Monday 11th August
to Monday 18th August
Tuesday 12th
August.
From Upper Poynton yesterday
we made our way towards Marple, the end of the Macclesfield canal. About half
way along this six mile stretch, the clouds started to build up but, as luck
would have it the rain stayed away.
As we arrived at bridge 3
Sheila jumped off and walked ahead to see if there were any spaces. Sadly there
were none available but, as we were pulling in and deciding what to do, along
came a boat from the Marple moorings, so we quickly moved along and took his
empty space.
However, this spot wasn’t
really ideal, because it was pretty dark and dismal, what with being so far
below the trees and houses. But we only had to stay a few hours in that spot,
before we noticed a big gap in the ‘lighter’ moorings ahead, so we quickly
moved along to that.
Just as we were doing so, the
people on the boat behind us came back from shopping and decided they would do
the same. Unfortunately, what they didn’t realise and neither did we, was that
one of the spaces was about to be filled by the boat that had, temporarily,
moved across the canal to fill up with water, and he was just about to move
back into his previous position. All they could then do was to fill up with
water themselves and dispose of rubbish, then return to the moorings they had
vacated.
Wednesday 13th
August
There are times, especially
when the weather is not kind to us, like yesterday, when the only thing to do
to pass the time is to take the bus into town. So, at about 9.20 in the morning
we strolled down the hill, past the locks and waited for the bus.
The bus from Marple to
Stockport; I misremember the number; is something of an anomaly in that, rather
than keeping to the same route both ways, it does a round-robin and returns to
the same bus stop, passing through different areas on the way back. Most
peculiar and not something we’ve come across anywhere else.
Anyway, we spent an hour or
so wandering around the shops, enjoyed a coffee and sticky bun, then made our
way back home. Sadly the weather didn’t relent, so we still didn’t get the
timber cut up. Today looks to be no better but, since our 48 hours is up, we’ll
have to turn around and return whence we came and find somewhere in the sticks.
Hopefully, by the time we’ve achieved that the day will have brightened up
enough for us to get to work.
Thursday 14th
August
Despite a bad start to the
day weather wise, we decided to leave Marple and find somewhere quiet and
peaceful to moor up, in hopes that we would be able to cut up our decking.
Wifey thought there were
proper moorings just the other side of bridge 11 but, as sometimes happens in
these cases, we should have stopped before that bridge. Of course we realised
this when it was too late and finally ended up back at Higher Poynton.
Now, since we needed to top
up with diesel, we pulled in behind another boat that was having a pump-out and
also topping up with diesel. Then, during the time it took for that job to
finish, the heavens opened up and soaked us all. Not an auspicious start to our
day. However, the rain did stop for us to top up and find a mooring spot but,
since it continued to rain, on and off, for the rest of the day, we still
haven’t cut the decking up. But, since these moorings don’t have a time limit
on them, we’ll stay until the job is done.
Saturday 16th
August
On Wednesday, despite the bad
weather, we decided to try out my new Scorpion electric saw and cut up the
decking, which was when I discovered that this really wasn’t the right tool for
the job. Unfortunately; even though the makers of this wonderful instrument
suggest allowing the blade to run before applying it to the wood; the darn
thing simply bounces off said wood and starts cutting precisely where you don’t
want it too.
So, it was back to using a
hand saw and, with the decking being 1 inch thick and, having a couple of dozen
cuts to make, this turned into something of a sweaty chore and exactly why I
bought the electric saw in the first place.
So, having completed this
chore, I texted Alan and asked if he would like it as a Christmas present. To
which he replied that I should have bought a circular saw. To which I asked how
and where I was supposed to mount such a tool, bearing in mind the limited
space on the boat. He then asked how much it cost and suggested we sort it out
when we get back to Crick and I pay him a visit. Should have gone for a new
hand saw, eh Bruv?
On Thursday afternoon, whilst
sitting there with my nose in a book, I heard the tiller arm clatter; a sound
that warns me that the boat behind has moved off rather too quickly. I thought
this was rather strange because, when we pull in and moor up I always tie the
thing down with a strap attached to a tiller pin.
Anyway, I shouted after the
receding boat, complaining that the tiller pin had sprung free due to their
carelessness. You can imagine my dismay when, having turned around and stopped
for a chat, that they had moved along at tick-over speed, so they couldn’t have
caused the problem.
Of course, feeling rather
shamefaced, I apologised and, after a few more pieces of not-too-friendly
dialogue, they went on their way. But this didn’t explain my missing pin. So, I
looked inside our storage box, and there it was.
The fact that I hadn’t even
fitted the blessed thing ensured that my guilt made me feel even worse. Maybe I
need to go on an anger management course!! And, the reason I hadn’t fitted the
pin, was because it had been raining pretty heavily when we arrived here and I
simply forgot. Thimple!!
We decide to take the bus
into Stockport yesterday morning. Unfortunately the bus had other ideas and
dropped us off at Hazel Grove, which just so happens to be its final
destination these days.
Hazel Grove is rather noisy
and, if we had really wanted to go to Stockport, another bus trip would have
been necessary. However, since we didn’t need much by way of supplies, we
walked to the Asda store.
From there we crossed the
road to a small coffee shop in which, despite a family gathering going on, we
did manage to find seats and ordered a scone and coffee.
