Hello again

I am just writing a quickie really as I know how some of our more avid readers don't mind reading about the boring mundane stuff of  what we are doing when we are not even moving, Well since the last time I wrote we have had loads of snow loads of visitors and let me start with, "hang on must go and read what I wrote last time" ........... well that lot wasn't very interesting in fact one reader said it sent them right off to sleep as it was so boring, Now there's a cheek, please let me know if it has had that effect on  our other reader !!   as I may be able to sell it to a drug company as a non chemical alternative to sleeping tablets "now there's a thought" !!. I wrote last time on the 5th of Jan and we had been Iced in since the 22nd Dec and it only just cleared yesterday, well when I say cleared the coal boat managed to turn around in the basin, but met with much thicker ice up the canal and had to stop so they are still not managing to get to their other customers up the canal, so that is almost 28 Days that we have had ice on this canal I think for a globally warm country !! thats alot of ice for a long time, "dont ya think?" well the thaw is carrying on today which is nice now I am a great lover of snow but I had just about had enough,

Last Friday the 8th Jan we had visitors again, Jo and Andrew came up from London, didn't think they would make it with the weather warnings we were having but they did, and as always it was lovely to see them, so Saturday we decided that it would be lovley for them as they had bought their bikes with them, to go for a ride up the canal in the snow, After Joanne and I had cycled for about 3 miles we decided to go back, my bike was struggling in the snow, well it was either me or the bike not sure which, but it was very hard going, anyway we decided to ride back and leave the bikes and go get the car and meet Richard and Andrew up at Foxton Locks to have lunch up there, as that was the plan, and they were tough enough to cycle all the way there 5.5 miles,  we were meeting more of our family up there, Chris & Bethan with Carys and Iwan, yes more lunatics travelling in bad weather, but I would do the same, where they had come from all of the roads were clear,"and dontcha ya just love being out in the snow" well when we got there it was a whole lot more snowy and the Foxton Locks inn had decided not to open, which was a shame as we weren't the only lunatics out in the bad weather looking for a hot lunch, there were loads of dissapointed diner's, So as Joanne had bought the car up to collect Richard and Andrew with their bikes I had to get in the car with Beth and Chris, so after a few handbrake turns in the empty snowy car park ( thanks Chris my underwear cleaning bill is winging it's way to you) we came back to Market Harborough to the Union Wharf pub right by the marina, and had a lovley lunch, we all went back to the boat for coffee and cake which was quite a crowded affair, but we manage. Beth and Chris and family left before it got dark, but Jo and Andrew were staying so we had another pleasant evening having a drink and playing Monopoly Deal, which is a new kind of Monopoply game that is played with, a set of playing cards all being either properties, money or community chest, and chance cards, it is a great way to play monopoly, Richard and I had learnt to play after one game and it just gets better, I know after all of the years I have been playing monopoly it's a big boring board with money and bits all over the place, but this Monopoly Deal is Fast and tidy and really gets you thinking, thanks for inventing it Chris!! no he didn't really invent it, the company he works for designed the new box and board graphics, but my claim to fame is that our nephew did it all, Chris doesn't know I do this, so don't tell him !! Any way I will certainly be going out to get this new game for Richard and I to have on the boat, it is really good, although it is better with more than two players, but we always have someone visiting so we should be o.k.  Sunday morning and we got straight on with the big breakfast as the weather warnings were horrendous, and we had to get Joanne and Andrew off on their way before the bad weather struck, but there was no need to have worried for it came to nothing just rain and more rain, which stayed for most of the week really, this Sunday the weather was gorgeous so Richard and I decided to ride to Foxton again as it is a wonderful way to keep fit, as my diet seems to have fallen by the wayside, "well if I am absolutley Honest it never actually saw the light of day,so nothing new there then" !!! but after stopping once along the way to pump up my tyre we did the 5.5 miles in less than an hour, had our picnic in the sunshine with mug of hot chocolate, from the cafe at the top, it was a glorious way to spend the afternoon, until we went to ride home and discovered that I had two punctures, one in each tyre, well why me, they are  not the first puncture's I've had, Richard never seems to get them, anyway it is not so far too get back to Market Harborough if you get on the road along the canal by the Bone Factory, so it was not so bad walking the bikes home, and it is all good for the legs and bot !! so monday Richard sorted out the punctures, the ice is clearing from the canal and it looks like spring is on the way, I love it can't wait to get back out on the cut, so until the next time..

Lots of Love

Chrissie & Richard x x

p.s  The four of us were photographed riding our bikes in the snow and the photo was in the Harborough mail, check it out at www.harboroughmail.co.uk   and go to the gallery, snowy pictures, "Fame at Last "