SPRING

[Athy]

Here in the Fens the first daffodils came out earlier this week (always the dwarf varieties which bloom first), the first narrowboat went past this morning since one crunched through the ice in mid-January, the vernal equinox will be upon us tomorrow, and I have just heard the distinctive song of the first lawnmower of the year, prompting the faithful to return to their garden sheds and chant the annual mantra "Why won't the bloody thing start?" So, has the apparently never-ending winter finally departed? Has spring reached your area yet?

[Naughty Cal]

I said it had sprung weeks ago. No one believed me

[rubblequeen]

Here in the Fens the first daffodils came out earlier this week (always the dwarf varieties which bloom first), the first narrowboat went past this morning since one crunched through the ice in mid-January, the vernal equinox will be upon us tomorrow, and I have just heard the distinctive song of the first lawnmower of the year, prompting the faithful to return to their garden sheds and chant the annual mantra "Why won't the bloody thing start?" So, has the apparently never-ending winter finally departed? Has spring reached your area yet?

 

Yes, saw my first Chav without his shirt on in the high street, skinny little fellow wonder he didn't freeze to death. Then a rasatherportly mid life guy with shorts on and his jumper tucked in. Both equally horrible sites.

 

But to confirm spring is officially here - I have started sneezing.

 

But it was nice to see the sun for a day

[Naughty Cal]

But to confirm spring is officially here - I have started sneezing.

 

We heard our first bowthruster weeks ago

[phildickman]

Hey...don't get carried away, it's only 40 weeks to xmas today !!

[Naughty Cal]

Hey...don't get carried away, it's only 40 weeks to xmas today !!

 

You can get banned for saying lesser things than that

[luctor et emergo]

Yes, saw my first Chav without his shirt on in the high street, skinny little fellow wonder he didn't freeze to death. Then a rasatherportly mid life guy with shorts on and his jumper tucked in. Both equally horrible sites.

 

But to confirm spring is officially here - I have started sneezing.

 

But it was nice to see the sun for a day

 

 

you have seen the sun? Where? According to my clock it must be afternoon, but looking outside does not confirm this. And it hasn't stopped raining either...

[Naughty Cal]

you have seen the sun? Where? According to my clock it must be afternoon, but looking outside does not confirm this. And it hasn't stopped raining either...

 

Can you send some rain this way. We havnt seen any for a while now.

[Purple Fairie]

We saw our first hedgehog of the year on Tuesday!

It was a tiny little thing so we've been putting some cat food out for it

[Athy]

We saw our first hedgehog of the year on Tuesday!

It was a tiny little thing so we've been putting some cat food out for it

 

Oh, bless! Soon it will be old enough to play with bits of wool which you dangle in front of its nose, and to curl up appealingly and sleep in inappropriate places.

[macc]

Here in the Fens the first daffodils came out earlier this week (always the dwarf varieties which bloom first), the first narrowboat went past this morning since one crunched through the ice in mid-January, the vernal equinox will be upon us tomorrow, and I have just heard the distinctive song of the first lawnmower of the year, prompting the faithful to return to their garden sheds and chant the annual mantra "Why won't the bloody thing start?" So, has the apparently never-ending winter finally departed? Has spring reached your area yet?

 

yep that was me probley coming through in january to beat the stopages at march, now stuck at salters lode due to silt i might get the boat home this year lol

[MoominPapa]

yep that was me probley coming through in january to beat the stopages at march, now stuck at salters lode due to silt i might get the boat home this year lol

What's the story with the silt? We're planning to go through to Cambridge at Easter and Paul didn't mention silt problems when I talked to him last week.

 

MP.

[Athy]

yep that was me probley coming through in january to beat the stopages at march, now stuck at salters lode due to silt i might get the boat home this year lol

Small world, Macc! yes indeedy, Shropshire Lass it was. We thought that you had come to live in Upwell as you moored for a few days on the landing stage just past the Globe, next to my friend Graham's classic squashy cruiser. I must thank you for loosening up the ice - I had had a small Springer project boat craned into the water four weeks earlier, but could not get it the 200 yards to our landing stage until you did your crunching bit.

