Photo:
1. Peaceful Gallow's Hill moorings.
2. A Cold Saturday evening.
3. A blue sky paper trail!
4. Ginny, on her way home from taking Gunner for a walk, found and then dragged these two fallen boughs uphill through two muddy fields, a third of a mile to where the boat is moored. There's no stopping her once her mind is made up. They're now 'logged' and stacked on the roof pallet. What a team!

Photo:
1. Sun-up.
2. Shaded frost.
3. A 'still' morning.
4. Paul's bigun!

Gunner finished his course of antibiotics today and seems to have made a full recovery. Thanks to everyone who wished him well.

On Monday I met with Karen, the BW volunteer co-ordinator (south), who signed us up 'officially' as volunteers. We're now armed with litter-pickers, bags and high-vis waistcoats. Check out our web page at www.litteraction.org.uk/narrowboat-wilvir


On Tuesday we left Foxton to make the short journey to Foxton locks to exchange a gas bottle and service the 'domestics', then made for Gallows Hill.

On the way we came across our fisherman friend, Paul, who was pitching his bivvy where we'd met him the last time. Suffice to say he chose to break camp and accompanied us to Gallows Hill. I'd promised to make him a few dead-bait and lure traces the previous week as he wanted to do some pike fishing but was a bit short of the essentials; and what a result he had. The photo of his biggest pike says it all. Unfortunately sleeping on a ground-mat in a single-skin tent meant that, on his second night, the rain came in and everything got wet, so he left at midday today tired but overjoyed with the result. I've met a lot of fishermen in my time, but Paul is a credit to both himself and the pastime that is angling. There are many anglers that would learn a great deal from him. It was sad to see him go under the circumstances.

After he left I settled down to fish in the hope of catching a big perch and was rewarded with a few 'stripeys'. The biggest turned the scales to 2lb 4oz, although the one that always gets away was definitely bigger. The huge lob worms I used for bait were freshly picked from amongst the towpath grass and leaf litter last evening and far to enticing for a perch to pass up.

The last few days have been perfect, if a little damp overnight. We even managed to wash and dry the bed linen today.

A monster perch is on the cards tomorrow.

I even found time to fill a refuse bag with beer cans and bottles this evening, discarded behind the towpath hedgerow by some bankside parasites, along with a discarded tent and various carrier bags of dubious content. The local fishing club doesn't seem to care that much about there 'beat' either, if at all. There's even one of their club signs lying broken on the towpath (I'll get rid of that tomorrow). It's a real shame how a few people callously treat the countryside as if it was a dumping ground for all that they consider unimportant. Some, calling themselves 'anglers' are by far the worst culprits and add fuel to the 'smouldering' subject of angling bans amongst environmentalists and wildlife conservationists. As a lifelong angler, angling will only ever be threatened by the behaviour of anglers!

Gunner was very poorly yesterday morning and collapsed on the boat after a night of waking me every hour or two to go to the loo (he puts his head under the edge of the duvet and nudges my arm if he needs to get off the boat at night, which is very rare). He had severe diarrhoea and could hardly stand or walk with the pain. Luckily I managed to get him to a Vet in Market Harborough, who was brilliant. After an overnight stay I brought home a much recovered and very happy Gunner this morning, albeit he has to go back tomorrow morning for a check-up and a course of antibiotics.

It's great to have my great friend and walking companion home again. There is nothing like the relationship between a man and his dog. The loyalty, trust and devotion a dog gives, asking little in return other than kindness, is deeply and physically moving at times. Sadly a lot of dog owners never experience that bond, which is born from the patience and trust, on both sides, from being together.

Throughout the years we've lived aboard 'wilvir', the one thing that has come to bother us is litter, which we do our best to collect and dispose of it as we meander about the waterways.

I recently joined litteraction.org.uk and set up a webpage to highlight our efforts and give other liveaboard narrowboaters the opportunity to join us and show how they too are helping to reduce the problem of litter blighting our waterways, thereby hopefully encouraging others to do the same.

With the start of the boating season on the horizon we can certainly make a difference and join the growing band of volunteers needed to support, in this case, LitterAction, British Waterways (BW), the Environment Agency (EA) and local authorities as budgets are reduced and the inevitable cuts take effect. In fact litter collecting is one area where volunteers can easily cover the ill-defined boundaries between local authority responsibility and that of BW and the EA. as this is often a bone of contention amongst waterways users.

The waterways are a way of life for many users, not just liveaboard boaters, so let's help keep them tidy for everyone else too. If you are interested in having your boat listed as pro-actively helping to rid our waterways of litter please go to www.litteraction.org.uk/narrowboat-wilvir and register to join in. You deserve to be recognised for your efforts!

Photo;
1. A glorious if chilly end to the day!

I've had an infrequently severe attack of 'the gout' in my right foot over the past couple of days, which darkens your mood somewhat as the pain is indescribable and having run out of medication, other than 'over-the-counter' pain-killers, I haven't managed to get much sleep. Ibuprofen does nothing to relieve the pain until I'm into the realms of taking a dose of 800-1000mgs a time; not good doing that every few hours so I'm stuck with the pain. Luckily my 'Doc' faxed a prescription to a local pharmacy this morning and, as I was unable to walk, Ginny went to collect it from Market Harborough. Just two 50mg tablets of Diclofenac later, the pain and swelling has lessened considerably so I'm smiling again. I wouldn't wish gout on anybody.

This photo was taken last Tuesday just before the overnight temperature dropped to sub-zero on Wednesday. On the far side of the bridge an angler had set up a bivvy and fished through to Friday afternoon. Good decision as at 8pm that evening the canal was completely frozen over (again).

Wednesday morning we got to chat with Paul (the angler), who hailed from Corby, to ensure he was warm enough during the night and had brought everything he needed, which he had apart from some milk for his coffee. We soon remedied that and exchanged telephone numbers in case he was going to be in our neck of the woods on another of his fishing expeditions. Nice guy.

The ice had gone by this afternoon although temperatures are apparently going to hover around zero until Wednesday. Oh well, we're as snug as needs be with the warmth and glow of the wood-burner heartening us during these long nights. Mind you the days are noticeably drawing out now. It will be good to soon be getting back to the boat in daylight after taking Gunner for his evening walk. Life is good.

Photo:
1. Coal stop (coal-boat 'HADAR' is moored ahead of us).

Monday we left Gallow's Hill and made our way the short distance to Great Bowden where a winding hole enabled us to turn and head back to Foxton. Coincidentally Jo-the-coalwoman (nb HADAR) was moored at Black Horse bridge, which was rather unfortunate as we had pre-ordered 4cwt of coal coming by road later that afternoon. Jo was OK with it though and spent a pleasant couple of hours with us after we returned to moor up to await our coal delivery, having cruised down to Foxton Locks to service 'wilvir' (toilet, water, refuse etc).

Dale delivered the coal as promised and we spent a peaceful night on the visitor moorings at Foxton village.

Yesterday we moved a short distance to moor clear of the village.

Photo:
1. Ready to cut.
2. Ready to split.

What a fantastic new series! Looking in on the lives of those who featured in 'Human Planet' on BBC1 this week (8pm Thursday) really puts life into perspective and captures the spirit of people really living. In comparison, why do 'we', with all the trappings of the 21st century, struggle so much with modern-day life. We easily miss or ignore so much of life and blindly become slaves to instant gratification, blaming everyone and everything but ourselves. 'We' really do need to get a life!

Another programme, Edwardian Farm' also gave us an insight into living to survive and the benefits of a full and meaningful life packed with 'doing', rather than just existing. Is their a subliminal message being broadcast for us all to get real? I hope so.