Lydia was so excited to be on Jennyanydots for the first time. I got excited too but although I was rather more bouncy than usual mum was relieved I didn't knock anyone over into the water. When we had put all our bags on the boat and sorted out the food Annabel and mum took Lydia and me for a walk around the marina. We went to the shop and they bought ice creams. I didn't get one though! After that mum got out the barbecue and Annabel was in charge of cooking bacon and chicken fillets. At bedtime Lydia and Annabel slept in the bed and mum slept on the sofa. I spent the night swapping beds. It was really good fun and I kept waking mum up.

On Sunday afternoon Annabel was really helpful and loaded up the car. Mum got a bit cross with Lydia because she ate some dirty tea bags out of the coal bucket! Eventually we set off. At Bromley Heyes they left me in the car and went into a garden centre. A lady came with a stone fox and put it in the boot next to me. Annabel and Lydia chose it to make a memorial for the dog called Foxy who lived in our house before I moved in.

The photos in the blog before this one show some of the things we did during Lydia's first boat visit. We all had a lovely time but mum was very tired when we eventually got home.

October 9 and 10 2010

On Saturday morning mum loaded up the car and we went to Ormskirk. Dad and Toby stayed at home. Annabel and Lydia put their bags in the car and off we went. Poor mum and Lydia were feeling a bit shaky because mum had tripped over Lydia and they both went flying onto the pavement and both had grazed elbows, but at least it was nothing to do with me this time. Mum tripped over me the other day and I was so upset that Toby and I wouldn't let her get up and we kept licking her face to make her feel better!

Anyway, we stayed in the car for a while and then stopped at some motorway services so we could all stretch our legs. Annabel took me for a little walk and I was really good. I didn't pull the lead at all. Eventually we got to the marina. I'm a really good dog in the car now and I haven't been sick for ages. I just jump in and go to sleep right at the back of the boot.

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.