The Skipper was away gallivanting over Christmas; it’s alright for him and though I know he would have been thinking of me, he was quite prepared to leave me all on my own for all that time. Of course such things I have to put up with quite normally.... It’s part of the drudgery of life, not being able to cruise all through the year.
However after last winter when we were continuously cruising pretending (ooh er!) that I was an icebreaker, which I loved and found very exciting as I frolicked through the ice, the Skipper vowed he’d never do it again..... The killjoy! .... Though I blissfully enjoyed as well all the intimate attention of having my bottom caressed and blacked afterwards and hence twice in one year, the Skipper reckoned it was far too expensive to do so and was frowning for ages afterwards. He promised that apart from the odd day out or even a weekend perhaps, weather permitting, we would remain firmly moored to the bank between the 1st November and the 28th February from then on.
Although I always feel lonely when he leaves to stay away for a day or two, I can take it all in my stride very well and live comfortably. It’s a pleasure in fact to have my own time without him. But on this occasion since he had made arrangements to visit his sister-in-law in Hampshire on the Saturday before Christmas, to return on the following Wednesday and then to shoot off again to his brother’s house in Stratford-upon-Avon on Christmas Eve for the whole of the Christmas holiday, I was a little bit anxious because of the weather conditions. While he was away the fires would go out, I would get very cold and all my parts could freeze up, which as you will know, isn’t very pleasant!
Bless him, I know the Skipper was worried as well and that was the reason he planned to return in between visits to his sister-in-law and brother. Though this gave me a bit more confidence, I was still not happy. What would happen if the weather was so bad, as was forecast, that he was unable to get back in between, or even for ages afterwards?
So imagine my happy surprise when the Skipper’s little friend Bobby, who you may remember had been to France, was now back in Warwick and hadn’t anywhere to stay over Christmas! .... Ahh!
“Could she possibly stay on board over the holiday period with her two daughters?” she timorously asked.
“Yes!” said the Skipper straightaway, with almost over enthused eagerness, which Bobby could well have taken for the wrong reasons.
“Join as soon as you like, but certainly before Saturday 18th December.”
In fact she did so straightaway and enjoyed a fine time aboard, especially when her daughters Pippa and Riccy joined her on Christmas Eve with their respective boyfriends. They all seemed to be very happy crushed together, but so was I since Bobby looked after me very well and kept me (and my parts!) very warm till the Skipper returned on the Tuesday after Christmas. It had all turned out most favourably for everyone concerned especially the Skipper, since heavy snowfall had prevented him from returning in between his two visits, as he had planned.
Bobby is still here. But that’s another story and I had better let him tell that one.
The winter towpath at Warwick
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