The tiredness was starting to kick in. We are now at the three week mark of the trip and I was starting to feel it. The steering of a narrowboat is in someways like a car and in other ways nothing like it at all. Its like technical steering down country lanes where you’re always correcting and concentrating to ‘squeeze’ through bridges, past other boats etc and it’s tiring. Lots of fun, don’t get me wrong. but I needed a break. On top of that is fighting the constant fear about money, work and what the hell is happening in the industry i’m in. One massive comfort is that Richard and I are in this together. He understands the ebb and flow of my emotions around it as he’s in the same boat, literally! lol
I could never have imagined that i’d be now 6 months into all my work I had booked and planned being cancelled. Not just for me but for every single colleague I work with, we’re all devastated and shitting ourselves about what happens next. We’re trying to raise awareness and get financial help but from government but until then we’re all trying to find side hustles to keep some money rolling in to pay the bills.
The current view is that we hope to be back up and running by March/April next year. That’s a whole year without work, income from events and a lot of companies are going bust and we’re loosing skill as people leave to find different work. It’s a lot to take in. I try and limit my thoughts on it as if I allow myself to truly think about the situation we’re in I find it overwhelming.
The tiredness coupled with the fear of what the future is bringing had reached a point where I needed a day off, from everything. I’d seen the perfect place to do this planned pause on the way through a couple of days ago so made a note of the stop on the map and slotted it in to the journey plan. It was a short hop from New Marton
Here’s the video of the journey:
I chuckled at the cows who decided it was too hot and were cooling off in the canal.
When we arrived, the mooring spot I had wanted was taken but I still enjoyed a read of my book by the lake and a meditation at one we managed to find.
That evening I took the opportunity to capture the stars as best I could (with my iPhone!). I was already feeling more centred and looking forward to a whole day of the same tomorrow.
The following day we waited until the other boat moved and jumped in and made ourselves comfy.
I re-dyed my hair, the bathroom and so it turned out, the side of the boat too! The price for being red for sure. This butterfly chilled with me whilst my hair was drying whilst allowed my brain to clear of all the noise.
As the day came to a close I had to retreat from the mosquitoes. I think I have mosquito triggered PTSD after being poorly with Dengue Fever in Thailand as I freak when I see them now, even though I know the UK ones don’t carry anything. Took these beauties before the sun went down and it was time to get all cosy with my book indoors.
That Niggling Thought 
I think the local Squire didn’t fancy a working canal at the bottom of his garden, even though it was his canal, so had it enlarged to look like a lake?
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