In July or before I will be a livaboard for the first time.
Things have been going on in the forefront of our lives but the background of the blog. Our plans have swung wildly such as this time in our lives allows.
It would not be correct to blog about the journey we have been on, we will save that to face to face chats as they come, but the public news is I will be living on Percy.
I rather than we as the other news is Rachel has a new and very important and prestigious job........ In Portsmouth. It really is a pinnacle of career job so could not be easily turned down. Derby's loss is Portsmouths gain. So we will be LAT's ( live apart together) flexible jobs means not too much time apart with us alternating between living down south and on Percy. Now you can see why we have been getting Percy ready to our standards for long term living.
Our house is on the market and we will decide what to do as and when we sell re long term property location.
So my dream is to come true of living on the canals for a period yet to be decided. It does give us plenty of options and once again maybe not really things to blog about. We started the year looking for adventure and a few risks maybe, well it has morphed into this.
So the blog may well get more canal related as I start my occupation as a live-a-board.
Any one of you reading this who knows the Portsmouth, South Downs area re property we would welcome advice on good locations to rent/buy, we need good friends and a bit of hand holding right now!
It might be too much to expect but if you have a property or know of one to rent or house share for a while until Rachel gets to know the area, please get in touch.
Anyhow now we are off to Kansas Zoo, surreal or what !!
Monday, 28 April 2014
Friday, 25 April 2014
We're off to see the wizard.......
No, I am not on the wacky bacey we have travelled 5,000 miles in 18 hours and arrived in America to see relatives and friends.
We left home 6am yesterday and went to bed 4am the next day, it is now before 6am again US time as we get our body locks in some order.
Kansas is the home of Rachel's aunt Alison and it is so nice to see where she lives and meet Rachel's cousin and his family Stephen. Family has always been so important to me so it is good to keep the links.
We are staying on the retirement complex where Alison lives. Now Rachel's dad moved to a retirement compleat in Kilburn near Belper prior to his death. It was nice with a communal lounge and warden.
We are staying in a hotel on Alison's retirement complex. It has four restaurants, three beauty salons and indoor and outdoor pool, a nine hole golf course and a gym. So quite close in scale really !!
It is a wonderful place to retire to, so safe and supportive.
We flew into Newark airport New York and got a three hour transfer to Kansas. All went very well, a small delay in Newark, we were one of 14 planes taxiing on the runway to get out, one was landing as one was taking off...One thing that has not changed it the tight security, it really is intense but sadly needed so we fully support it.
Some people do not like America, I love the country and would one day like to have a road trip over here seeing all four corners.
One in and lots waiting to go out....
A good shot looking at Manhattan Island with the New York skyline in the middle. We will be there some point in the next two weeks when we fly back in to visit friends who live out Princeton way.
For those train spotters amongst us... A rather large stock yard on the outskirts of Kansas
Only thing missing is Toto or rather Leia who is holidaying on a farm in Derbyshire.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We left home 6am yesterday and went to bed 4am the next day, it is now before 6am again US time as we get our body locks in some order.
Kansas is the home of Rachel's aunt Alison and it is so nice to see where she lives and meet Rachel's cousin and his family Stephen. Family has always been so important to me so it is good to keep the links.
We are staying on the retirement complex where Alison lives. Now Rachel's dad moved to a retirement compleat in Kilburn near Belper prior to his death. It was nice with a communal lounge and warden.
We are staying in a hotel on Alison's retirement complex. It has four restaurants, three beauty salons and indoor and outdoor pool, a nine hole golf course and a gym. So quite close in scale really !!
It is a wonderful place to retire to, so safe and supportive.
We flew into Newark airport New York and got a three hour transfer to Kansas. All went very well, a small delay in Newark, we were one of 14 planes taxiing on the runway to get out, one was landing as one was taking off...One thing that has not changed it the tight security, it really is intense but sadly needed so we fully support it.
Some people do not like America, I love the country and would one day like to have a road trip over here seeing all four corners.
One in and lots waiting to go out....
A good shot looking at Manhattan Island with the New York skyline in the middle. We will be there some point in the next two weeks when we fly back in to visit friends who live out Princeton way.
For those train spotters amongst us... A rather large stock yard on the outskirts of Kansas
Only thing missing is Toto or rather Leia who is holidaying on a farm in Derbyshire.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Wait for it......
.....News that is, some to come for the blog.
