhaps. More likely to lose his balance through indecision. Later, in the early hours, we both watched one of the feral cats showing us how it’s done. She leapt confidently onto das Boot from the path, peered inside and when she realised she was being watched in return, leapt equally confidently onto the pontoon and disappeared into the night.

Still, I’m proud of my boy, and I’m looking forward to documenting his progress, but I think we might wait until the spring to let him really explore.