Jan 31st

Normal 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} We knew it was going to be pretty chilly this morning so we got well and truly wrapped up.  In fact I had so many layers on I could hardly move!  Mind you � I was warm and cosy and as I wasn�t doing any locks today it didn�t really matter if I couldn�t move too well!  Clive started off with his black fleecy cap on this morning but the wind which was whistling in from the East, Siberia to be exact, was very, very cold so he swapped to his old mountaineering balaclava, which is all wool and very warm � bless!   Although it has been chilly its been a beautiful day for cruising, the countryside round here is really lovely, even in its winter colours.  The canal on this stretch runs right along the border between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.  The landscape has changed to a more hilly terrain � its nice to see a few hills again, albeit small ones.  It�s also a very peaceful stretch of canal without the motorway or the railway line!  The only sign of that today was when we passed under the A14!  Clive actually saw another fox today as well but I was looking the other way and he had disappeared into a wood by the time I turned round!    A little while after that we passed this enormous field, it just seemed to go one for ever, all planted with newly sprouting crops. After a couple of hours of cruising, having only passed moored craft since we left, we actually saw another boat travelling towards us � amazing, we�re not the only mad boaters on the canal!                                                                                                             Soon after we passed him by we arrived at the Welford Junction, we turned left today but we think we may go up to Welford when we come back this way in a week or so.  It�s actually a dead end but it will be interesting to go up and have a look.  There is a winding hole at the end so we can turn round and come back!   We didn�t bother with a proper lunch today, having had coffee and shortbread around 11.30 we decided a cuppa soup would suffice but we had to negotiate the Husband�s Bosworth tunnel first.  Again this isn�t a particularly long tunnel, in fact it is quite difficult to know just how long it is as the book told us one length, a sign by the tunnel said another but when we got through to the other end there was a plaque on the wall with yet another length!  However, it is somewhere in the region of 1100 yards.    Not long after the tunnel the terrain got even hillier and according to the book we were travelling alongside the Laughton Hills � very pretty.  We passed a newly ploughed field and could see cows grazing up on the hillside.  It really is a lovely area and will be absolutely spectacular in the summertime.  However by this time the sun was going down and we were both getting chilled so we decided it was time to moor up and get in out of the cold.  So it was eyes peeled for a decent mooring and before long we saw one up in the distance.   We usually put our central heating on when we know we are going to be stopping within about half an hour, I had also banked up the stove before we set off this morning so by the time we were tied up the boat was all toasty and warm � lovely!  Although we are out in the middle of nowhere we have a reasonable TV signal (analogue only though) and enough signal on the dongle to get on the internet so everything is hunky dory.   Now rumour has it there could be snow tomorrow but come hell or high water (or snow) we are going to get to Foxton � the launderette awaits!