Day 39. Goodness me. By Wednesday next week, Barry and I will have been in isolation on our narrowboat for six weeks. SIX WEEKS! Intense in a small space. We’re kind of getting accustomed to this new way of living though, in a surreal way, and it’ll seem strange when things start moving and opening up.

It’s been mostly okay; enjoyable even. Probably in a small way due to the unbelievably fine weather – and our bubble buddies Plum, Julia and Dave. Not forgetting Brock the dog. The quietest dog I’ve ever known. All he wants to do all day is chase sticks and bring them back. Barry succumbs almost every time …

Picking Up Eggs and a Bonus

Yesterday I ordered half a dozen eggs from the friendly lady by Hurleston Reservoir, and although I subsequently sourced a dozen from the farm shop, I didn’t want to let her down. Besides, our neighbours needed eggs.

Narrowboat Wines was in Hurleston Top Lock, so I stopped and chatted for a while with Andy and his partner whose name escapes me! They were going down just to turn around and go back up, having filled up with water. I also got to talk with the lock cottage couple and thank them for the free cherry tomato plants – and get a few tips on how to care for them.

I’d taken a bin bag and a pair of gloves with me with the intention of picking up the shocking amount of rubbish along the path on the return journey. There’s a services point across from the lock. It felt good to be giving a big back to the area I guess.

My eggs were indeed kept as offered, and she laughed at the cockerels who’d escaped and were running amock in the smallholding. I had a great chit-chat with her and her husband about narrowboating. “Would you like some rhubarb?” she offered. “Oh yes please!” I said. They’ve got an excess of produce so she picked me loads and wouldn’t take a penny for it. How sweet. I shared it with the bubble on my return of course – Barry doesn’t like it, but Kim and I do. Yum. I love this village type of living. It feels similar to how it would’ve been in another lifetime hundreds of years ago 🙂 Just not with the disgraceful amount of carelessly discarded plastic.

Narrowboat Experience Working From Their Boat

Kath and Ann Marie got in touch last night to say following their latest Vlog (video blog), they sold 14 of Barry’s Greeting Cards as they were shown during the filming. How marvellous! It’s a particularly enjoyable episode, as you get to see a little bit about how they’re continuing to work and fulfil orders during the lockdown.

Thank you everyone, for your generosity and kind spirits.

No Symptoms

Are you getting sucked into the articles about how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has all happened after projections were totally over-estimated? I have been a little today. My thoughts are that one day we’ll reflect knowing more of ‘the truth’, and be able to analyse this time-period more constructively. For now, we’ll continue to keep our distance from others and ‘follow the rules’. Just in case.

We’re all well on the boat. Barry and I have reported ‘no symptoms’ again to the COVID-19 Symptom Tracker.

How’s it all feeling in your ‘neck of the woods’?