It's a cold grey February day in 2012. Mum has been in hospital again and is three weeks into a six week recovery period and she's not supposed to do anything energetic. Remembering last summer is allowed though.
In July 2011 we didn't get to the boat very often. Ivan came with us one weekend and spent two days polishing Jennyanydots. She looked really good. Towards the end of the month mum and I spent a few days getting the boat ready to go to the IWA festival in Burton on Trent. Dad and Toby came down later and on 27 July we set off for the first adventure of the summer. We moored above Common Lock at Fradley but the next morning were stuck and it took a while and some help to get Jennyanydots to move. Maybe she knew what was ahead of us! At Branston Water Park we met up with Adam and Lydia who had brought Annabel down to join us and then we set off again for our Festival mooring.
We had a good time at the Festival and mum said that we were all very good. On the Sunday afternoon we left our mooring to go back to Kings Bromley. Dad got off the boat to go back to the site to collect two prizes we had won in the Draw - a gas barbeque and a thing for charging the battery. They were very heavy. We picked him and the big boxes up as we travelled back towards Branston Lock. At tea time we moored up opposite to the Happy Girlie Hens between Alrewas and Common Lock and Annabel, Toby and I were able to play on the towpath because there was only one other boat we could see.
Dad woke us up very early on Monday 1 August. He said he didn't feel very well. Things got very worrying after that. Mum stood on the towpath in her pyjamas ringing an ambulance and then gave the phone to Annabel. Mum tied me and Toby up on the deck and was calling to passing boats for help. Annabel was very calm and sensible and kept talking to the ambulance control and checking on Dad. Mum and a kind man from a passing boat moved the boat to the lock mooring for Common Lock and three ambulance people climbed across the lock to get to Dad. They said he had had a heart attack. Then a very noisy helicopter came and more people helped make a space in the hedge and all the ambulance people carried Dad away, put him in the helicopter and it flew away. Lots of people stopped to help Mum and Annabel take the boat up the locks to Fradley where Carl and Liz were waiting for us. They helped us get the boat back to Kings Bromley. On the way Adam and Ivan found us, travelled with us back to the marina and then took Annabel to go back home. Mum locked me and Toby in the boat and drove off to Derby Royal Hospital to see Dad. Mum, Toby and I stayed on the boat on the marina for a few days while Dad was in hospital. He is fine now.
Mum is so grateful to all the people who helped us. Big thank you to all of you.
On 8 September Mum and I packed up the car and went to call for Liz and then we set off back to the boat. We sailed up to Shugborough on a beautiful afternoon and then the next day moored at the widest part of Tixall Wide. I was a very good guard dog and wouldn't let anyone come near my ladies. We all went back home on 12 September.
Lydia came with Mum, Dad, Toby and me to the boat for her first sleepover on 22 September. We sailed to Handsacre and moored on a nice stretch of towpath. We had a barbeque and Lydia and I played for ages. She was very good and sensible and I was good too. There was a Hog Roast at the marina on 24 September but Mum, Dad and Lydia wouldn't take Toby and me.
At the beginning of October Mum and I spent a few days on the boat on the marina. on 26 October Mum took me and Lydia and Liz back and we had an exciting trip down to Fradley. Lydia had never done locks before and she absolutely loved it. We stayed at Fradley because the weather wasn't good but had a lovely time in the Fradley Nature Park.
My last trip down to the boat was on 3 November when Mum had to go because RCR were doing the boat engine service on 4 November. Mum spent the next day packing everything up and draining the water tank and making sure everything was sorted for the winter.
That was our last visit to Jennyanydots for 2011. Mum has kept saying what a horrid boating year 2011 was. Once she and Dad are properly recovered from their ailments Mum is really looking forward to having some proper trips in 2012. She has her fingers crossed and I have my paws and tail crossed too.
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