The coffee soon turned up
and, a few minutes later, so did the scone, along with a couple of pats of
butter. Both of the scones were rock hard – literally. Indeed, I only just
managed to cut mine in half. It was plain to us that there was no way we could
eat them and so Wifey took them back to the young lad serving at the counter,
whereupon he returned them to the kitchen.
A couple of minutes later the
owner of the shop came along with a big grin on her face, although we could see
nothing amusing about the situation at that point. That is, until she explained
that the lad had served us with their ‘demo’ scones. Ho, Ho, Hoo!! Rock hard
indeed, take your pick!!
Upon returning to the boat we
decided to renew our almost empty gas bottle and, whilst we were at it, buy a
couple of bags of coal. Not that it’s all that cold in the mornings, but we
like to be prepared, especially now that we’re told, by those lovely
forecasters, that the early mornings are set to become cooler, and there’s no
fun to be has sitting here feeling chilly. Aaaaah!
Sunday 17th August
It’s almost 6.30 on Sunday
morning and I am about to have a moan. So, if you don’t want to read this bit,
please ignore.
I have the Avast virus
protection programme on this laptop. Not because I particularly asked for it to
be installed when I bought, it’s just that the seller did so for me.
Anyway, this laptop has, in
recent weeks, taken longer than usual to boot up and, despite defragging and
cleaning up the HDD, nothing has improved. So, when I received a message from
Avast, telling me my computer was full of garbage – or Grime, as they called it
– and that their Grime Fighter programme was at a reduced price, I bought it.
At which point my problems started.
Now, under normal
circumstances, I would download a new programme and install it in one
operation. However, since Grime Fighter is only licensed for a year and I was
told that Installation instructions would follow immediately, I stayed my hand
and waited, and waited, and waited, but no instructions arrived. So, I
contacted them yesterday and, sure enough, those details arrived this morning.
So far, so good, or so you would think.
However, this set of
instructions is about two pages long; much of which is unnecessary information.
But, at instruction number five I was told that, ‘with these instructions I
would have received my Licence details’. Well, I didn’t!! These details are
necessary in order to run the programme and must be inserted after
installation.
O.K. My only recourse now was
to access their Customer Service department. Well now, for the information of
anybody reading this who has purchased a programme from Avast, beware, because,
should you experience problems with your programme, they do NOT have a Customer
Service Department. I know this because, when I clicked on their link to this
office, I was sent straight to their web page and had to jump through several
hoops before I could actually send a message.
This system of giving PAYING
customers the run around is pretty much the norm these days, and I for one am
getting rather tired of it. One thing is for sure, I will most definitely not
be renewing the licence for this programme, when it becomes due this time next
year. In fact, if they don’t get their fingers out, I might even look for a
different virus programme entirely.
Right, back to normal.
I am, as you know, in the
throes of building two new flower boxes. We’ve bought all the necessary decking
and, now that we’re moored near Homebase again, we’ll be paying them a visit
for some extra material. Yesterday, having previously cut all that decking to
the required lengths, I took a bit of time cleaning up all the rough edges.
Today I will be marking out and drilling these pieces where the screws are to
go. I will, of course, be enlisting the aid of herself who, after some
cajoling, agreed to destroy the two previous boxes, which were looking rather
the worse for wear.
We’ll also be buying another
length of decking, this time for use as a plank, which will replace the one we
have now and which is also looking rather sorry for itself. Watch this space!
Monday 18th August
Yesterday, due to very bad
weather, we decided to stay put at bridge 46. Apart from strolling around to
the out-of-town centre nearby, we simply chilled out for the day. We also
discovered that, due to my inability to cut a straight line with a hand-saw,
those pieces of decking do not match up properly. Oh, I could probably fit them
together easily enough; they’re not completely useless; but they do at least
need straightening up, either by filing down or, as Wifey suggested, waiting
until we return to Crick, when I can take them down to Alan for corrective measures.
Sadly, the sorry saga of the
Avast Grime Fighter programme is still ongoing. Yesterday morning, having read
through the set-up instructions, that finally arrived after me chasing them, I
realised that I needed a Licence key, which should have come with those
instructions, but didn’t.
This morning, after checking
my emails, there was the Licence Key. Oh, goody, goody, I thought, now perhaps
I can set the programme up. Nope! When I double clicked on the downloaded
programme, up came a screen telling me, “It’s not, you, it’s us”, followed by
some more blurb about being unable to run the programme.
Now, as you can imagine, I’m
becoming really annoyed, not only because the programme won’t run, but because
I haven’t been asked to insert the Licence Key and because the licence runs
from the day of purchase, not the day of installation. Already I have lost
three days of usage.
So, back to jumping through
hoops at the Avast, so-called Customer Service site, where I opened yet another
ticket for assistance.
I rather suspect that, when I
first downloaded this programme it became corrupted, or didn’t down load fully.
Hopefully somebody; an actual person; will email me suggesting I download it
again. Hopefully!
Today, now that the weather
has calmed down. We’ll be able to go down those 12 Bosley Locks this morning.
Meanwhile, now that I’ve
treated you to a lengthy moan about Avast, I’ll post this blog.
Have a good week folks and
take care
Dave and Sheila
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