Back t' Mill

It's been a blooming awful week, one not to be repeated and I'm not just talking about the weather (although it didn't 'alf blow a hooley on Wednesday and Thursday). No, I'm talking about what I went through since starting the Macrobid (Nitrofurantoin) antibiotics last Saturday. Didn't feel great after taking the first one as within an hour developed a cough and wheeze but convinced myself it was a necessary evil. Took the second tablet at 9pm, went to bed by 10 and within 30 minutes, OMG I felt like death warmed up!  Extreme chills with uncontrollable shaking throughout the night and then the sickness started! At about 3am Ian fired up the diesel heater, good job no one was on board any of the other boats as it can be a tad noisy. Reading the leaflet that came with the antibiotics it seems I had experienced some of the side effects of this particular drug. Anyway, there was no way I was going to take any more tablets and on Sunday I slowly started to recover and, although the breathlessness and cough continued, at least the fever and sickness had stopped. First thing Monday it was straight on the phone to the Doctors. Another appointment made and a new prescription of different antibiotics issued. Thankfully no adverse side effects from these and by Tuesday I was feeling more like my old self. It did mean that we delayed our trip back to Langley and because of the bad weather Wednesday and Thursday I'm glad we did.

So today we said farewell to Sandiacre and set off for the Mill. No sooner had we pulled away from the mooring and a sudden thought. Where was the second set of boat keys? "In the boat, I think," said Ian so back to the mooring we go and Ian goes and fetch them. Back he came empty-handed. Oh 'eck, where were they. Well, we searched high and low, pulled out drawers, searched coat pockets, looked under chairs but to no avail. Then a sudden thought. Did I take them when I went shopping a few days ago? A rummage through the cupboard grabbed the bag and...result...there they were. So our hope for the early start was delayed by a further 20 minutes.

Because every lock had to be turned around we did the journey in about 5 hours, an uneventful journey apart being joined by a Swan family at Barker's lock. It was almost as if they had been waiting for a boat to appear because, as Ian opened the paddle to empty the chamber, they all came rushing over. As soon as the gate opened in they swam thankfully well in front of FS. I kept FS back and hard onto the lock side. The last thing I wanted was a squished Swan!

Waiting at the gate

This took them by surprise when Ian opened the gate paddle and all the water rushed in.

Nearly there

It's going to be a long few months without cruising but we do hope to get away with the Beast sometime in the New Year. A lot depends on how 'stir crazy' both of us gets. We do have a few trips to go on one being a Turkey and Tinsel coach trip to Torquay in about 10 days. No doubt I will have something to write about on that holiday.

Now for some excellent news. Ian has at long last been signed off from the hospital. Gosh, what a stressful journey we have been on, In 2006 a tumour was found. Radiotherapy, tablets, two operations and two years of weekly chemo took us up to 2013. For five years now the 6 monthly checkups have seen no further growth so today Ian was given a two-year open appointment. In other words, he will be very unlucky for the cancer to return. Shame we have no champagne but we saved a decent Red just for this occasion.

And seen on route

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