Forest Flame

Preparations are being made to move our Forest Flame sideways.

It provides a splash of colour in our garden.  Just hope it likes its new position.  It only has two chances!

The last Chapter, 2012

I have at last uploaded the final chapter of our adventures on the inland waterways.  It is Chapter 18 that tells about our trip on the River Thames in 2012.

Go to our website at www.moore2life.co.uk

It may seem odd that Chapter 17 is missing but I have set myself the task of editing the other Chapters and splitting Chapter 5 which covered two years.

Let me know what you think about the links to our picture pages in Chapter 18.

A new fence

We are pleased with the efforts of one man from 'Spadework'.  A very professional job done during the day.

And we have already started to tidy up!

Our website update

Our web site has been updated.  Pictures of canals and rivers from one end to the other now include our  last years exploration in 2013.  Please visit the site at www.moore2life.co.uk

We had started discovering the inland waterways back in 2001 on the Oxford canal.

Cropredy, Oxford Canal

Having discovered most of it we then proceeded to explore it all again over the years.  Heading north, south, east and west.

Goldaming, River Wey (South)

Near Skipton, Leeds n Liverpool (North)

Bath, Kennet n Avon (West)

Paddington, (East)

And we got to know many people doing the same.  Oh what a wonderful life it was.

Home sweet home

We are still hoping to see our boat some time this year. Just cannot believe we are in the sixth month back on land.

 While walking through the woods with Molly the blue bells are in profusion.

Spring time near where we live.

Sounds of Spring

As we walked through the local woods, the birds were talking to each other.  My phone recorded the sound. (*.amr)  Unfortunately I cannot up load the sound file here!  I will have to do a video next time just to get the sound!

Another day we drove out in the New Forest, this time past Ipley River which was in flood again after a few days of rain.  While walking among the bracken a Sky Lark was chirping high up in the blue.

Easter

A celebration of Spring and renewall.

We decorate our natural eggs.

Ann's Birthday

Tracy and the boys have been busy cooking and making balloon fruit.

Sunshine garden

Both Ann and I are now able to enjoy a bit of gardening while the sun is shining.

I know it is early days but the is potential there.  Ann has her Native Cowslips and I have my Roses.

We were even able to go for a short walk together with Molly just round the local woodland.

Ann has started to do a bit of cooking again but when we came to dish it up it was a bit cool. Our old electric oven had gone faulty!  Never mind, it all got heated up on the gas hob.  Chris came by and took the cooker to the dump.  It was in a bit of a state anyway after mistreatment by various previous tenants!

Next day Ann had planned a pizza with our own choice of topping.  Suddenly realising that it needs the oven to heat up I suggested asking our friends next door.  They obliged us by allowing our use of their oven.  That is what friends and neighbours are for.

Eulogy by a Great Grandson

Jeanne Brodnax Moore, better known to me as Granny Jeanne.

She was a caring, loving person who lived a full and interesting long life.

We were extremely lucky to have her for such a long time.

She always listened to what I had to say and encouraged me in everything I did. She especially loved the fact that both Ben and I were creative and always had pens and paper ready for our next masterpiece!

She loved to go on small day trips and short breaks with us; going to Longdown dairy farm to see Billy the shire horse and all the other animals; visiting Boomer the kangaroo in Weymouth and enjoying the train ride round Paultons park.

I also remember getting excited when we drove into the drive of number 2 to visit her in Winchester. Granny Jeanne always had her own particular way of doing things, one of which was having a bowl of sugar cubes ready for afternoon tea. They proved too irresistible and found their way secretly to my mouth on many occasions.

I will always love Granny Jeanne and remember her with a smile. Sweet dreams our lovely Granny Jeanne.

Josh Moore

For The Good Times

Don't look so sad

I know it's over

But life goes on

And this old world

Will Keep on turning

Kris  Kristofferson

1919-2014

Mum, Jeanne, Granny, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday 19 th March at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham a long way from family and friends. Despite that she had several visitors during her short time there.

Mum was the matriarch for her family of three boys. Family gatherings were always enjoyed at the family home. Her 90 th birthday was celebrated with family and friends at Chawton House where she and the Knight family once lived.

The spark of life is a wonderful thing, for Mum it has gone from wence it came.

Ten years earlier when visiting California.

Another space to watch

Lovely sunshine to get out and dig some more!

It was all covered in weed, ivy n brambles.  Next major job is to get that fence replaced!  The ornamental pear tree got trimmed back a few weeks ago.  The birds and squirrels love the nuts n seeds.

Watch this space

The sun has got his hat on and I have got my gardening boots on.  Just love bein outside landscapin.  This is wot I'm up against.  Just nothing much but dirt and a few shrubs. No colour.  It was just a mess with odd stuff I did not like so dug it all out to start again.

See wot I mean!

Roll on spring after I have been to the garden centre!  I will get some shrubs, some bulbs, some boarder plants and some roses.  I just love roses.  Super Star, a lovely red one was a favourite of mine many years ago.

My only problem is that I forget my age and need a day off after all that digging!  While travelling on the boat I did so enjoy seeing other peoples gardens.

