Thursday 4th June. Abingdon, River Thames.
All life is here. I took a photograph of larvae hatching out on our windows. Well, they were not only on the windows – the whole of the river side of the boat was covered in them.
At 7.50am, it was sunny as we moved off, the wind again chilly.
Benson Lock was the first one today, very little flow off the weir which makes the approach to the lock mooring easier. Once through the lock, the sun was heating up nicely. Myra dropped off one paperback for the RNLI book box at Days lock and bought three more. In contrast to the weekend, when the moorings were full, only one boat was moored above the lock.
Arriving at Clifton Lock we waited whilst the tug and crane outriggers went up in the lock. When the gates opened for us, rowing boats emerged on their way to Beale Park for the boat show this weekend. There were some nice shaped ones and a sailing canoe.
Waiting at Culham lock, we heard the sound of a dog barking. A boat was coming up behind us with the dog running up and down on the roof, barking all the time.
We entered the lock and so did this other boat. The dog stopped barking when the engine was switched off: yes, as soon as the engine started up, so did the dog.
I could not see any wire from the starter circuit to the dog; I suppose that it must have been a radio signal. The dog barked continuously, and as soon as we left the lock cut, I stopped to let the boat with the inconsiderate steerer and his untrained dog get well ahead and out of hearing.
We chatted to Roger the lock keeper and his summer assistant at Abingdon, then through and moored at Ferry meadow in the middle of nowhere, quiet and still sunny.
2009 Totals – Locks 221; Miles 439.5; Bus pass uses 8
