It is good to have friends!

We were not on the boat today. We had a busy time with our two sons, attending end of term things at their respective schools. At this time of year we have to cut ourselves in half to get to sports day ( canceled because of heavy rain); summer fete (to be held indoors because of the rain and canceled because of a gas leak that closed the school); headteacher's leaving party (relocated indoors); normal gym club; usual drumming lesson (unable to get to the teacher's house because of flooding) and an Award Evening (canceled because of fore mentioned gas leak).

All the time during the above, it rained and the level in the canal rose. By the time we got to the boat we were quite worried. The water was over the banks in the centre of town and the river Cherwell was lapping the walls of the Spiceball Sports Centre. However, when we got there our ropes had been slackened and the boat was safely afloat. Friends on the mooring had made sure that all the boats safe.

That's what being part of the canal community is about. It didn't take long to walk down the mooring to say 'thank you'. Of course, if I had been around when the water was rising I would have done the same.

I have never seen the canal like this. Near our mooring there is a stream that takes storm water from the local estates, enters the canal north of Hannef Way bridge and the water exits over a spill weir near the water works. This is running very fast. Another boater who took her dogs for a walk that way this afternoon told me that it has burst its banks. I said "If the stream is flowing backwards we are really in trouble". That joke isn't far away if the rain continues.

The rain is stopped at the moment I hope that it is for a reasonable period of time. The news today said that we had as much rain today as usually falls in a whole month.

With our Summer cruise just a few days away now, we are a little worried about navigating rivers such as the River Trent and River Soar which are on our projected route.