Mutiny, avast ye dogs! Also a family visit.

On Tuesday we moved up to Goldstone Wharf to await the arrival of eldest daughter and family. The ostensible reason for the visit was to deliver a pup whose circumstances had rendered him homeless.

A beautiful young staffie dog. Unfortunately the otiose incumbent of the position of Armadillo's boat dog

has one hamartia, a total inability to even consider the possibility of another dog joining the crew. On sighting the new animal, instant mutiny, threats of g.b.h. and a total refusal to allow him anywhere near the boat.
So we got on with the visit, the family were camping and a b.b.q. was planned,

 owing to inclement weather it was moved on board, much more civilised. Then, to keep the grandsprogs amused,

out came the uckers board. A naval game of great skill and complexity and with a little assistance my team lost.

So we changed to Pass the Pigs, there was close scrutiny of my scoring, as if I would fiddle the numbers. (I lost). Over to Pit, if you've never heard it played you don't know what noise is, it is possibly the loudest card game yet invented. Guess who didn't win. We finished with Old Maid, thankfully a quiet conclusion.

As they prepared to leave they all looked rather cheerful, they had dreaded leaving the dog as they had fallen in love with it while they were looking after it, so we never got the new crew member.

"Result," says Marmite as she curls up in her corner, mutineer and still the incumbent boat dog, smug old mutt.