Well here we still are and it’s the 2nd April – nothing much changes. Still it rains and all dog walks are a sea of mud again after a 3 day respite in the weather which let the ground dry out enough for me to walk right around the lake at last on a day when the sun came out; such a treat. There are signs of spring everywhere around me except for the weather itself.

Meanwhile, back in the Netherlands, Francoise’s free winter mooring in Dokkum was about to convert to the visitor rate of 90 euros per week from yesterday. After a bit of juggling with dates when Sue and Vic could visit again and avoiding the inflated cost of Easter weekend ferry crossings, G managed to drop S & V back at Portsmouth on the Wednesday, then leave here late Thursday to catch the 2.00 am ferry for Dunkirk on Friday, leaving me here with the menagerie; did I mind? Was I jealous that he was going to get a two day cruise? YES; VERY MUCH! It just wouldn’t have been fair on Baxter though to drag him out and back and there is no such thing as travelling light or travelling quickly when we move en famille. It was awfully nice having the boat to myself for a week though with only Baxter’s tune to dance to.

Our good Dutch friends, Gerrit and Gezina, arranged for us to moor at the end of (the other) Gerrit and Saskia’s garden again in Aldeboarn and G and Gerrit had a two day ‘man cruise and sleepover’ to get there (you have to go a long way round due to low bridges). G & G spoilt my G rotten; feeding him and taking him out to ‘boys’ night’ cards. I tried not to mind, but I do miss Gezina’s hugs. In our absence, our friend Gary will be putting a new floor down in our bedroom and making good the wall linings which had been water damaged from small leaks when we bought her – at last the renovations commence. I shall be able to start decorating when I get home….hurrah!

Meanwhile, back on NoProblem XL, Muttley was happy enough playing chase with his neighbour Matilda; Baxter peed and slept (nothing new there then) and Daisy sulked because I wouldn’t let her out due to the fast flowing river and the fact that she keeps trying to run up and down NoProblem’s very narrow gunwhales – despite her diminutive size, she is not the most agile or sure footed of cats

The river has risen over a meter in the last 48 hours as I post this; we now jump down off of the rear deck instead of up.