And the first coat is on!

We were up at 5.45 to check the state of the roof for an early paint job, and found that the roof was dry but the duvet covers were decidedly damp! A heavy dew overnight, surprisingly.

So a change of plan (yet again - we are nothing if not flexible ...) and we headed off after a big hug (both of us) with Dale, then up the locks

Walking between locks

The pigeon is on the water race that goes under the cottage. No water today so the pigeon was eating his breakfast greens.

and through the tunnel, to moor up where we moored by John last week.

I found all the rags (old t-shirts in the container under the bed that holds all my painting tools and accoutrements) and then used them to thoroughly dry off the prepared surface - there had been a few drips coming through the tunnel. A cup of tea, to give it time to dry off naturally, a wipe over with another cloth to make sure no bits had dropped from the trees on to the surface, and then on went the paint. Nice and easy!

Yep, it goes on easily. Note the duvet covers hanging out to dry on the trusty clothesline which fits inside the Brollymate .

I haven't brushed my hair, so am not looking very tidy ...

Concentration ...

Now that looks OK, doesn't it? Only 3 hours now till a light sand and a re-coat.

And in the church yesterday - the ceiling in the nave.

One of the old windows

And me doing my Desert Rat impression with my cap and sewn in hankie, departing my tank having carefully parked and camouflaged it ... Oops, not a tank, Tom tells me - an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). He thinks it's a FV432and who am I to argue?

OK, now I am going to have a lie down for a bit and then move up towards Norton Junction so we can meet up with Mick and Julia - it's 24 years since we met them there at the rubbish point where they noted us in their log as Australians ...