Total Pageviews

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Chimneys and chalk.

It turned out a nice day today so I decided to clean the chimney and the boiler. Last time I looked the removable chimney had a tarry deposit in it where the smoke had hit the cool of the metal outside and condensed leaving the un-burnt fuel that was in the smoke. Today when I looked it had gone hard and was much easier to scrape off than I expected. The flue through the interior of the boat was cleaned using a long stick that had two twin branches at the end. I squeezed the two branches that had leaves on together and down the chimney. They then sprang open and it was easy to twizzle round and clean the inside of the flue. Mind you it seemed there was very little soot but mainly rust!.

We were relieved to hear that the insurance company will pay for out bent propeller. It had never dawned on us to put it on the insurance but after seeing the quote we decided we had to. I wondered whether they would consider it as I didn't tell them until we had been in the dock and had it removed. We insure with Towergate so I am very pleased so far. I'll let you know when the money is in the bank. They say that the premium will be 10% more next year and 5% the year after but that is still loads cheaper that paying the full amount!

After lunch we went for a walk. After walking down to the Grand Junction pub we walked over the bridge past the ex lock gate yard and almost immediately left. After a little way we came to the entrance of the College Lake nature reserve that is run by the Bucks., Beds and Oxon Wildlife Trust. It is built in an old chalk quarry that opened in 1967 by Tunnel Cement. After it closed in 1991, rather than fill it in and landscape it the company were persuaded to design it for wildlife.

Wildflower meadow looking towards the lake.

There is a lovely walk around the rim that is two miles long with plenty of good views and things to see. there are loads of bird hides too.

The Lake looking towards the chalk hills. There are seven layers of different chalks. The chalk environment gives a very different habitat and the whole places in a great asset with loads of kids there today.

We walked round the quarry and had a cup of tea at the visitor centre before walking towards Marsworth. Here is Helen walking through a tunnel of trees.

Whilst we were walking down between the hedges we picked some elderberries.

All the heads came out with this amount of berries. I am thinking of using them to make a cordial.

A very big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mum.



No comments: