The wind drops as we leave Houghton and Hemingford Abbots

Houghton to Aldreth, River Great Ouse, 12 miles 4 locks

At last, a very pleasant cruise downstream with very little wind and lots on offer..

We pulled the pins late morning after Vic popped into the village for a fresh loaf and some brown sauce.. well we ran out of brown sauce, and I am sure without it we would get withdrawal symptoms!  .  Today on the river, lots of hellos and waves.. the weather has changed and so have the boaters.. all happy smiles as we have just our fingertips on the tillers with no wind to have to fight for the first time this August..

Other boaters were out on the Ouse today as well.. this chap not quite sure how to steer away from a 15 ton narrowboat baring down on him.. he was not too steady on this either, and he had a lot of passengers.. but he got it about right, and as I trickled past he managed to get it into the side albeit a bit wobbly!

Just downstream from our mooring of last night is Hemingford Abbots, there is in fact a side stream that leaves the Great Ouse and goes around this meadow.  There are boats moored along it, and a couple of residential boats too.. I was talking to one of the residents who told me that the council want shot of them although they pay council tax and seem to be quite legal.. Nice spot though.. .

This is always a lovely sight, coming round the corner and seeing the guillotine open like this.. straight in.. errrrrr but no.. suddenly the gate was being lowered just as I poked No Problem in closer..a quick slam in reverse followed by a blast on the horn, and the gate stopped coming down.. up it went.. “Sorry I did not see you coming”.. Ho hum… “Ah OK then” says I wryly.. I mean, 67ft of narrowboat swinging into a lock entrance not seen?.. Teehee.. OK then.. And now dropping down..

 

Then onward through St Ives which today, was full of boats, hardly a mooring space to be had.. but we had not intended to stop. we decided to have a longish day today to get all the washing done and out of the way.  We called into Earith to use the services and to top up with diesel, today 90p, it will be more than that in Ely for sure.. 

I nearly missed this pup….

It was Vic who spied him lounging on the bank after we had gone past.. at last I have seen a seal this year, I thought I was going to go past this area again without a sighting.  I was well pleased.. made my day just perfect today..

Moored this evening on the most quietest of moorings just short of Aldreth.. the cows have been to visit, and one stuck it’s head right in one of the windows that had no glass in this evening.. (we can actually take the whole pane of glass our of our windows when it is hot). It gave Vic the fright of his life! I was out walking with Lucy and Meg this evening.. As I left for my walk, I saw the cows approaching No Problem and wondered….