woz will fix it

During our time on Papillon, Woz earned a reputation on the Marina as the local 'Canal Rescue Service' and was often called out by friends who had encountered a problem along the way on a trip along the canal. Thankfully, the boats were not made for speed, so whilst the helpless boaters had left hours before, Woz could usually catch up with them with a quick run along the canal path, where he would climb aboard and come to their rescue. Although we are no longer living afloat we've still maintained friendships with our ex-neighbours, who still live quite close by, and Woz has often been called upon for his services.

This weekend Woz received such a call and so spent a great deal of his Saturday helping some friends through the locks at various intervals. Nate and I joined them when they got back into the marina where the four adults tried rather comically to put up a canvas structure which is suspended over the front door to the boat. It wasn't long before one, two and finally three poles had ended up in the canal rendering the remaining poles and canvas useless.

Part of his Canal Rescue package it seems is Underwater Rescue and so Woz decided he would leap into the freezing water and thresh about with his feet in order to find the poles. Above water it was all hands on deck as we tried to keep the two boats apart (so he wouldn't be crushed) and to shout encouraging words to spur him on lest he realise just how disgusting the water he was chest deep in, was.

It wasn't long before he had found one, then another. On the finding of the third a round of applause broke out from the group who had gathered to watch him as Woz emerged triumphantly from the water.


Afterwards the mud from the canal was hosed off thanks to Chris, who you may see from the photo was also in a towel from the waist down, although in order to preserve his dignity and in his words to ensure he doesn't "end up looking like Laurel and Hardy" I have not commented on why he went in and why he did not emerge waving poles as Woz had.

back in the swing of things

It's been about two weeks now since Nate and I flew back into London armed with high hopes of a gloriously Summery London. Unfortunately we have been disappointed most days with grey sky and cool days pervading. Still, it has been green and the days long and Woz and I have been making the most of them, spending our weekends with friends walking from one cafe to the next, visiting parks in between, which are not in short supply in London, discovering new ones and finally walking home in the small hours of the night with Nate blissfully snoozing in his buggy.


So far this weekend however has been just too gray and uninspiring to motivate us to leave the house, and so we've spent most of it indoors, going through the incredible amount of 'stuff' we have in our loft and minimalising. We are forever in pursuit of a minimal existence and after this weekend, are getting just that little bit closer.

home again, home again, jiggity jig

We're home! It hardly seems as though Nate and I have flown from one side of the world to the other. Long haul flying with toddlers is very much like childbirth in my experience, hell when you're going through it but when you finally walk through your front door and sit down for a cup of tea you are already planning your next trip, just itching to do it again.

Nate and I had an incredible three weeks, mostly spent with Nate's four grandparents, allowing them to soak it in for a little while (and me put my feet up!) and some time with his doting Uncle's and Auntie's. We'll post up some more photos but at the moment are hindered slightly by the lack of computer so I am using Woz's work laptop when and where I can.

Now back home and enjoying Summer in full swing we're planning to take advantage of the fact that we no longer have a boat to maintain and hope to get out and about to see what the English Summer has to offer us. Look out London!

doting grandparents