kpnut

I love being down low in my bathtub, right on the water. Quick access, like a tarsus inside and as for Ludham bridge, no worry even yesterday at just over 7' on the board.

On the other hand, when I got covid in sept with no symptoms apart from a headache which is common enough for me anyway, we were knocking about the house together, in the same car etc for 6 days before I was told I had it on a positive pcr I’d done at the medical trials centre I had attended. (The lateral flow test they did didn’t pick it up). Tony, even with perhaps lowered immunity from cancer treatment, didn’t get it at all, confirmed by negative pcr and numerous lateral flow tests. Maybe I got a very low dose of it?

How long do you hang them before skinning them Griff? I'm never sure, so err on one day, but probably not really enough. At the shoot I beat and pick up for we can spend ages looking for fallen birds after a drive (it's very wooded), we just won't leave birds. I like the respect shown to them.

Fair enough, you saw the damage at close quarters. Odd behaviour indeed to carry a tin of paint around on the off chance someone upsets you! ill happily join you all for a social night to fill up the staithe, as long as no one laughs at my attempts at mooring. My heart goes out to the owners, boating ownership is worrying enough without wilful damage in the mix.

3 points - one observation, One bad encounter and to balance it out, good ones too a paintball gun would make that sort of mess, shot from anywhere, even over a fence/hedge my friend got threatened with being thrown in the water at Womack by a fisherman when I asked him to move as he was in the only mooring left. She had walked round from the pump out to the opposite corner so was standing too close to the man involved for my liking. I held just off the mooring while we waited - for over 20 minutes - to be told we had ruined his day, again with choice language. It was my friends 60th birthday so same applied to her I’m afraid. I think like Ynys Mon I might ring the BA and report it, didn’t think at the time. In my experience, there’s always fishermen at end of neatishead and I usually share a bit of friendly banter with them as I try and reverse in. Never had a problem, but will avoid it this trip.

Healthy and happy new year to all, surely a better year on many fronts is overdue, especially to anyone involved in keeping the country running on a day to day basis - NHS staff at the top of my list. I was treated to a most wonderful firework display over Womack Water at midnight - watched from a snuggly warm bed! Griff - incredible how much work takes out of the dogs. Finlay spent the whole day in his bed after his first days beating, only tottering out for a wee. He’s getting used to it now but I’m having to feed him a lot more.

It's good for propping up the mattress to get the air flowing underneath when leaving the boat empty in th winter!

Nice greasy sausage roll or two for Finlay on shoot days and a good doze till we set off again!

I use that recipe too, delicious. I think the key might be the soaking, the one year I was short of time and missed it out, it was very salty, so much do that a turkey and ham pie filling I made after Christmas had to very reluctantly be thrown away. I think it just concentrated the saltiness even further. I admit to buying from the supermarket too, a triangular unsmoked piece with a big slab of skin for the cloves/glaze.

I’ve brought the leftover cold meat to the boat today to munch on with baked beans and potato wedges. Left Tony at home, he won’t eat cold meat. Am going to try to use these few days on the boat to kickstart losing the Christmas weight! 2kg worth!!

Very sorry to hear your sad news, pancreatic cancer is vicious. I drove past Hoveton walk in vaccine centre earlier this afternoon. It was truly packed, well done the locals of Hoveton and surroundings.

Maybe she hasn’t got her ‘eye in’ yet to mark them well so therefore showing less interest in retrieving. Finlay Springer is an excellent retriever on cold game but on his first shoot just wouldn’t pick up, until I put a bird down for him and set him up properly like when training and then no problems, as if he needed permission! By the third shoot, he was staying much closer when beating and is now the dog used to retrieve when a bird falls the other side of dyke, so most chuffed with him. He loves water which is handy when I have to wash him off when getting back to boat after a walk. Funnily enough, a few of the other spaniels will show where a bird is, but not pick up. I think continuing with regular dummy training and on cold game will sort Purdey out. She sounds a cracking dog. Enjoy the rest of the season.

You’re making me envious now Sam. Desmond certainly looked chuffed. Will be joining the throng on Wednesday, all being well, for a week or so. Enjoy the rest of your trip, keep posting.

Merry Christmas to one and all. Since joining the forum in July, I have been made very welcome and can feel part of the community when at the boat. I look forward to meeting more people when out and about. The tips and advice I have learnt have been invaluable, I keep all the ‘gems of wisdom’ in a little black book on board and use it surprisingly often. Thanks to all the admin team, I certainly hadn’t appreciated all the background work that goes in to running something like this. Also many thanks to the quizzers, so welcoming and it’s such good fun. And here’s a big toast to being on the boat more often than at home in 2022 (I can dream). Kate

Good fun, thanks Steve. we tried to get you back Jean after it got sorted, come back on 7th. Missed you.

And thanks from me too, lovely way to spend the evening. Glad my boat connections seemed to do just fine.

That's interesting, Malanka. Thank you.

Yes it is still and a nip in the air. Missed you this trip norfolknog if you’re down at stokesby, presumably gearing up for breydon tomorrow.

I don’t give him raw pork, I have a worry (probably unfounded) about tapeworm cysts

May make your acquaintance sometime this week NorfolkNog. If you pass a bright orange ex Richardson’s horizon 35 give me a toot. What boat are you on? The storm seems to have disappeared as quickly as it came. I haven’t seen tomorrow’s forecast yet. Hope you are nice and snug. Kate

I think you can buy cotswold at that shop in wroxham by the bridge. Along with cheapo DAF that always smells awful so I avoid it.

They look mighty tasty! cotswold raw is good stuff. I buy frozen too and can manage a week of raw on the boat before having to swap to cold pressed kibble.

Xylitol is also in cheap peanut butter, which I know lots of dogs love (the p.butter that is). Re veg: Finlay grazes all day at my allotments, cabbage stalks are a favourite and he nicks any raspberries and apples within reach. I have to watch my peas and runner beans too. Half a cucumber and a carrot go down well too. I don’t let him have tomatoes (he doesn’t pick them anyway) and he also doesn’t seem to bother with my grapes vines, grapes are meant to be particularly bad for dogs. He must know! I would encourage raw feeding for any dog as long as you can cope with the slight messiness, and not to go for the really expensive ones which I think are just companies jumping on the band wagon. I use dogs butcher and can buy direct, although I get it from a supplier as it’s actually cheaper. It’s nice chunky mince and you can see the different stuff in it, some look like mush.

Think it’ll be noisy at ranworth though, the sail boats in the private moorings have started their percussion chorus.

Mine eats raw, turkey is on the menu every few days, so perhaps it makes a difference once it’s cooked, although I buy frozen cooked chicken pieces as training treats. He eats anything I give him to be honest, tripe, minced rabbit including guts, pheasant carcass etc and he like cheese as a treat too. He stole a pheasant breast I’d just taken off bird the other night, was very cross, but he is as gentle as you like when retrieving them when working, so obviously doesn’t associate an actual bird with dinner!