23 September 2010

We arrived back at the marina yesterday. Toby and dad went home this morning and mum took me shopping to 'Dogsrus' to buy me a new collar and some toys. I've been really good. I sat and watched the geese and didn't try to chase them. I really like the taste of goose poo! I sat and watched the moorhens and only went to investigate after they went into the water. I've played fetch the ball a lot with mum and helped her paint the fire. It doesn't look rusty any more. I've even been as good as gold during a really long and loud thunderstorm. Mum said that if Foxy had been here she would have been a quivering heap in the bathroom. I think we are going to go home on Saturday so I guess this is the last blog until the next trip. Bye. Woofs and bounces until next time.

22 September 2010

This is the swan family that was knocking on Jennydots last night asking for bread. Look how huge that cygnet is!

September 2010

It was the end of a lovely, but long day all the way from Gailey when we moored up at Tixall Wide again. We saw a boat called Patricia Anne that used to be moored by Jennyanydots at Uplands Marina a long time ago. There was a hot air balloon in the sky and the resident swans with their two cygnets came and knocked on the side hatch for bread. Mum said she had never seen such a big cygnet before. It also got exciting when a duck flew in through the side hatch - it saw us and turned round and flew out again. The man on the boat behind knew of mum's uncle Michael and mum kept saying "what a small world". The best thing though was I made a new friend called Lassie. She and I just kept running around for ages making our mums and dads laugh a lot.

September 2010

Mum took these pictures of me and Toby at Tixall Lock because when we got to the lock going the other way there was nearly a disaster. I didn't understand about locks and had always been on the lead on the boat before but this time they let me get off with dad. Mum stayed at the bottom of the lock and held the rope while dad went and set the lock. When the lock was ready mum set off away from the bank and I suddenly thought she was going without me. I ran down from the lock and Jennyanydots was already quite a long way from the bank but I didn't think and I just leapt for the boat. It was almost too far and only my front legs managed to grab the boat. I was scared and mum was scared but I managed to scrabble on board. It's a good job they have that thick rubber matting on the counter. Anyway, although my legs still go in different directions I understand about locks and "on board" much better now and so on the way back I co-operated with sitting by the sign so mum could take my picture.

September 2010

On Monday I went with mum, dad and Toby for my very first pub lunch at the Fox and Anchor. I was incredibly good. We moored up for the night above Gailey Lock by a little wood and some big fields. Toby and I had a wonderful time playing in the field and in the woods. On Tuesday morning we set off and mum and dad were amazed to see a boat going backwards into one of the locks. We couldn't work out why!

The pictures are of Otherton Lock. If you look at the fence behind Jennyanydots you can see the M6 motorway,

Next we got to Penkridge and at the lock by the waterpoint and services, where the canal is really narrow the Kirby Family from Lancaster had moored their butty alongside the main boat opposite to the lock layby. This meant that when mum was there the canal was completely blocked. The Kirby family sell painted canal ware and mum had bought our little coffee table/magazine rack from them years ago. Anyway, there were boats behind us and boats in a queue to come up the lock. The Kirby people wouldn't move their butty into a space behind or in front of their boat so mum had to reverse back up the canal, past all the people who were waiting. She asked the lady if she could move her butty out of the way and the lady grumbled at her that it was Jennyanydots in the way stopping them from moving on. All the people on the towpath were saying how selfish of the Kirbys and mum said that she wasn't ever going to buy any more stuff from them. Eventually it all got sorted out like one of those puzzles where you move the squares round to make a picture or pattern.

The next exciting thing to happen was when I fell in at Parkgate Lock just over the place where the paddle lets the water into the lock. I scrambled out pretty fast I can tell you. I was trying to follow dad over the gate.

19 September 2010

I love it when the towpath is next to the side hatch. I really like standing outside and looking at what is going on inside. It's also good because I can have my dinner outside instead of having to defend my bowl from Toby when we both eat inside.

19 September 2010

All this fresh air makes us really tired. Mum took this picture of we three chaps all fast asleep and snoring.

19 September 2010

Dad went shopping at Brewood. Toby and I were so pleased to see him when he got back. I got so excited that dad had to smack me for biting Toby.

19 September 2010

We are on our way back now.

This morning we woke up in a place called Norbury Junction. When we arrived there yesterday it was pouring down and we were all soaking. Toby wouldn't stay inside the cabin with me and so he had to be rubbed dry with towels. This morning it was still raining so mum and dad waited until the weather brightened up a bit and then we set off. We turned round at the boatyard and then they stopped the boat. Toby and I were tied up on our leads while mum and dad went into the chandlery to buy a new coalbucket and some coal. You should have heard me howl. Toby escaped and went to look for them inside the cafe. We also had to wait for two men to come and "pump out" for us. It was very smelly.

Eventually we set off and it was really boring. We just kept going and all there was for me to do was go to sleep. Then, mum slowed the boat down and dad took us for a walk. I kept being really naughty bouncing Toby and biting his neck. It was just so good to be able to move around again for a while. We had to get back onto the boat until we got to Wheaton Aston Lock when I helped mum hold the boat by pulling at the rope. At tea time we stopped at the same place we were at the day before yesterday at Brewood. Mum found a boat selling tiller pins and while she was choosing some new cats (cats, I ask you!?) I played for ages with a new friend called Rocky. He was a cairn terrier and although I am much bigger he was definitely in charge. Toby was relieved because I left him alone for a while. Mum and and dad say that I have grown a lot and I'm now huge. taking up loads of space on the boat.

