Maffi wines and dines on No Problem and we get to Napton on the Hill

Weekend and today Nethercote to Napton, Oxford Canal, 5 miles 0 locks

Saturday was OK during the morning so we moved from Nethercote to close to Wigrams Turn.  Ann and Chas turned there, they are going back to Braunston to get Moore2Life’s bottom blacked.

We had just put the pins in when the heavens opened and the wind really whipped up.  I had just decided to sort out some pics on the computer when I heard a horn.. looking out what did I see but Milly M! Ah ha, Maffi.  At long last we meet!

Took this pic this morning as Maffi decided to stay a couple of nights.. and oh boy what a night last night.  I invited Maffi for a meal, and by the time he went a few bottles of plonk had been downed over a lot of banter!  I really did not want to take my head off the pillow this morning!

Great night Maffi, and great to meet you too  xx

I was OK though, a little bit fragile I must admit, but soon everyone was on their way.. Ann and Chas to Braunston, Maffi on to Fenny Compton I think and ourselves to Napton.

On Sunday we painted the blue along the side of No Problem, and this afternoon I rubbed down the whole of the other side.  We had to wind (turn) at the winding hole (turning point!) at Napton and back up a bit to the visitor moorings so we could paint the other side.  I didn’t get time to do the black bit today, but I am looking at the forecast for tomorrow, looks OK so that is my job in the afternoon.

On the bird feeder over the weekend we had a male and female Reed Bunting.  Quite unusual I think, well they do actually look like a sparrow, this is the female…

The male has a very black head with a lovely white ring around it’s neck.  This pic was taken from inside No Problem through the window!

We moored right on the end of the visitor moorings next to the winding hole, and I have already been out there twice to stop people mooring opposite it.  Both were hireboats, the crews did not know they couldn’t moor there even though there are signs!  But being here and having a glass fronted cratch on the front of the boat means that I could see out well, and I was delighted to see Skyy wind.

Mac and Jacquie commented on the blog not long ago, and have also started blogging.  Skyy was looking as though it was being moored the far side of the winding hole, so I took the girls Lucy and Meg and went along the towpath to meet them.

Mac and Jacquie have very recently retired, and in fact, today was the first day they were out on their boat.. the start of another retirement with no problem me thinks!  Nice to have met you both too!

You can catch up on all the bloggers that I have met on my bloggers page, there are links there to bloggers sites too.

I am off to Southam on the bus tomorrow morning to the butchers.  It is very remote south of Napton Locks, and I am getting very short of meals in the freezer.  There are no buses to be had south of here for quite a way, and I don’t know how far we will be going anyway because I want to finish the painting… Ho Hum (as Maffi would say!)