From fighting to faring in a week

I expect you're wondering what I mean by the title and it's not as bad as it sounds - well, the fighting bit isn't. To you, anyway.  My fights are not against the world, or countries or even people. As anyone who has read my recent posts knows, I have taken on the task of beating the beetle, lambasting the larvae and thoroughly whacking the woodworm on the Vereeniging.  Little bugs in the greater scheme of life, I know, but boy can they cause some (brain) damage.

As I mentioned last week, I'd ripped out the floor of my small aft cabin (we call it the roef) as it was riddled with woodworm. I've now cleared everything else out of the room, only to find they have started attacking the old cupboards and seats too. Luckily, these are all varnished, so they haven't got too far, but it's awful - a nightmare in fact. I have just now managed to order a smoke bomb from the UK to get into all the nooks and crannies that I might have missed, so I hope that once I have it, it will be the end of the little blighters.

Other than that, I've been working, as in teaching some very nice courses at the university, and also continuing with operation paint pot in my sleeping nook  on the barge. It's becoming almost smart now, so I'm really pleased about that. More photos soon, but I forgot to take any this week.

Now I'm back in Zeeland again, and there are other jobs to do. At least that was the plan. Today, we intended to go to the Hennie Ha where it is moored up and give her a good clean. But roads and good intentions have a way of getting diverted down a slippery slope. We arrived at the marina, and the sun was shining, the sky was what skies in holiday brochures look like and the canal called. What could we do? There really was no choice, so we took ourselves off for a bit of a faring fix. It was just wonderful as these photos will testify.

leaving the marina

Himself in relaxed mode as always

A regular at the Cargill plant

large commercial heading towards Terneuzen

Us steaming across the canal

to s small side branch harbour

where we watched the ships pass

Also heading for Terneuzen

Coal barges being pushed south

following the biggies

for a distance up the canal until we turned

And headed back past the regular visitor
and back to base

We managed some cleaning when we got back to the marina, but it was a half hearted affair. We were much too euphoric over our faring forth! Hoping you've all had a good week and wishing you some continued sunny weather.