Hi, Your comments are always most welcome
Hi Sue
I,m usually singlehanded with my 2 dogs but on the odd occasion I take someone with me I prefer to do the locks rather than steer. Its good excercise and a good way to keep warm as well when the weather isn't too good.
Regarding your comments on the motorways, on the Oxford last March I had slowed to go through Coles lift bridge just before the M40 motorway bridge. There had obviously been an accident as the traffic had completely stopped, there were long tailbacks and many of the drivers were out of their cars. I was able to have a conversation with a driver who was stood on top of the bridge as I was about to go under it so for once I was actually travelling faster than the drivers on the motorway.
Sue
I always open & close the locks and let Ian steer. In the 'old days' (before retirement) it was a way to get plenty of exercise away from my desk job. Now I still do the locks - and let Ian steer the boat into that tight space, men's spatial awarenes is generally better than women's. But on the odd occasion he has done the locks I've had to remind him about closing paddles, etc - you know men, can't do two things at once and he's generally too busy chatting to other boaters and gongoozlers to notice when the locks full/empty and the gates ready for opening ( Gillian ducks to avoid anything thrown by either gender offended by sterotyping 
)
Enjoy the spring cruising
Gillian
It is great to finally see the daffodils blooming along the cut, but I understand from some of the other NB bloggers that the temperatures may go down to zero again by the middle of the week. With the wind last week and the possibility of cold this week it doesn't seem that spring is quite here yet. Here in California it is supposed to rain through next Saturday. We had rain 22 days in March which I think is a record.
The picture of Lucy crossing the lock is great. She looks like she is really concentrating on the task at hand.
I have been following your route on the map, and would like to know, are you headed for London?
Best wishes, and in spite of what I just said I hope the weather gets better.
Mark
I enjoy doing locks too, but I do find that if I leave Vic on the tiller, I don't get a cuppa!.. At least while I am on the tiller, I can get all the chores done while going through them!.. Single handed Val and two dogs too!! Well done to you!
Gillian, I don't know that I agree with you about men having a better spacial awareness than women!!.. but I do agree that men tend to forget about doing all the shutting of paddles and stuff.. but maybe that is because they are constantly checking that the woman on the tiller isn't scraping the boat!
Mark, No we are not going to London this time, we will be turning left at Gayton Junction to drop down the 17 locks to the River Nene. But first we will be travelling down the Grand Union Canal for a little while, not sure how far yet though. Yes it has got cold again, tis -2 this evening brrrrrr 
Hi
I know its a bit late but have you found out what type of bird it was at Napton.
I think it could be a Red Kite?
There's a vidoe & sound file of the birds on this site.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/gui...ide/r/
index.asp
Roger
