Frustration will be my epitaph...

There's a new addition to my Addendum Blog, a toilet tip that actually saves a significant amount of money on a regular basis!

You'll need to have bought the book first, though!

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Those who know the band King Crimson will understand the reference in the title of this post; I don't really feel that disconsolate! But there are several aspects to life at the moment which are extremely frustrating.

We went back to St Albans again the week before last. Jess was having minor surgery and was needing transport to and from hospital, driving herself being quite out of the question. We hung around for a few days, frustration number one introducing itself to me in the form of a heavy cold, would you believe? Frustration two was Grace catching it even more dramatically. By the time Friday came around, we were just about well enough to go to a Said the Maiden headline gig in Cambridge which really brightened us up a lot, though I did fear that Grace would explode in her attempts to stifle her cough during the performances.

Back on the boat this week, frustration three has been the extreme wind which has stopped Grace from completing the artwork on the cabin sides. Her cough is finally subsiding, though, so she should be able to get on with the work as soon as the weather allows.

What rubs it in rather painfully is the large number of empty berths in the marina where boats are out cruising and their crews are enjoying the waterways in pretty decent weather! Frustration number four!

At least it's not confusion!

We're not boating yet, but I'm walking a lot!

Keeping you posted

I said I would, though there's still little for me to report. Grace got the permission of marina management to complete her cabin painting at our pontoon. They'd never been asked before, so there was no written rule about fine art work like this, only the big stuff of hulls and roofs. So that's what Grace has been doing whenever the weather's been right. And yes, we've had little rain recently, but the soaring temperature's been far too much for her to spend more than a couple of hours a day on the work, and then only in the cooler hours at either end.

Nonetheless, she's doing well. She could do with more accurate weather forecasts, because warnings of thundery rain have been issued that came to nothing, and she'd done no work because of the warnings. But when the storms have come... Good grief, have they been extreme! On one occasion, we experienced several hours - three perhaps - when thunder rumbled continuously. Not rumbles punctuated by silences. Continuous rumbling. It was quite something. And then lightning over the water. Awesome! Annoyingly, I didn't take photos!

I've been doing an hour or so's walk most days lately. I started that in our first year on Kantara, but didn't keep it up very long. I'm still getting a fair bit of exercise with equipment in the boat, but I've been reminded lately of the importance of walking. One of those reminders has come powerfully from a book that Naomi has loaned to me.

Says the author, "Moving is powerful and important, and perhaps the most joyful, freeing, and efficient form of activism there is."

It offers a powerful antidote to the sedentary lifestyle which is now all too common (says me!).

Those of you who would consider yourselves at least at the top end of middle-aged should also take a look at "Dynamic Ageing". It should be compulsory reading for all those reaching the age of sixty!

I've signed up to The Wildlife Trusts' 30 days wild , the aim of which is to get people out engaging with nature more. This dovetails nicely with my walking, and when I walk, I take photos!

My techie jobs are all done. K-Seal went into the header tank to seal permanently the weeping seam. I'm still waiting for Colin to come and remove the injectors for servicing off-site, and to advance the discussion we've been having "to adjust the tappets or not to adjust the tappets".

We're going back to the house for a few days at the end of the week. There are jobs to do there, too!