Loft space or attic?

Fifty square meters, that is our floor space at our bungalow. When we downsized from our house in the 1990's much of our possessions were boxed up for the move. Some of it never came out of those boxes and got put up in the loft!

Then we went to live in a Narrowboat and more stuff was packed in boxes again and put up there. Now we are back in the bungalow and need to sort it all out! A lifetime of pictures and memorabilia. We had learnt while on the boat that if we had not used something for a year we did not need it and it got 'lost'.

It is more difficult when family history is concerned. Must keep that family tree info to pass on down the generations for that is where it came from.

Our loft or attic is part boarded out so stuff could be stored there. The insulation is about 3 or 4 inches thick and the latest recommended thickness is 11 inches! So another layer is to be put on top. The cost is not substantial and government handout rules changed so if you are not on benefit you get no help at all.

DIY flood prevention

Being off our boat and living on firm ground does not mean there is nothing to do. Each day presents us with a choice depending on the weather. I have jobs lined up to keep me occupied inside or out. Even this early in the year I have things to do in the garden. Put the washing out when it is dry, windy and sunny. Bring it in when it is wet.

Our bungalow is on the side of a hill near the top. The rain water runs down the drive heading for the front door. I have now dug a channel and filled it with pebbles to direct the flow to a drain. We can all do our bit locally to help reduce the risk of flooding. Covering our gardens with a hard standing is not the way to go.

We know that water heads down hill to the sea eventually, it just needs some encouragement. Get your spade out and clear those ditches. Pull out things like shopping trollies. It is a wonder how they get there, being so far from where the came from!

EA and CRT will have to change their approach to water control. The local lock keepers knew how, so why are they in decline? So called experts making rules and regulations has not helped, nor does paying higher insurance premiums.

So what has caused that jet stream to head our way?

Boaters blogs enable us to keep track of our friends on the cut so we know how you are coping with so much water about. It is a wonder that you can move at all, just don't get stuck in a remote situation. At least when the water rises the boat should go up with it! Houses do not.

A TV Licence ?

There was a knock on the door the other night. (we don't have a door bell). The man said that this property did not have a TV licence. In fact not since soon after we left to live on our boat!

I was however able to show him my licence having only just had the address changed. I have had it ever since we left. We originally changed the address to our boat name but that was rejected. Then we used our postal address.

It would seem that only one of our tenants had bothered to have a licence while staying at our property.

A normal life?

The majority of people live in buildings and get about in cars so I guess that makes it normal. For fourteen or so years we lived in a narrowboat on the waterways of England. It may not have been normal but it was certainly natural.

Now that we are back on land and living in a building we also have a car to get about. The post lady, who we knew before we left on our adventures, brings our letters and bills to our door. Fuel for light, cooking and heat come to us through pipes and wires. Our phone and internet connect by wire and even the TV is connected and becomes a monitor to see movies and programs off air or on the wire.

Sorting out paying for the bills, change of address and medical centre has been a challenge. Before we left it was normal to pay British Gas for gas and Southern Electric for power. Now it is a free market with a multitude of choices. The internet provided much confusing information about different power suppliers and price comparisons. One supplier can even be paid for both gas and electric. We also pay for water and rates for our local services. Most of our rubbish is collected, all sorted into different bags and a box for glass.

Several dry sunny days enabled us to get out into our garden. Our shed now contains a selection of tools, old and new. Over the years our tenants were obliged to keep it all tidy but nature seems to have taken over. We now have a pile of wood and bags of cuttings to get rid of at the local recycling centre. None of the wood was big enough to call it 'boaters gold'.

Life on land

Off the boat and onto dry land! Dry? We all know it has rained most days since we abandoned ship. M2L is safe in a marina and god willing we will see her when it gets warmer.

Our little bungalow with all that space has now got more room with most furniture now delivered. Boxes of stuff off the boat put away in different rooms. Problem now is remembering where things are!

Our neighbours were helpful by lending things like a radio, chairs and a ladder to get into the attic. Some stuff has come down from there but we had to condemn the kettle and toaster!

Been exploring more of our old haunts around Dibden and rediscovered a few ponds in the woodland.

Just like on a boat there seems much to do in the property and the garden.  One dry day we got out in the garden to do some tidying up.

More Space Less Room

We have left our 'Moore 2 Life' and moved back into our bungalow near the New Forest. Preparations before and after have taken some time.
It all started back in November when we were obliged to 'call it a day'. We have both have some health issues being investigated requiring many visits to local hospitals.

We have had to sort out the contents of M2L taking off about 90% so we can continue summer cruising, god willing.

Our home was left clean n tidy by the last tenant and unfurnished. We sleep on an air bed with our belongings packed in boxes! It is amazing how much came out of the boat, with less space but more room to store it all. The bungalow presents a problem with all its space but no room!

Furniture has been ordered and some has arrived. Argos delivered the Fridge freezer and next week promise to deliver more next week. Beds have been promised next week. More from Ikea promised before Christmas may be available before the New Year.

Mean while we enjoy our walks to Tesco half an hour through the woods.

We wish all our readers a very happy Christmas and another good cruising year to come.