In other news we actually moved Percy today, ok it was to Alrewas below Bagnall lock to wind and come back. We like being this way around, pointing north, that will be our first route of escape should the day come !!
We did not get to the boat till gone 4 so the canal was quiet with half a dozen boats moving. Alrewas looked rammed as I presume Fradely is as there are boats below Hunts, a usual sign. Tomorrow will be grass cutting again, hurray, as we are off on some other holidays that does not include the boat that should appear on the blog at some point soon.
Off the alcohol at the moment which makes me feels slightly better but is harder when on the boat as I like to raise a glass of whiskey to my old dad as he would have loved the boat.
It'll be interesting to see how busy the canal is tomorrow when all the shops shut and people cannot shop.
In other news we actually moved Percy today, ok it was to Alrewas below Bagnall lock to wind and come back. We like being this way around, pointing north, that will be our first route of escape should the day come !!
We did not get to the boat till gone 4 so the canal was quiet with half a dozen boats moving. Alrewas looked rammed as I presume Fradely is as there are boats below Hunts, a usual sign. Tomorrow will be grass cutting again, hurray, as we are off on some other holidays that does not include the boat that should appear on the blog at some point soon.
Off the alcohol at the moment which makes me feels slightly better but is harder when on the boat as I like to raise a glass of whiskey to my old dad as he would have loved the boat.
It'll be interesting to see how busy the canal is tomorrow when all the shops shut and people cannot shop.
Sunday, 13 April 2014
The boat taps have been opened
Well what a difference a school holiday makes... We are aboard and the boat traffic both ways has been constant since 8.30 this morning. It is like someone has fired a starting pistol and boats are a moving ....
The fact it is gusty is not helping and we have been clipped by and Anglo Welsh so far, I did feel sorry for the family, they were falling out over what to do, we did not complain, they must have known we were aboard as our chimney was smoking as I am burning some seasoned silver birch from the mooring :-)
Lots to do but still in resting mode, maybe a nice walk later !!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The fact it is gusty is not helping and we have been clipped by and Anglo Welsh so far, I did feel sorry for the family, they were falling out over what to do, we did not complain, they must have known we were aboard as our chimney was smoking as I am burning some seasoned silver birch from the mooring :-)
Lots to do but still in resting mode, maybe a nice walk later !!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Fradley Junction
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
For no other reason ...
... Other than to reappear on those who graciously put me on their blog roll.
The no blogging does not mean we have not been engaged, ill health, houses and jobs have all conspired to keep us away from Percy. More about those issues maybe later in the months to come.
I have been to Percy, all carpets are fitted and the boat is now very comfortable. The oil pump, or rather a method of checking it is doing its job still entertains. I have redone my initial install after a slight weep was detected, it shows initial pressure but as the oil gets hotter the pressure drops, I guess to be expected, this is where Tony's install was most probably better as by opening a small screw it allowed some oil to bypass the splash system via a sight glass. The sight glass was always difficult to see and sitting typing this it occurs to me if I painted one side of the glass white the black oil would obliterate it showing flow..... Mmmm thanks for that self reflection is a good thing... sometimes.
We may well visit Percy this weekend to wind him, sounds like a baby ! We prefer to have the bow pointing north as it puts the saloon so we sit looking onto the canal and the preferable engine room doors with the inverter land side for lawn mowing !!
For no other reason than I like em... Here are a few previously used pics
The no blogging does not mean we have not been engaged, ill health, houses and jobs have all conspired to keep us away from Percy. More about those issues maybe later in the months to come.
I have been to Percy, all carpets are fitted and the boat is now very comfortable. The oil pump, or rather a method of checking it is doing its job still entertains. I have redone my initial install after a slight weep was detected, it shows initial pressure but as the oil gets hotter the pressure drops, I guess to be expected, this is where Tony's install was most probably better as by opening a small screw it allowed some oil to bypass the splash system via a sight glass. The sight glass was always difficult to see and sitting typing this it occurs to me if I painted one side of the glass white the black oil would obliterate it showing flow..... Mmmm thanks for that self reflection is a good thing... sometimes.
We may well visit Percy this weekend to wind him, sounds like a baby ! We prefer to have the bow pointing north as it puts the saloon so we sit looking onto the canal and the preferable engine room doors with the inverter land side for lawn mowing !!
For no other reason than I like em... Here are a few previously used pics
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