Mad March Plans
One of the things I am planning to do during March is to spend a week at Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Monastry in Scotland to see what it is like. As a result I have added this destination to the list of my links.
Picking up coal
The first opportunity to get the coal I needed was Wednesday. I was not looking forward to the trip, anticipating ice on the canal, and miserable weather. In the event the weather going up to Stoke Bruerne was very good; the trip was ice free, due to the River Tove being in spate; and the whole journey an example of how good it can be to cruise in the winter if the conditions are good. The River was flowing so fast that it took me 90 minutes for the return trip including getting into the arm where I moor, and actual mooring. As these latter activities normally take about 10 minutes and the journey from Stoke about two hours (plus or minus five minutes) the fact that I saved around 25% of the journey time shows just how much the river was flowing. It turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
Winter Coal
Just before the real winter weather arrived, I realised that my coal supplies for my Rayburn range were getting very low. I therefore placed an order for half a ton of coal with my usual supplier. There is a stoppage during February on the Stoke Bruerne locks, so we made arrangements for him to come down to the bottom of the locks in his van (along a very poor quality track) whilst I took the boat up to the same place.
The morning I was due to go up to the locks was the day the temperature had really dropped, and there had been a second bout of snow. I started off and got about three hundred yards before coming to a halt due to the thickness of the ice (about one and a quarter inches). Phoning Mike (my coal supplier) I learnt that he was not able to get down the track due to the weather conditions.
Since then we have been trying to arrange another delivery without success. I am getting very low on coal!
Meanwhile I wandered out to take some photos of my permanent mooring in the snow and here they are.
The morning I was due to go up to the locks was the day the temperature had really dropped, and there had been a second bout of snow. I started off and got about three hundred yards before coming to a halt due to the thickness of the ice (about one and a quarter inches). Phoning Mike (my coal supplier) I learnt that he was not able to get down the track due to the weather conditions.
Since then we have been trying to arrange another delivery without success. I am getting very low on coal!
Meanwhile I wandered out to take some photos of my permanent mooring in the snow and here they are.
