Tillers and Tastebuds

Peace with Caumont Natives (It isn't all plain sailing, y'know - part 29)

 Again we see and hear the magical sounds of the Cranes returning from their winter in Africa. Are they earlier than normal, I wonder? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Crane    It seems only last week we were watching them going in the opposite direction.  Today, thousands are flying over in V formation,  way beyond the reach of guns,  and upon finding a thermal of warm air, they encircle it, rising upwards with cries of apparent delight. Then they fly off, noisily, restored to their more disciplined "V" formation, towards their breeding wetlands in northern Europe - pure magic!

  

Charles and Caroline Lamb, our hosts and friends. Their garden plot is beside our temporary mooring by the Canal at Caumont. Their Barge "Connie" is currently under re-furbishment by Charles. They also own the sea going yacht "Itza purla" in which they have sailed the world over. They are joined now by their  daughter  Zoe and Son-in-law Jay and two Granchildren, Colin and Grace who have just moved in to their new house with Sam the Labrador puppy.

 Charles is also a talented  writer of Childrens' Books.There is a web site www.tambowthewombat.com Available through Amazon.

Charles and Caroline are selling their yacht "Itza Purla"

http://www.apolloduck.com/advert.phtml?id=179618  Just have a peak, go on!

  On these tranquil canal banks where the good Lord delivers abundant fuel for our fire, branches from the plane trees, "en route" to our log basket, are already dead for at least a  season, broken from their  parental trunks by the wind.

Daily, I shoulder these fallen branches to my home-made log-horse for final attention with a bow-saw. The excercise is good for both me and the dogs. It's free and we are warm.

With such natural blessings bestowed upon us,  it might seem churlish to grumble, but -  lurking 'neath these dank bankside cloisters -  there are   competitive, almost Darwinian forces, fighting for  survival.

I encounter such competition, early this morning, some distance from our mooring in Caumont  as I take the boys for their walk - An old man, obviously of native stock, with Gauloise in mouth, bent, spitting and with a cough to suit - he is collecting the same bounty!

From his demeanour,  I suspect he speaks no language other than his own and I approach warily. He has a trug - that is, a kind of dustbin on wheels - and a rusty saw. He is collecting the very  wood that I  had "bar-coded"  yesterday - metaphorically speaking -  claiming it as my own - for collection today. He is cutting it up and taking away the very basis of our  central heating, for his own.

"Bonjour!" I say, fluently, offering him at the same time, the large branch of plane tree on my shoulder, as a token of peace. We  smile - he with the toothless smile of the righteous and I, that of the poacher and vanquished. I wish him "Bonne journee" and he shuffles off to pastures new, leaving me with a pile of saw dust.

You see, It really isn't all plain sailing, y'know, is it?

  The Caumont mooring with Body and Soul, 

 

 
  

Carol and David Harris on Minute with Billy.    Our view of the Canal side garden

 Note: Click on any of these pictures  for a decent size to look at.

  "Connie" under re-furbishment by Charles

Meilhan without water and Zoe and Sam

On the waggon with lurgie (It isn't all plain sailing, y'know - Part 28)

It's a hard winter so far with a lot happening "on the down-side" of comfort. Worst of all, the sad news from my old school pal, Simon Glover, that his wife Valerie has died, mid January, after a protracted and extraordinarily brave battle against the big "C". Our thoughts are with Simon and his family, all present at her bedside and her funeral which happens in Farnborough on the 27th January. I feel guilty at not being there.

Grumpy 'ole git (Taken by George Smith, ex- friend, the swine!)

It's been really abnormally cold and damp. Everyone seems to have caught some bug or other and both Lucie and I have taken our turn with the lurgie. On top of this I have been suffering self-imposed abstinance. Just as last year, not a drop of booze has passed my lips for the 31 days of January. I sleep much better but the advantages of imposing such pain on oneself is for a psychological reason as well as for the obvious, though perhaps temporary, health benefit. 

