Quick Update

Thank you all for your comments and messages of support for Mags. She went into Airedale General this morning for her ERCP, had the procedure and I collected her at around half-three. She was a lot brighter than I expected her to be. I thought that she might be a bit groggy after the sedative, but no, she was laughing and joking with the nurse as she was wheeled down to meet me in the waiting room.

The doctor’s report indicates that everything went well, although two large stones could not be removed from the bile duct so stents were introduced instead to get things moving. There was no pain, nor even any discomfort, and she was well looked after by the staff in the Endoscopy Unit.

We’ll wait to see what her GP wants to do regarding a follow-up, but the hospital are happy that there’s no need for further investigation. I expect that the GP will want Mags in for blood and wee samples in the next couple of weeks to make sure everything is back to normal. We’ll see.

So thanks to the people at Airedale, and thanks again, Dear Reader for your kind thoughts.

Things are moving on…

We’ve been in Skipton this last week or so. The blood samples Mags gave last week showed a degree of deterioration in her condition, so her GP rang Airedale Hospital to move things along. You remember that she’d had a consultation cancelled, which was supposed to be tomorrow.

Well, a consultant rang last Monday, wanting to see Mags urgently, so we went to see him on Tuesday. The result of the meeting was that Mags is booked in for a procedure this Thursday, the purpose of which is to locate and remove the gallstones blocking her bile duct. No surgery needed, it’ll be done using an endoscope and associated gadgets passed down into her stomach.



It’s called an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatogram, ERCP for short. She’ll be awake throughout, but sedated.


She’s not looking forward to it, but accepts it needs to be done. She shouldn’t need to stay in overnight.





Meg is improving, she’s finished her extended course of antibiotics and showing no signs of her bladder infection returning. In fact she’s quite a bit brighter. She’s got better control now as well, she sometimes goes through the night without an “accident”, and she actually woke us at half-six this morning, wanting to go out. The vet says she needs to lose a few pounds though. Me and her both…

It  was quiet in Skipton, not many boats moving. We’d moved on a little after the weekend to moor near the bus station, nearer the shops and handy for the services. The moorings there are earmarked for Winter Moorings, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone wanting them. But although there was only one boat there besides ourselves when we arrived, another couple had landed, filling up all the space. So we decided to move out of town today in case someone turned up for a reserved mooring. It’s perfectly acceptable to use Winter Moorings if they are vacant, but you are obliged, understandably, to move if someone turns up who has paid to be there…

We decided to move today to take advantage of the fine weather. It’s supposed to go downhill rapidly after lunchtime tomorrow.

Leaving the Gallows Bridge moorings this morning.

The large group of walkers had just been laughing as Mags gave them her “Royal Wave” through the window…

Heading out of town.


We didn’t go far, pulling in near the Rendezvous Hotel before Snaygill Swing Bridge.

We might go back in to Skipton on Wednesday afternoon. There again, we may stay here. Not decided yet.

Locks 0, miles 1½

All is chaos and confusion…

We’re still waiting to hear about another appointment for Mags to see a specialist at Airedale General, after the last one was cancelled. A telephone consultation with her GP arranged for Friday morning never happened either, so we’re completely in the dark as to what the future holds.

Meanwhile she’s got to have another series of blood tests done, so we’re back in Skipton again where we’ve easy access to Skipton hospital for samples to be taken. And to cap it all CRT are closing the locks from below Gargrave to Wigan again –
“This action is necessary because of the limited water resources currently available but more importantly to reduce the risk of the reservoirs not refilling in time for the start of the main boating season next year.”
I don’t see that closing the locks to traffic is going to make much difference. There’s a 3 month stoppage at Burnley preventing any through passage in the New Year, and we’ve only seen a handful of moving boats in the last week.

If we have another dry Spring forget about boating in the North next year.

We had a good stay at Gargrave; Mags’ son Howard came over to see us Sunday, then Val and John stayed the night with us on Monday. Mags has been crowned the Undisputed Frustration Champion, after several games played until the early hours. Food and drink were also enjoyed…

We’d recovered enough by Thursday to drop down the locks out of Gargrave, to moor below Holme Bridge for the night. A fine day for a bit of lock-work.

Filling with water at Higherland Lock


Heading towards Ray Bridge


You don’t often see herons perching in trees, but this chap was enjoying the sunshine.

