The cowards run for cover.

Okay, okay, we've wimped out but have you seen the weather forecast?

Yesterday morning,

after a spectacular sunset on Tuesday

and a sunrise of nearly equal splendour guess what was on the canal,

ICE!

The countryside was white with frost,

Stoke Golding was looking decidedly Christmas Cardish

and this was the life ring on the roof.

So we've booked into Trinity Marina for a month and I apologise to all the big muscular boaters who are now striding down the towpath in their singlets with half a tree under one arm and fifty litres of red diesel under the other, I know we have let the side down but as I have said before wimp is my middle name, along with idle.

Had to re-book the B.S.C. and it is now on Saturday, must start unblocking all those ventilators, chaining up the gas bottles and sorting all the other daft bits and bobs. Before anyone panics that last bit was tongue in cheek.

I'm not a lover of marinas but the batteries are partying at the back, they haven't had a charge like this for ages and being next to a water point has definite advantages. Mind you I went a purler on the ice while walking the dog this morning and knocked a lump out of a finger, blood everywhere, so it's not all beer and skittles.