Snatching a spuddle

This week, Zoe and I have been back in Zeeland. We came back last Sunday so I could be here for my daughter's birthday. Jo is a Bastille Day baby, born exactly on cue, right in the middle of the summer holiday season. It's always difficult to do anything on her special day as most people are either away or planning to be. Anyway, Mo and I came back up from France so we could have a kind of birthday brunch with her on Sunday. Since then, I've had a lovely few days spending time with her on the Vereeniging. We even managed to have a short spuddle in our tiny rowing boat (bijboot in Dutch), which was absurdly good fun.

At first, Jo was just going to use it to touch up some paint.

"Do you want to get in too?" she asked.

"No, not really. I think it's fine if you do it," I replied.

But then after the job was done, she said, "Well, if you've got some oars, I'd like to go for a row."

"Ha, well in that case, I'm coming too," I said, never one to miss an opportunity for a spuddle, and so I scurried inside to unearth the oars, or rather paddles. Oars is too grand a name for them.

In fact, calling the tiny tender a boat at all is stretching things a bit. It's really designed for two children or one adult at most, but we both managed to climb in and sit cross-legged on the bottom. Armed with a bright yellow paddle each we rowed up and down the harbour around the barges and back again, looking for all the world like a couple of giggling tweenies. It was the most fun I've had on the water this year. I only wish one of us had thought to take a phone and snap a photo; it's a memory worth cherishing, but I'm sure we'll do it again one of these days.

This is a pic of the boat I took when we first got it in 2022, just to give you an idea of how minuscule it is.

What was also special was having Jo spend the night on Vereeniging while I slept on the Hennie H (aka the Shoe). It felt very much like having a mini holiday at home. I had a lovely night once I'd got used to the creaking and squeaking the Shoe made when when she rubbed against the fender on the mooring pole. The wind was blowing quite hard and with the wash from passing barges, the waves travelling up the harbour were quite forceful, resulting in lots of very weird noises. Nevertheless, Zoe remained unperturbed and I ceased to notice it after a time so a good night's sleep was had by all.

Apart from the fun, we've both been doing other jobs: Jo has had her teaching and I've been tidying the garden and collecting tools and supplies to take back to France, so my next post will probably be an update on the situation there. I had an email today suggesting there might be water restrictions in the Haute-Marne, so I'll see  when I get there.

Have a lovely weekend allemaal. May the weather gods remain benevolent to all wherever you are.