There were two boats tied on the upper lock landing at Holme Bridge Lock, making it awkward. Mags had to float about while I filled the lock…

We pulled in below the lock for the night. A fine sunset suggested that Friday should be a fine day, but the forecast said otherwise and for once was right. It was overcast and gloomy when we set off, looking at doing the four swing bridges that cross the canal to Skipton.

Coming up to Highgate Swing Bridge


Under the curiously attractive bridge carrying the A629 at Niffany.

We moored between Gawflat and Brewery Bridges, its not far to Aireville Park and Meg likes to have a slow amble on the grass there.

Howard had brought over the mail last Sunday, including a service kit for the Eberspacher heater that I’d taken off a week of two ago. So I set to yesterday afternoon and dismantled it.


I expected it to be coked up, but it was remarkably clean inside. But it was also damp, which is a clue to why it had stopped working. The seal between the combustion chamber and the water jacket had failed, allowing water in to where it shouldn’t be…
 
It’s the large O-ring you can see around the end of the combustion chamber.

There’s one included in the kit so it was replaced, as well as all other gaskets and seals disturbed during the strip-down. It took about 90 minutes in all to strip, clean, and rebuild the unit.

When we move out of town I’ll assemble a test rig and fire it up on the bank to try it out. From experience it’s likely to be a little smoky for a start… Then I’ll wrap it up and store it ready for when I need it.

We’ll be in town for a few days, apart from going to the hospital for Mags bloods I’ll pop Meg in to the vet to weigh her and check up with Sam the vet. She’s doing ok, dry through the day now but still a little incontinent at night. Probably as good as we’re going to get.

Locks 3, miles 5½ 

Still pottering about.

We might be pottering a little longer than anticipated now. We had a call from Airedale Hospital earlier in the week to advise us that they’ve cancelled Mags’ appointment with the specialist on the 27th. Apparently the chap assigned to the case has reviewed the notes and has decided that he can’t deal with it, so we’re now waiting once again. Not really good enough, is it? Hopefully we’ll get to see her GP next week, and she might push things along a bit.

We moved out of Skipton on Thursday, swapping black tarmac for green fields, the twitter of schoolkids on their smartphones heading for school for the bleat of sheep.

Brewery Swing Bridge, semi mechanised and always busy with traffic avoiding the town centre.
I think we held up half a dozen this morning.

Archie off NB Greenfinch gave me a shove on the obstinate Gawflat Swing Bridge, then we were out of town with three more rural bridges to deal with.

Niffany Swing Bridge


Thorleby Swing Bridge


It wasn’t a bad day, overcast and cool but calm. These exposed bridges up to Gargrave can be a right bugger if there’s a westerly blowing.

Shepherding the easy way – the collie dashing around while the farmer cruises on his quad-bike.

We spent the night below Holme Bridge, then tackled the three locks up to the Gargrave moorings on Friday morning.

Emptying Holme Bridge Lock
 

I’d arranged to pick up a load of solid fuel from Fred Greene’s canalside warehouse, and it was there waiting for us on the old wharf next to the converted canal warehouse.


I usually buy Excel when  can get it, but was advised to try RED, a pound cheaper and just as good. First impressions are favourable.

The trees are rapidly losing leaves now, unfortunately they finish up wrapped around the prop.

Up Eshton Road Lock and Higherland Lock, we pulled in to fill up the water tank and I washed the left side of the boat while we were there. Then we moored just beyond the winding hole.


We’ve Mags’ son Howard coming across this afternoon, and Val and John, the “Welsh Stalkers” coming to spend the night with us tomorrow. We’re not going to make it over there for Christmas now, but should be there early in the New Year. Maybe.

Not sure what we’re doing the rest of the week, I reckon we’ll hang around up here till we get any phone calls from the surgery or the hospital.

Locks 3, miles 5¼

Backs to the wind.

Today we moved back to Skipton, following the well –worn track we've cruised back and forth along for the last several weeks.

Leaving Lower Bradley Swing Bridge after going through once, turning around and coming back again.

We needed diesel but the small wharf at Snaygill Boats was a bit full…
However the SCAD (Skipton and Craven Action for Disability) boat Endevour was out so we snuck onto the end of the wharf outside the covered dock.

