I took a slow boat home from Cropredy. I last left you at Fenny Compton while I had to return to work, spend time with family - both in London and in the sticks - and sort out bits and pieces within the house. I went to the music day at Braunston Festival and it was not at all bad. Quite long waits between bands but time was filled in with (mostly) good DJ music choices. A few more stalls to browse in the lull times would not go amiss. Returning to Fenny I found Olivia in fine fettle and I made for the Napton flight of locks. Nice cruising weather again - this was 31st August - and I moored by bridge 122, half a mile before the locks. Left Olivia again with another couple of moored boats. Only gone for two nights (work yet again) and when I returned I found that some git had been on board and nicked my new blue mooring line, extra long and purchased for the rivers. So if you see some shifty geyser showing off a new line, you might guess where it came from. I was a bit annoyed but once again overwhelmed by the balance in society, as when I mentioned my loss to a young couple at the locks, they were quick to offer me one of their spare ropes. I didn't need it as I have some old spares but it just highlighted the difference in people. They restored my faith. Through the locks quickly and moored up half way between Napton and Braunston. One of the local farmers will be very disappointed as a large brown woolly sheep with horns was floating belly up in the cut. I walked back for the car and luckily it was in one piece! Next day I moved through Braunston, up the locks and through the tunnel. All very straightforward and really good cruising weather. Again got some good exercise walking back for the car. Did 7 miles the first day and 6 miles the next one. Rick promised to help me with Buckby Locks and there he was waiting for me, despite poor phone reception which meant that my text had not been sent and all four of his texts came through after I'd met up with him! Quite a reasonable run down the locks although a gust of wind took Olivia's bow across the cut when I least wanted it too. Also it started to rain. I offered Rick a selection of my hats and raincoats but he declined them all, preferring to get wet rather than to look a pratt :-). I moored up and we went for lunch before a quick 2 mile hike for the car. I left the car keys with Rick while I took O back to her mooring so that he could bring the car to me and then I could drop him back to his mooring. Caught up with my neighbours as I had been away since the middle of May. Of the 30 plus days that I have been cruising this summer, only two of them were cold and only one was showery. MUCH better than the past two years (although I did about ten days less cruising this year, therefore, did ten days more chillin').
