Glamping, wedding, house move out, house move in x 2 plus move onto the boat - all in three weeks - busy, you bet !!

I have just posted on Bones Facebook page that living on a boat is exhausting... well with a lead up like the one we have had you can understand.

So..... in chronological order;-

The Glamping. 

We had a week in North Yorkshire - just outside a fantastic Yorkshire village called Masham  it is worth clicking that link alone for the picture ! As in my previous post Tom and Courtney brought us a lovely Christmas present of a week in a lodge.

Cooking as on a wood burner as was the hot water (luke warm water) 

No electricity and 6 beds all on top of another.... a real tester for the family, we were in the 'cave' at the bottom.

This little video gives a feel for its beautiful location.

While there we visited the Forbidden Corner a great day out, but I'd not recommend being locked into the coffin !!

Next day was full on.... off to Go Ape in the Dalby forest

Not being a fan of heights I was please that I did it without embarrassing myself.

It was hard work on some of the crossings with swinging beams to walk across. The zip lines were the best, trying to arrive facing forward was an issue for me !!

Callum showing how it should be done

Emma with a certain technique...

Rachel showing the reverse landing technique

Rachel avoiding the pile of bark shame...

Courtney NOT avoiding the pile of bark shame...

Tom full Buzz lightyear show

The video zip wire selfie..

After lunch it was the Segway safari....

Some expert manoeuvring....

There was the obligatory crash, I took a tumble whilst lining up an overtake of Callum when Tom stopped to look at a squirrel I think !! We did not fess up to our hosts of course !! No pictures as i was bleeding too much and putting my dislocated knee back into good order (ok I might have exaggerated that a little) 

The day ended with fish and chips penny arcades and ice cream at a popular seaside resort - any guesses?

The final full day saw us all just enjoy the woods and cabin then the lads went Clay shooting and the ladies washed a pig I think ? (no photos thankfully)

... and the winner was.....again, he won when we did the same in Scotland a couple of years back !

Friday, we packed up, went to Betty's in York for one of these.... then back home to pack the house (me) and work (Rachel) plus a couple of viewings !!

The packing

Our home stayed intact until the final viewing on Saturday 28th June at 2pm when after a viewing I started deconstructing 20 years of living and packing us up - all in two days. I even impressed myself !

The wedding 

On Wednesday the 2nd July Rachel and I at last got the daughter we had been missing when Tom got married to Courtney in a very simple ceremony (their choice and no doubt lots more pics next year when they get properly married in France)

29 years 138 days wed

Just wed, same love just time difference.

Then a nice meal and drunkedness for some (pictures not published)

The first house move

Two days later ......8.30am our movers turned up and within 4 hours had us empty and on the way down sarf'

5am next morning we were up and loading the car with all those bits we could not pack and headed to meet the wagon in West Sussex.

As we arrived the landlord of the pub appeared with a tray of coffee for us... nice touch. By 8.30 pm we were showered and house all sorted (thanks to an Ipad app and Callum and Rachel's hard planning) and I was sinking my first pint of Arundel Castle in the pub.

Sunday came and we drove into Chichester for a breakfast.

Coffee in the sunshine of our Sussex cottage garden

The boat move

We got back to Derby late afternoon and loaded the car with those bits due to live on the boat with... thankfully not a lot, thee 'barrow loads' (my new best friend is my orange wheelbarrow). I went first and left Rachel with the final clean of the house amd to bring Lilly our cat, who is not as keen as Leia on the boat 

Sunday 9.45pm we were aboard eating a nice pasta meal thanks to Alrewas Coop. We got a nice card from Mandy and Bonnie a neighbouring moorer. 

6.30 am my alarm went off to my new routine. I was please my hard work in the plumbing department resulted in a nice hot shower from the water heater (no engine running for hot water...) the new water pump being so much more efficient than the old one.

Opening the back doors I was welcomed to this part of my life with a beautiful sunny morning to walk Leia in (she loves it !!)

Percy is looking rough but I can now give him some TLC before he gets a new coat of paint in the autumn. Not a bad country cottage?

Our morning walk to Common lock and back

 Not too many to share with....

Not a ripple ....

Someone wanted to get through Fradley early though...

Leia in her element

So mission for now accomplished, all to plan I guess, well done to Rachel and I for this part of our lives. No small feat.

O'  - the final house move

I was able to hire one of the work vans at short notice as Tom was badly let down by Enterprise... This one I had not planned but it went ok in the end. I should be a Tetris champion for this one !

So if you are in the Fradley area look out for me as there is more than a good chance I will be aboard.