shortest day

There was a chance we would run out of water today. We've been a bit lapse at checking it and forgot that the freezing weather would possibly freeze the stand pipe and that would mean we would be unable to fill up. The stand pipe was frozen and also the hose leading to the stand pipe was frozen, so it was simple washes and no showers today.

We are luckier this year. Last year we were moored up further down the river no where near the stand pipe. At my request. It was a beautiful spot we named 'Digley Dell'. It was a gently curved slope down to the water surrounded by oak trees. We had frequent visitor of swans and their cygnets, green wood pecker and red kit. We had it all to ourselves... then as the water rose, so that we could no longer get our 56ft narrow boat under the low lying bridge, we reaslised we were stranded the wrong side for months. So every night Alex had to fill up barells of water and bring them to the boat. It was very hard for him after a long day at work and consequently each evening I hardly saw him as he also had the usual tasks to do such as filling the petrol generator and other mainenance.
Infact, I rarely saw anyone!!! I got ill in January and only saw the cygnets we'd fed all year. No people! Just swans and sheep.

So this year I insisted on moving at our earliest opportunity and now at least I can see cars and people too.

So today, I was pretty pleased that the sun thawed out the pipe that I stretched out on the banking and the stand pipe that I'd covered in a black plastic bag to absorb the sunlight. And we have water!

We may need it as the snow is now coming down again and we may not get another chance to fill up until the weather changes.

Today is the shortest day.
I always really suffer from about mid October until early January with the lack of sunlight. And today I got out the Darbukka and drummed away the shortest day.