We’ve enjoyed a lazy lockdown Sunday on board Areandare, following a few late night/early morning card games last night! It’s surprisingly simple to lie-in where we’re moored up when the only sound to rouse us from slumber is birdsong.

I realised last night, whilst sat outside, I can’t recall the last time I heard a train or plane. I’ve not noticed a vapour trail for days. Maybe I’m just not getting out enough? For my daily exercise, I mean, rather than out out! The sky was mostly clear until the sun went down, not a flight in sight during another stunning sunset.

I gave Barry a towpath haircut this morning, which didn’t turn out too bad for an amateur. I guess ten years of practice helps 😉 We considered letting his mane grow as feral as mine, but decided against it!

Then at 12.30, I hosted our weekly Walsh whanau (family) Zoom catch-up. Something we wouldn’t be doing if we weren’t all staying at home. It’s so lovely to see lots of them so often, despite it being online and not physically.

Cattle Near The Cut

This afternoon the cows in the field across the canal ventured close to the edge for a nosy at us. Some of them look like they may be birthing a calf or two soon …

I cooked late afternoon roast pork lunch and baked another loaf of bread. I’m astounded by how easy it is – and how incredibly therapeutic kneading can be. I’m rather impressed at the result too. This could definitely become a regular occurrence …

Barry’s been attempting to fix a broken water pump for the past couple of days after Kim fortuitously noticed a water leak in the engine room. Thank goodness she did, and that we have two tanks.

It amuses me how we slip so easily into ‘pink’ jobs and ‘blue’ jobs as my darling friend Rivka calls them I bow to his superior knowledge of all things boat maintenance related, and can’t imagine him ever baking a loaf of bread 🙂

By this evening the cows were lying down – so we could be seeing rain again soon.

We’re crossing appendages that the skies will clear by Tuesday evening, so we can gaze in awe at the Eta Aquarid meteor showers. It’s predicted there’ll be up to 30 meteors an hour! Gosh, that’ll be amazing to watch if Mother Earth deigns to allow us to.

“Twice a year, the Earth crosses the orbital path of Halley’s Comet – once in May and once in October. Comets constantly shed dust and stones as they fly around the Sun, and it is this debris along Halley’s path that causes the Eta Aquarids. The debris hits Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 150,000 kilometres an hour and burns up in bright, short blazes about 80 kilometres off the ground.”

https://spacecentre.co.uk/blog-post/eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-2020/

COVID-19 Symptom Tracker Almost At 3 Million

Will we really still be reporting daily in six months time? A year? Who knows. For me, I’m just taking one day at a time, and doing my best to not catastrophise about what may or may not happen in future.

We all remain symptom free aboard Areandare I’m thankful to report.

Barry’s just making up a bottle of port, using a cheap red wine and a port mix from The Home Brew Boat – soon to be called something different. Do check them out though, it’s an ideal time to be making your own alcohol. We’re going to light the brazier, get our ‘Ronnie Sunshine’ cast iron pot out, and make some popcorn. A ‘port and popcorn’ night. How splendid. More simple pleasures.