Bigger Holes!

You may remember that Pete cut a hole in the deck to give extra head room in the bedroom.  Well, we are actually raising the head room right through the barge.  All the wood has now arrived for the superstructure for first half of the boat, up to the water tanks, so Pete has been making the hole even bigger.  This evening (after the football, got to get priorities right!) he is going to start putting the wooden frame together.  Will post more pictures soon.

 

Versatile Blog Award

I am so thrilled, Margy from http://www.powellriverbooks.blogspot.com/ has included me in her versatile blog recognition award.  It is the first award that I have received and I am very grateful to Margy for thinking of me.  Margy's blog is absolutely fascinating.  It is about her life in a floating cabin in Canada, complete with floating garden and floating wood store. It really is worth a visit and a browse through the archives.
In order to accept this award I have to thank Margy and tell my readers seven things about myself, so here we go.


1.  I have three boys aged 27, 24 and 20.  They are, along with my husband, my reason for living and I am very, very proud of all three of them and the fine adult men that they have become.
2.  I am by trade an English teacher, although these days more into management and I work in a correction centre.  I am very lucky because I love my job.
3.  I have wanted to live on a houseboat since I was a teenager and now my dream is coming true.
4.  I am Commodore of Tollesbury Sailing Club and the first lady commodore in its history.
5.  I am vegetarian and I get very upset by animal & child cruelty.
6.  I am seriously addicted to chocolate.
7.  I don't do power/ego trips and I don't like people who do or jobsworths.

Now I have to pass this award on to 15 other bloggy friends whose sites I have recently (or fairly recently) discovered and whose blogs I love reading.  I have quite a blog roll because I love reading other people's blogs.    After a day's work, I love settling down on the settee with my laptop and catching up with the day's news through the blogs, learning something new or getting advice from people who know more than me.  I do not buy any magazines any more because my blog roll is far more interesting and I have made some really lovely bloggy friends with mutual interests or lifestyles.  Here is my list, in no particular order, and I apologise to anyone I miss because I can only have 15.

1.  VallyP at http://vereeniging.blogspot.com/
2.  Janys at http://slowvenice.blogspot.com/
3.  MrsL at http://unboughtdelicacies.blogspot.com/
4.  Elizabeh at http://argentinawineblog.weebly.com/
5.  Zaira at http://littleemmaenglishhome.blogspot.com/
6.  http://gypsypurple.blogspot.com/
7.  Becky and Seb at http://thevoyageofwendyann2.blogspot.com/
8.  Melissa at http://www.thanatopsic.org/hendrik/
9.  http://aheronsview.blogspot.com/
10. http://angleseyallsorts.blogspot.com/
11. Simon at http://misterton.squarespace.com/
12. Tim at http://timzim.blogspot.com/
13. Steve at http://boatsareforlosers.blogspot.com/
14. http://www.sageandsimple.com/
15. http://lafermedesourrou.blogspot.com/

I hope you have some fun browsing these blogs, I know I do.

Vegetables in Pots, Bags and Boxes

As I have mentioned before, this year I have been practising growing veg in pots ready for when we move on to the barge.  I am very proud of my fruit and veg but some people suggested that it wouldn't be so good on the barge because of the wind.  Yesterday Melissa on the Hendrik gave us a post all about her fruit and veg which proves it can be done.  Check out her wonderful floating garden at

www.thanatopsic.org/hendrik/.

I have had to move most of my portable garden as we are having new windows fitted tomorrow.  So I thought I would show you what I am growing.  Here in the first photo we have swede, brussels, beetroot, mooli, garlic, red onions, peas, lettuce, radish, and aubergines, mostly grown in Tesco's wine bags.  Right at the back are potatoes and artichokes.

The next photo shows everything that I have moved to the centre of the garden and here we have pak choi, turnips, lettuce, carrots, spring onions, patty pans, kale, potatoes, french beans, courgettes, cherry tomatoes, peas, blueberries, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, broad beans, gooseberries and spinach.

This is the salad garden!  We have chard, beetroot, peppers, chillis, cucumbers, leeks, cherry toms, plum toms, beefeater toms, thyme and parsley.Finally outside the back door we have runner beans, cabbage, pumpkins, toms, strawberries, chilli, courgettes, bay and olive trees.  Also around the garden, dotted amongst the flowers and shrubs, are cabbages, more courgettes, butternut squash and brussels, oh and cape gooseberries and a hazelnut tree! There is nothing like walking out into the back garden and picking your own fruit and veg ready to eat!! Another fabulous floating garden can be seen on Margy's blog at http://powellriverbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Gardening

Pete's Coming Back

Pete has been away in London all week working and was threatening to stay there and work the weekend.  But he has just rung to say that he will be home tonight.  The first day he goes away, there is a certain novelty about eating what I want, when I want, going to bed when I want and having complete control of the TV's remote control.  But this feeling of independence only lasts for a day and then I begin missing him.  For example: I have to get up every day at 5.30 to make time to walk Alfie before work.  I do have to do all the cooking, when quite often Pete cooks. I have to buy my own drinks if I go down to the sailing club.  I have to load and unload the dishwasher and clean the bathroom before the cleaner comes (!).  And finally, Alfie is very good company but he won't argue with me about politics, work, football on tv or anything!  Here is Pete at his happiest, at the helm of Carpe Diem.

Hurry home, I miss you!!!!! xxxxx

Alfie

I have had to take Alfie to the vets.  His little toenail had grown to such an extent that it had curled back into his paw pad.  I feel so guilty for not noticing earlier, he must have been in such pain and didn't utter a word of complaint.  The vet gave him a painkiller jab and some anti-biotics just to make sure it didn't get infected.  Once the jab kicked in Alfie went mad, like he had been given a whole new lease of life.  It is just as bad having dogs as it is kids, along with the love and fun, they also cause you worry, guilt and money!