Monday 11th July

Oh dear – Millie fell in again last night :-( Something woke me up in the middle of the night and I thought ‘I hope that wasn’t Millie falling in’. I got up and walked into the main cabin and felt wet carpet under my feet! I put the light on and there was a very wet and bedraggled cat. I grabbed a towel and wrapped her up and cuddled her – the strange thing was that her head wasn’t wet! She didn’t really want to be swaddled and cuddled so it didn’t last very long. When I put her down she went under the table and started washing herself. When we got up this morning she was fine – I wonder if I hadn’t heard her if we would have been any the wiser! Richard looked at the bank and just couldn’t work out how she got out - she must have either scrabbled or leapt up the bank somehow! We set off quite early for us and went back though Eynsham Lock – our last lock on the Thames. At Duke’s Cut we turned off the Thames and up the Oxford Canal. I shall miss the Thames as it is a lovely river and very boat friendly with lots of places to moor and lovely easy locks! I saw a couple of marinas at Osney yesterday and will certainly see if they have any mooring room when we next come back down this way. It was strange coming back on the canals and especially the Oxford as it has narrow locks. It doesn’t seem too busy though there was a queue at the first lock. Thrupp was our destination today and we arrived in time for a late lunch. We came across one of the boats, Kaydee, we had been stuck at Ufton swing bridge and had a good old natter! It was a lovely afternoon and I sat on the bank and read while Richard did some painting. I was feeding a couple of ducks when a whole flock of them appeared – they were all mallards except for the one in the photo. I think it must be a crossbreed unless anyone knows different!! We went to Boat Inn for a drink and then went back to Mary H for dinner.