This shows the start of 2012 at the Port of Meilhan when our section of the canal was emptied - such desolation was avoided because of our pre-emptive move to Caumont where we moored up next to our good friends Charles and Caro Lamb for the rest of the winter. We thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality.
Maybe it's their turn this year?
The French Authorities (Voies Navigables de France - V.N.F.) periodically empty various sections of all the canals to undertake repair work. We moved out on the 3rd of January this year. If we had chosen to stay, we would have had to live for three months at a very uncomfortable angle on the muddy bottom. Yuck! it ain't all plain sailing, y'know!
I'm not exactly sure at whom this blog is aimed but the following collage might give those who can be bothered to look at it, an idea of our lives over the past year.
Frankly, we could add another 400 photos but that would be asking too much of even our dearest readers. We have had an extremely busy year in every way, most of which has been spent moored at the Port of Meilhan; for the third year of our eight year retirement in France and on board "Body and Soul".
To our "rellies", we send much love and hopes for the next year. We look forward to your visits greatly. Through "skype", it is easy to keep in touch, though, as I write this, we are having great difficulty in getting a strong enough "wi-fi" signal! But there you go again it never is plain sailing, is it? Much more stuff to come..........
- there is, apparently, a problem with the signal in this particular area at the moment. It is Sunday morning (23rd Dec) and this moment is probably just a lucky window of a weak signal and will probably fade away.......So have a good one!...... more family pictures to follow...probably after Christmas.
It's now Sunday 30th Dec. and the WiFi equipment is repaired and running well at last. It never ceases to amaze me how we are, seemingly, so dependent on this modern phenomenon. Our retirement experience has indeed been enhanced by it despite occasional equipment failures, cost and frustration.
Wintery scenes at Caumont Feb. 2012
Playing with George Smith at one of his gigs is always a great pleasure. He's my secret agent, in charge of my artistic welfare!
Lots more to come........meanwhile try http://humanism.org.uk/humanism/humanism-today/non-religious or, for a provocative bit of free speech just put "Pat Condell" into google and enjoy.
I've never seen so many catkins so early (early Jan). Such encouraging scenes make one's seasonal cold feel as if it might soon come to an end after all!