There’s very few boats about now, the chap at Snaygill said they’ve only got one hire boat out this week, and no more booked for the rest of the month. Consequently we didn’t get a chance to follow anyone’s coat-tails through the bridges today.
Still, not a problem, the brisk breeze was from behind so Mags had no problem hovering while waiting for me to deal with them.

We arrived in Skipton, filled with water and disposed of the rubbish then pushed across to moor on the Gallows Bridge moorings.

No problem finding a space here now… Meg waits patiently while the tank fills.

We’ll stay here through tomorrow as it’s supposed to be wet and windy, then push on up to Gargrave on Thursday and Friday under drier skies.

Hi KevinToo. Yes, the French Connection is probably a no-no. The boss would be happy on the big boat and wide water, though, it's just the thought of 1000 miles and 320-odd locks to get to Calais. And that's before the channel crossing...
And I'd forgotten that the current Palace of Westminster isn't the original, nor even the second, but the third royal palace on the site. Thanks for reminding me.

Locks 0, miles 3

The year wears on…

Halloween has come and gone, and bonfire night is upon us, though I reckon that most of the celebrations took place over last weekend. Saturday and Sunday evenings were marked by a smattering of bonfires across the valley, and the occasional whoosh – pop and shower of sparks disturbed the night sky. 
I suspect that Catesby, Fawkes and their group of co-conspirators had the right idea, only 415 years too early and for the wrong reasons. I don’t think we’d miss this band of self-serving indecisive hypocrites but it’d be a shame about the building…

We moved out to Bradley on Tuesday to avoid any fun and games the Skipton youth may have got up to now that we seem to have adopted the American Trick-or Treat. The weather has been typically autumnal, Some sharp, frosty wooly-jumper nights, followed by beautiful, sunny tee-shirt days. Mixed in we’ve seen rain, wind that threatened to clear the gear off the roof, and mild misty mornings.


Passing Victoria Mill in Skipton


Dramatic skies as we head to Bradley
 

Moonrise and a rainbow over Bradley village
















We’ve not been up to much. I had to swap the Eberspacher water heater for the serviced and prepared Webasto I had on standby, as the Eber was getting a bit unreliable on start-up. It’s been running happily for 18 months but is probably a bit coked up. I’ve a service kit on the way, so will sort it out then put it away for the next 18 months till the Webasto starts playing up!
I spent just over an hour swapping the two units, it’s a bit awkward as they are positioned under the counter off to one side, so you have to hang upside down through the counter hatch. But I’ve made it easier by modifying the wiring on the Webasto so that it plugs straight into the Eberspacher wiring loom for power supply and the controller. The exhaust and fuel feed swap straight over, but the plumbing has to played about with a bit.
I’ve got sore ribs though as a result. I slipped and dropped chest-first onto the stern cants while I was checking the exhaust and I’ve badly bruised or even cracked a rib. It’s been 10 or 11 days now and it still hurts when I breathe in hard. Slowly improving, though.

I also knocked up a step for Meg for when we’ve low banks like here at Bradley.
She was a bit wary at first, but now she’s got used to it I’m not having to lift her on and off umpteen times a day!

We’ve got neighbours now, too. The farmer has put cattle in the field alongside.

We’ve had visitors, Mags’ grand-daughter Melanie came over to see us, and long-time boating buddy Carol and her partner Victoria came and spent an hour with us one afternoon.




I’ve been re-reading Terry and Monica Darlington’s Narrow Dog books, enjoying their adventures in France and the US, delivered in Terry’s inimitable style. Well worth a look if you haven’t already.






Mags should have gone to see her GP tomorrow but that’s been cancelled. She has an appointment with a specialist at Airedale Hospital on the 27th to discuss her gallstones then we might have a better idea of what we’re doing for the winter. Meanwhile we’ll keep pottering up and down this stretch of cut. We’re heading back to Skipton tomorrow, stopping for a couple of nights before heading off to Gargrave. Getting a little stir crazy. I must be, I’ve been looking at a Dutch barge, a Kotter, for sale on Apollo Duck. It’s in the south of France….
Now wouldn’t that be an epic adventure! A thousand miles up through France, via Paris, to Calais. Then across the channel. Not sure I can convince the skipper, though.

Locks 0, miles 3