16 September 2010

We have done a lot of locks on this trip and today there has been a variety of different sorts. At lots of the locks Toby and I are allowed to get off and help,
Some of the locks are really pretty but today we have been up a staircase and mum didn't like it. We also went up three locks one after another at The Bratch. When we are in tricky locks Toby and I get put on our leads so we can't jump off - and it is so boring!

The pictures are just a few examples of the locks we have done.

16 September 2010

Well, all sorts have happened since I last wrote my blog.

I've fallen in twice. The first time was bedtime and dad had let me and Toby off the boat for a wee. I managed that bit fine but when I jumped back on board I slipped in the dark and fell off the back of the boat. Dad fished me out and mum rubbed me dry, but she had to use two towels I was so soggy. The second time was the next day when I was playing with a German Shepherd Dog and its dad wasn't doing anything to stop it bouncing me and it bounced me off the towpath into the water. My mum and dad were pulling the ropes on Jennyanydots to moor up and so the man pulled me out of the water. I was really excited and pleased with myself. I had a go at bouncing everyone who walked past the boat.

Mum and dad are pleased because I am now beginning to act a bit like a guard dog. If someone I don't like the look of comes near the boat I grumble, then I growl and sometimes I even bark. My bark is getting quite deep and loud now.

We have been as far as Kinver and the people from Wilson's of Kinver came and fixed the covers and dad bought some new furniture to be delivered next month.

We are on our way to a different canal now.

Sunday

Yesterday afternoon mum and dad were having a snooze after their lunch at the pub when there was a huge bang and the boat shuddered. They ran up on the deck to see a very long yellow Viking Afloat boat right next to us. The people didn't know how to steer it or how to slow down near to moored boats and they had banged into us. Mum wasn't pleased because some paint had been chipped off the back bit.

Today has been a lovely day. We set off about 7.30 a.m. when most of the other boats were still asleep. Only an Anglo Welsh boat had gone past us and we followed them all through the Narrows and past the junction for the Shropshire Union Canal. We had to stop at the bottom of the Wolverhampton Flight because their boat was across the canal. Their people had been asking directions from people on the towpath and they asked us as well. They were trying to get to Bunbury on the Langollen Canal by going up to Wolverhampton. Dad gave them directions to turn back to the Shroppie and we went on our way. We did loads of locks and Toby and I ran around all the time. Eventually mum put us on our leads and we went down three really strange locks at Bratch. We sailed straight from one lock into the next and the nice BW man who was helping us told us all about the history. It used to be a staircase but now has water fed into each lock from a really pretty pond at the side so each lock is separate. We moored up at the bottom of the locks for the afternoon. Mum lit the fire because it was a bit chilly and I found an apple tree. I've enjoyed eating apples and picking blackberries today.

Saturday

I think I have got the hang of locks now. I can get on and off the boat without getting anxious and I know exactly what "on board" means although when there are exciting things happening I don't always do it first time.

Yesterday Toby and I had a wonderful day running up and down between the boat and the locks. When we moored up above Bogg's Lock we were so tired we just flopped down asleep. When we woke up this morning there was someone running past the boat and so I tried a bit of guarding for the first time and barked at them. Later I was put on my lead for the locks because there were other dogs around and then a busy road at Gailey. I'm trying really hard not to bounce people but there are so many people around to be friends with. Today we haven't gone very far and are moored near the Fox and Anchor at Cross Green. Mum and dad went for their lunch and left us alone on the boat. I've never been left on the boat before so I howled for a while but then they came back and everything was fine.

Thursday

I couldn't sleep on the bed last night because there wasn't enough room for us all. I was a bit fed up because I always sleep next to mum and I couldn't do that so I slept in the bathroom on the nice warm cork bathmat. Toby slept on the settee.

I've really enjoyed today. Mum's let me sit on the counter on the back of the boat and I now know that when we stop she says "stay" and I have to wait until it is safe for me to jump off.

There was a problem at Colwich lock first thing this morning and a BW man was helping clear out a log which had trapped a boat in the lock. Once it was fixed we waited our turn and then mum took the boat into the lock and it filled with water. I wasn't scared this time. We stopped at Great Haywood so dad could go shopping and find out about taxis to take him back to the marina so he can go home if necessary and then we went up the next lock. It was such a beautiful day they decided to stop at Tixall Wide again. Mum sanded down and painted the boat poles and we just pottered about then dad took me for a walk up to Tixall Lock. Mum and dad kept telling Toby he was a pain because he wouldn't stay near Jennyanydots. I think he was just showing off. I've stayed near mum and dad all day like a very good dog.

September 2010

Toby, mum and I arrrived at the marina on Monday afternoon. I travelled all the way from home to the boat without being sick. Mum was really pleased with me. She wasn't quite so pleased when she plugged in the electric cable and nothing would work. She couldn't remember which way the cut out switch should be and couldn't work out what to do do. Peter from Asterix rescued us again. He found the problem very quickly. "Somebody" had chewed threw the cable to the light and this had blown everything. Well, I didn't know that the black wire by the toy box wasn't a toy and last time we were all on the boat I'd been giving the basket and everything a really good chew!

Although it had been a long time since I was last onboard Jennyanydots I soon remembered where I was and I loved running round the grassy areas. On Monday night mum said Toby and I could sleep with her on the bed. We all really enjoyed cuddling up to each other.

On Tuesday we got up really early and mum started to scrape at the rust on the floor in the deckwell. Then she got out a sanding machine and got rid of piles of rust until we could see the steel again. Then she put rust remover on and Toby and I had to stay away. When all that was done and cleaned she painted it all shiny black and made a fence so that we couldn't get our paws covered in paint. By bedtime I had discovered how to jump up onto the bed all by myself.

On Wednesday dad arrived at lunchtime. After lunch we set off and after a couple of hours moored up at Wolseley Bridge.