Freezing (again)

Another grey overcast day, with temperatures hovering around freezing. I know it's the middle of winter, and I shouldn't be too surprised. But I do miss the sky being blue.

The speed of the river has decreased enough for us to venture out for a spin, when Sheena gets back (on wednesday, hopefully). But with only one battery and no inverter, we won't be overnighting anywhere for the forseeable.

We're hoping that our next big voyage, will be up to Reading. Not the most salubrious and exotic destination in the UK, but it will give us a lot of useful experience in moving and mooring ourselves upstream. Our Nicholsons guides seem to indicate that there are plenty of places to stop overnight, once we get past Henley. When we eventually do leave Bourne End, we'll have to go via Reading to get up to the Oxford canal. So the aim is to reconnoitre any potentially nasty surprises enroute. The furthest we've been upstream is Medmenham, so far. We'll probably have to work some, if not all, of the 8 locks ourselves, as the boating season hasn't started yet and the lock keepers will hide inside, beside their warm and cozy fires. But I think this will also be good practice for when we're on the canals.

Nothing much else to report. No traffic on the river. Daily routine goes on. And the fire is lovely, in the evenings.