 To Lucie's horror, I have turned over a new leaf and  ordered 90 GDP's worth of home-brew kits which should cross the Channel some time in March with our friends Bob and Christine (from the great ship Sassy now moored without water in Meilhan) The engine room and the gap behind the sofa and beside the bed, are all taking on a new and important role.  The amount I am brewing initially will be about 280 pints - only a gallon  short of a brewer's barrel (288 pints!) - anything to improve upon the Eurofizz suffered to-date. Guests at my 70th birthday party will have bottles of "Grumpy 'Ole Git" presented to them  - at least, that's the plan.  It's worth mentioning that it is  our 17th wedding anniversary (10th September 1994) - so all in all, it could be a good do.

   

 "Body and Soul", with "Minute" in  persuit en route to Caumont where they will both pass the rest of the winter in the company of our hosts Charles and Caroline Lamb on "Connie". During the "chomage", this section of the canal is completely emptied out to give access for maintenance.

  "Minute" with David and Carol Harris, steaming up behind us

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to leave the dry dock at  Castelnaudary on our previous visit three years ago when we shared the dock with Vertrowen      

The lovely Dr. Honore, our local GP, sees us today 7/02/011 by appointment to review our blood test results. To our delight she gives Lucie a "Gold star" for her results which are all excellent. I too have compliments and good news in general although I must cut out butter and any other saturated fats. My good cholesterol HDL is very good but the LDL - that's the bad one - is on the high side. However I get gold stars for my efforts to lose weight which is down to 94kgm. from 103kgms last time in November. She doesn't like my plans  to brew my own beer though and I am required to see her again in six months by way of punishment after a further blood test. No diabetes though - yippee!

 We go home, with our tails up, for a rewarding glass of red. It's good for the liver, they say.

                                                                                                                                  My hyercinth sculpture -  green fingers or what?     

By the way, we are now on "Facebook" - click on:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51826&l=3682db7075&id=1790747326 

Two new dining room chairs from Ikea which give us much more room than the old bucket arm chairs   

We plan to set off from our mooring at Caumont on Sunday March 20th for a leisurely journey to the dry dock at Castelnaudary where we will be pressure-washing, scraping and painting  our hull for the second time in just over three years.  Body and Soul is booked in for two weeks from the 4th May and we will be on our own this time, without our friends George and Sue on Vertrowen. However we do have the help of my Brother Rob who is scheduled to land at Toulouse on the 3rd of May, where we will pick him up from the airport bus terminal, conveniently placed  50 yards from the canal. This gives us an easy two days to complete the 65Kms to Castelnaudary, arriving in the afternoon of the 4th May.

More for my benefit than for the reader's, (if indeed there is one!), we will be passing through the following main towns, (marked in bold): 

Please note that to read the map below properly you MUST click on it to enlarge.

  

 

From Caumont on the Canal lateral de la Garonne

Le Mas-D'Agenais (4kms and 1 lock)

Villeton (11kms - 2 locks)

Damazan (20kms  - 4 locks)

Buzet (24kms - 4 locks)

Agen (52kms - 11 locks)

Valence D'Agen (79kms - 14 locks)

Malhause (86kms - 17 locks)

Moissac (95kms - 19 locks)

Castelsarrasin (104kms - 26 locks)

Montech (116kms - 34 Locks)

Grisolles (133kms - 35 locks)

Toulouse ( 160 kms - 47 locks)

continuing on the Canal Du Midi from Toulouse

Montgiscard (181kms -  54 locks)

Port Lauragais (210kms - 66 locks)

Castelnaudary ( Total Journey = 225 kms - 73 locks)

In between these towns there are ample opportunities for beautiful wild moorings which I am sure we will be taking, however, I have an appointment with my dentist at Castelsarrasin to which I am not looking forward with much relish -  another one gone!

This episode in our travels is different because we may well be travelling when the canal water temperature is low and therefore relatively more dangerous. Falling off the boat is a much more serious affair at our age and not recommended, particularly when it is cold. We will be taking extra precautions both with our own safety but also with the dogs - but there you go, it really isn't all plain sailing, y'know, is it?