Should we stay or should we go?

Dave has spent most of the day reading blog spots, to find out if anyone has taken the decision to move.  As far as we can tell, the answer to that is NO!  However, Dave Dare of Oxfordshire Narrowboats has been breaking ice today above Lower Heyford to meet Dusty the coal boat coming in the other direction.  So thats one bit of canal that'll be navigable. (Not that we're anywhere near!)

The ice here in Atherstone has thawed around the boats, but it still seems quite thick the further you go away from the town into the country.  We havent seen a boat move in over 2 weeks.  We are toying with the idea of moving to Valley Cruisers to get a bit of diesel, then as far as Sutton Stop in the hope of meeting Gosty Hill sometime next week.  However if we move from here, with all the services we need, we may get frozen in somewhere we don't want to be, and if it's for another fortnight, then that's Christmas scuppered.  We had hoped to get round to Warwick, then back up to Atherstone for christmas, but obviously havent moved for a fortnight, so that's that plan out of the window.  Of course, we could just stay here till Christmas as we know there's more ice on the way, but then we'd fall foul of BW.  Decisions, decisions.....

Dave and his little helper Nemo concentrating on the computer.

I've been doing my "Aunty Sue" duties, and went to Kenilworth for a couple of days to see Iona perform in her school nativity/carol service.  The story of the baby Jesus, 6 carols (without stopping for breath between verses & chorus)  all done & dusted in 45 minutes.  When you rejoin the 'real world' - even for a short time, you realise how hectic the world is out there!  Life at Rachel's is at 100mph.  Work, school, after school activities for the 3 girls, and a labrador to walk.  I don't know how she does it.  I'm now back on the boat, hiding away, all quiet.  Another revelation to me was that I seem to have lost the nack of shopping.  I had a pit stop in Coventry whilst changing buses, and thought I'd get some christmas presents there.  After walking glassy eyed round M & S, BHS, Debenhams, piped christmas musak and endless flashing decorations, there was just too much stuff to chose from, so I panicked and ran back to the bus empty handed.  Good timing on my part, as the Atherstone bus pulled up just as I arrived at the bus stop. Going to have to get a grip and steel myself into shopping mode once more - there just isnt enough time to knit everyone a scarf!

At least I had a couple of nice walks round Abbeyfields & Kenilworth castle while I was there.