Nov 3rd

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;} Our little hire car, a Mitsubish Colt, was delivered to the marina on Friday lunchtime as arranged ? a bit different to what we are both used to, but nonetheless it was small but perfectly formed!  We had a fairly uneventful drive up to Huddersfield, however just as we were about to come off the M62 we got a text message from Clive?s sister to say that due to unforeseen circumstances Mum?s operation had been cancelled!  Needless to say we were all very disappointed, especially Mum!    We decided to make the best of the weekend and managed to get to visit various people and even got to share a great firework display which had been organised by Clive?s sister Carol for the residents of Aiden Mount, where our niece Chloe lives.  It was great fun and I am sure everyone enjoyed it, but it was a bit chilly!  Clive decided that bonfire night really ought to be in June!   Other than that it was a very uneventful weekend, we enjoyed ourselves but there isn?t really a lot we can put in the blog.  We returned to Lady Arwen this lunchtime, very glad to see her.  Having been left uninhabited over the weekend it was a bit chilly on board but we put the central heating on and Clive soon had the stove blazing away merrily and we warmed up very quickly.   We unpacked and had a bit of lunch then decided to just relax and watch a bit of daytime TV (I know ? don?t say it!).  I was happily watching the Alan Titchmarsh show and Clive was on the internet when he suddenly said ?Mel ? quick ? get the camera? ? would you believe it the Kingfisher was back ? sitting on the bow post again!  I couldn?t believe it!  However the camera was at the other end of the boat on the bed - typical!  I very slowly got up and crept down the boat, trying not to rock it too much.  Got the camera out, swapped lenses very quickly and crept back ? it was still there!  Well I actually took 22 photographs, I just couldn?t stop clicking ? I was so stunned that it was still there.  In the end I stopped taking his picture and just enjoyed looking at him, absolutely stunningly beautiful!  We were both so thrilled he had chosen our boat to sit on again.  He stayed for ages then decided he had better things to do and off he went in a flash of turquoise. (More pictures in the gallery!)   We were wondering if it was the same bird that had visited our boat a few days ago, in actual fact we are only a couple of hundred yards further down the canal than we were then ? but not sure how territorial they are ? anybody out there know?   Well how can you follow that ? not easily.  So that?s it for now.