[macc]

What's the story with the silt? We're planning to go through to Cambridge at Easter and Paul didn't mention silt problems when I talked to him last week.

 

MP.

 

im 70ft moomin so need level water to go through and after the floods salters lode yet again has silted up so much for ea`s not enough water to flush silt away excuse.

if your small enough to get in the lock you`ll be ok.

spoke to ea they have no idea when they`ll be able to dredge.

[MoominPapa]

im 70ft moomin so need level water to go through and after the floods salters lode yet again has silted up so much for ea`s not enough water to flush silt away excuse.

if your small enough to get in the lock you`ll be ok.

spoke to ea they have no idea when they`ll be able to dredge.

We're OK then. At 60ft we can get into the lock. Good luck hassling the EA.

 

MP.

[Athy]

One of the Middle Levels' natty little work boats passed us this morning heading Salters Lode-wards; perhaps it will be undertaking the dredging.

[macc]

Small world, Macc! yes indeedy, Shropshire Lass it was. We thought that you had come to live in Upwell as you moored for a few days on the landing stage just past the Globe, next to my friend Graham's classic squashy cruiser. I must thank you for loosening up the ice - I had had a small Springer project boat craned into the water four weeks earlier, but could not get it the 200 yards to our landing stage until you did your crunching bit.

 

glad to be of asistance athy i did notice your springer as i was concerned when passing to make shure ice wasent crunching against it,it was very hard going trying to keep up speed to break the ice and watch that it wasent doing any damage to other boats wont be doing that again in a hurray.

[macc]

One of the Middle Levels' natty little work boats passed us this morning heading Salters Lode-wards; perhaps it will be undertaking the dredging.

 

i live in hope lol

[Tiny]

Today was the first time since the Autumn that it was dry enough to take the tractor mower round and collect all the oak leaves. By the time they fell last year the rainy season had set in.

[WJM]

All winter I have been canoeing past two swans just above Osterley lock. All winter they completely ignored me. Well spring is nesting time. Last night, the female continued to ignore me but the male went crazy! He came at me, I tried to hit him but missed. Then when I passed he chased me for about half a kilometer. That must have been a sight - terrified man in a canoe paddling flat out while a white bird tries to batter him. Of course, by attacking me from behind he had the tactical advantage, I was terrified! But I doubt very much that he had worked that out, for god's sake, I am three times the size of him, sitting inside six metres of bullet-proof Kevlar and I have a large carbon-fibre blade capable of slicing his head off!

 

Stupid Bird - but Spring is definitely Sprung!

[Athy]

All winter I have been canoeing past two swans just above Osterley lock. All winter they completely ignored me. Well spring is nesting time. Last night, the female continued to ignore me but the male went crazy! He came at me, I tried to hit him but missed. Then when I passed he chased me for about half a kilometer. That must have been a sight - terrified man in a canoe paddling flat out while a white bird tries to batter him. Of course, by attacking me from behind he had the tactical advantage, I was terrified! But I doubt very much that he had worked that out, for god's sake, I am three times the size of him, sitting inside six metres of bullet-proof Kevlar and I have a large carbon-fibre blade capable of slicing his head off!

 

Stupid Bird - but Spring is definitely Sprung!

 

They look blooming large when you're low down in the water, do they not? The evil old sod of a swan which used to (maybe still does) rule part of the Ashby Canal near Hinckley looked big enough even from the back deck of a narrowboat as he hurtled in pursuit.

As you say it chased you for half a kilometre, was it one of those furrin immigrant swans?

[WJM]

He hissed in Polish!

[windy miller]

Yes - spring has sprung in north staffs - the frogs in my pond are AT IT!

[Tiny]

Definately spring is sprunging. Warm rain all day (since 5am).

[koukouvagia]

Naaah. Winter's just waiting to pounce again like it did a couple of years ago at the historic boat gathering at Stoke Bruerne. This picture was taken on Easter Sunday.

Anybody going to this year's do at Coventry?

 

 

I've just discovered how to add clickable thumbnails - so those with slow connections should be less annoyed now.