Parked up

"Operation Stack" is apparently responsible for 3600 lorries currently queueing on the M20, as various authorities try to cope with what's going on around the Chunnel. Some of those drivers must be dying of boredom.

I wondered how we'd cope with our plans for parking up and spending a while in Skipton and its environs, while waiting for the Norwegians to come over in August. On other journeys in Erin Mae, we've seldom stopped for more than a day, so this period is unusual. However, I'd been thinking in terms of sunny, lazy days on the borders of the Yorkshire Dales, punctuated with barbecues on the towpath and regular episodes of developing competence and confidence in respect of boat painting. I'd forgotten that in Yorkshire the rain usually has a hand in events.

So here we are, moored up in Skipton still, with the rain streaming down, no desire to go anywhere and certainly no possibility of painting. Today's gloomy afternoon reminds me a little of those days in Edinburgh when Saturday afternoon's hockey match got cancelled because of the weather, and I was left in a frustrated and unusually depressed state with seemingly nothing to do and unsatisfied adrenalin wreaking havoc with my mood.

Well now, my soul, why so sad? There's good food in the kitchen and the prospect of some great savoury flavours tonight, the Met Office is promising sunshine for tomorrow as we think about exploring towards Keighley and, after the shambles of Lords, England are doing rather well in the Test Match. There are many people in the world who don't have it half so good!