Braunston, Grand Union Canal

Apparently, it's the first time that Dads turned right at this place....Mum said you can tell that by the way he hit the side when he parked the boat.
As usual, we're parked not far from a pub, which has pleased Dad because the sign says it does something called 2 for 1, and he's hoping that means more beer for less money.

We're surrounded by noisy sheep; there must be hundreds.... but am I allowed to play with them?.. not on your life.. I was born for this, I can tell.....there's more than enough to go round, and there's little ones too who can run ever so fast.
Dad said that if I got into the field, the farmer would shoot me, but I can't see that happening with all that lamb around to eat first....

Talking of which Dad and Mum are back from the pub with some scraps that were left over from the 2 for 1.
Dads quite merry....something about not being able to come to Braunston without getting pickled... he thinks that's a joke, but Mums not laughing.

Got to go and check on the dinner bowl

xx Beau

Flecknoe Fields, Grand Union Canal

Had a really good day yesterday, but Dad didn't......we were going along for ages and I really needed to stop to sort out some p-mail and leave some messages of my own. Dad said we had to keep going because we (he) wanted to get to a place called Long Itchington....(I thought that the vet gave me some cream for that a while ago). Anyway we finally got there and I could tell he was happy 'cos we'd managed to get a parking place quite near to another pub.
I got off the boat with Mum and we walked along past the pub and it was shut!!! A man on a boat with a dog like me, only much fatter, said that it had been closed since November last year, so I guess the chips would have been cold anyway.
Dad was grumpy for the rest of the day, but I cheered him up by taking him for a walk back the way we had come because I'd seen some Christmas decorations in the trees and bushes and although they were old, I thought that they looked quite pretty. They seem to have been made from plastic bags of all different colours, black, pink, green and some see-through, and all of them had little presents inside, so somebody had spent a lot of money just to make the towpath look festive.
The man who had his boat parked behind us had a big cockerel in a cage by the path, I don't know what he had it for but dad said it was how they did 'chicken-in-a-basket' round here, but I don't know what that meant.
Today wasn't such a good day 'cos we went past a woman who had three dogs like me (only fatter). They were tied to her waist with ropes and they seemed to be pulling her along. She said that she walked 80 miles a week with them so I don't know why they were so fat. She told Mum that I was a very nice looking Collie, but she thought that I had the looks of a bitch!!!! . For a start, I hadn't even said a word to her, and even if I had, there was no need for that sort of language, especially from someone who treats her collies like huskies.......

Radford Semele, Grand Union Canal

At last, we're back out into the countryside with all the smells and stuff to roll in that you just don't get in the towns. There was a particularly pleasant smell near one of the locks, but Dad knew what I was going to do and dragged me away before I had time to dab it behind my ears.......

Got into a bit of trouble today when I was off the boat....I heard a lot of screaming and shouting, and thinking that someone was in need of assistance, naturally went to help. I think that Mum was shouting something, but my ears were flat and I couldn't hear properly.
Anyway all was well, and apparently, nobody in the playground needed my help, so I went back.
Honestly, the look I got from Mum could have curdled my biscuits and gravy....you try and do a good turn and what do you get.???

We went through a place called Leamington today, and I was really confused; apparently, the people who live here are so poor that they can't afford dustbins and have to put all of their rubbish into the water. On the other hand they seem to be so well off that they can afford to throw perfectly good bikes, prams and mattresses into it too.
Dad didn't understand it either 'cos he kept on shaking his head and making the boat go backwards so that he could collect some more of it round the spinny thing and take it all the way to London. I think he's going down some sort of hatch tomorrow to make sure its all tied on nice and tight......

Must go know because I've just heard that its dinner time and all this fresh air has made me hungry.

XX Beau

Turners Green; Grand Union Canal

This is madness...........went outside to pick up my morning p-mail and post a couple of blogs, and its snowing sideways!! The only entertainment round here is barking at the sheep on the other side of the fence and even they are ignoring me because they have got their own sheepdog to play with. I met him this morning and he's a bit of a rough character, not well socialised like what I are.
Dad says we're cruising, but my instincts say its a pub crawl....day before last we stopped outside of a pub that used to be famous for its pies, but not any more. They had an alsation and a labrador, but I wasn't allowed to visit. Last night we stopped outside of a pub 'cos Dad said he couldn't drive any further,....... what's the betting that when we do get going again, it'll only be as far as the next pub?
Apparently, we're supposed to be heading for London; I don't know how many pubs there are along the way, but I've a feeling that I'm gonna be stuck on this boat for a while yet.

I'm going back to bed to curl up into a small pathetic ball.......going for sympathy and a biscuit.

xx Beau

Location: Wootton Wawen, Stratford Canal

Well, so much for the grand 'get-away-from-it-all'. Mum and Dad went out last night and Dad got 'Ruddled'. I'm not sure what it actually is, but its affected his balance, his head hurts, and he smells funny. It seems that he's not allowed to ask Mum for sympathy either, which seems to be a bit unfair as he doesn't look well.

Anyway, it appears that our adventure is on hold at least for today, which I don't really mind, because there is a plentiful supply of ducks that need sorting out, I've got a nice warm bed, and Mum got me a bone for being a good boy, which is more than can be said for Dad............. I didn't know owners could live in 'dog-houses' too!!

XX Beau

We've Gone...

I haven't been able to send messages for a while because Mum says that Dads had trouble with his dongle. Dad says that his dongle is just fine and is blaming it on the cold weather, Mum says its not been cold THAT long....anyway there is news to tell, so here it is.
Something was a bit wierd this morning.....early breakfast, no walkies down by the river, chained up like a dog to the fence outside the boat. Dads down the big metal hole thingy at the back playing with his dipstick (don't go there...). Mum says he's wound up like clock. There is talk of going away for a bit, but its SNOWING for heavens sake!!, and we're stuck in amongst 5 other boats that haven't moved for years.

More news:  Seems we are going, so I had to say goodbye to my mate Harley (the spaniel), from Black Pearl. We've promised to stay in touch, but the weather might have caused dongle trouble on his boat too.

Only 30 minutes into the trip, just getting my sea-legs, Dads already hit something made of brick, and who do I see coming down the towpath but my mate Harley, who's got his Mum to bring him to the locks to say a last tearful goodbye........what actually happened was that he jumped onto the back of my boat, went to the kitchen and finished off the pile of biscuits and gravy in my dish that I was saving for a late lunch......there is always something to learn in life, and todays lesson is: 'The spaniel leaving with gravy on his chin  may not have had tears in his eyes after all.'

We're Back!!!

Well, its been a while, nearly a year in fact since I managed to get the typing thing back off the parents, how they can spend so long doing stuff on it is beyond me...Dad says its to get rid of the Spam; but if that was the case, that would be down to me, surely........................anyway, its only a few days to go before I go on my hols with Mr & Mrs 'get-away-before-you-fall-in!!', then I can get back to some serious duck-bashing on the towpath. Watch out mallards.....Beau is back...............