Celebration, Sadness and Sympathy

There is something to celebrate up at Cropredy this weekend. Our good friend Chris on n.b. Aurega has her 60th birthday tomorrow and we popped in to give her a card and a pressie today. We were hoping for a barbie but that had to be called off because of the weather! The hottest April has been forgotten and now we have possibly the wettest May. Any container left out has rapidly filled with wet stuff. About 4 inches in the last couple of days. Of course we have seen the sun, but not to the same extent as last month and now we have a wind with it as well. At least there is plenty of water to keep the orchid healthy (only rainwater will do).


It is gloomy along the cut near Banbury at the moment. Basically, we have too much sadness to cope with. We have lost two boating friends in a very short period. Firstly Jym from n.b. Beatrice - Bath was found by divers under his boat at the mooring. Now we hear that Peter of n.b. Grumpus has succumbed to a massive stroke, leaving Liz behind.

We all know that mortality is all we can be certain of but one doesn't expect so much sadness in such a short time. Add in my personal sorrow at losing my father and brother in the last nine months and I feel that grief is the only thing I can be certain of looking forward to.

Many of you who might come across this post will wonder why I am writing this. The canal is a community. We don't always have the same neighbours for long. Boating by its nature means we are generally moving on. However, every now and then we find that we have a need to put down roots, to stay a while and acquaintances become friends. Most folk need each other in some way at some time. Jim was a friendly type. Always approachable and generally interested in what was happening around him. He didn't always keep things neat and tidy and his dog tended to roam a bit but he was always ready to help or give advice on matters technical. He was an engineer and anyone with an engine problem would get sound advice from him about those little niggling faults that occur from time to time. We'll miss him because he was a character. There is no way any one who met Jym would forget him. We send our sympathy and condolences to all his relatives who too will miss him greatly.

Peter was a big friendly man. He came across to me as a quiet but strong person. I didn't know him well but he was always amicable and passed pleasant conversation in the club on Market days.

Life will go on. I am reminded of Grace, born last year beside the canal above Cropredy lock. And my two grandsons, born in the last year.

There is indeed "time for every purpose under heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3 >> New American Standard ©
A Time for Everything 1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.