Catching up with the Ducks

This past week (and a bit) has been one of those where we've been so busy, and just haven't had the time to blog about what we've been up to!

Lyra has been our main preoccupation, and has settled in well to life aboard Lucky Duck. She has fully explored every part of the boat and chosen her favourite places to sleep, and well as managed to find fun in everything, even when we're too tired to play with her. A balled up expired bus ticket falls of the floor and becomes an instant plaything, and we've both struggled to tie our shoelaces when in a hurry to leave because she has found them such fun to play with!

In the mornings the sun streams in through the window to our shower room, and one of her favourite places to sleep in in the sink! She equally loves stretching herself out in the sun on the bathmat or falling asleep on the kitchen counter.



And so to the rest of the week. James and I helped Emma move Kestrel from Stretham to St Ives last Tuesday, which was a lot of fun. The most hilarious moment, as Emma wrote, was when the side hatch opened and several flaming pieces of toast were flung into the river, as a result of James setting light to the butter as he tried to warm the toast!

On Sunday, since Emma and I were both at work, the two Jameses went on a bit of an epic voyage, cruising all day to get Kestrel from Bedford to Hemingford Grey. Emma and I met them (after having bused to Huntingdon, picked up the car and driven to the moorings there). On their travels, they had managed to salvage two life rings which they then presented to us...



The other occupation which, as always, takes up many of our evenings is rowing (and coxing) which we have both done plenty of, with the Town Bumps races coming up at the end of July. We also watched the University bumps last week, which was as exciting as ever. As I have no doubt explained in previous posts, bumps racing is when rowing boats (eights usually) line up along the river (held out by a long pole) about a length and a half apart, and then, when a cannon goes off, all have to row as hard as they can to hit the boat in front before being caught by the one behind. Trinity's First and Third Boat Club is deemed to have the best introduction. Last night I rowed and James coxed in the XPress Head (in different boats!), which was great fun, and all our club's boats did very well.

After the race, we headed over to the Fort St George pub for a few drinks before heading home. Eariler on, I had seen nb Herbie outside the pub on our favourite visitor moorings, and it was a pleasant surprise when Kath came over to say hello! They are down our way visiting family and exploring the area.



Today, I have a day off, so I'm running the generator, while sitting in the sun and Lyra is stretched out next to me on a newspaper I was trying to read! My job is not something I often mention here, but since I'm doing a bit of a catch up, I thought I may as well. I've been working in a clothes shop in order to pay the bills, alongside work for an architectural research company. However, they have asked me to come and work with them full time, which will be really exciting, and a chance to get involved in something I'm really passionate about. I've not got a start date just yet (it will depend on which projects the firm gets) but I could be starting in at little as six weeks.