mutteringhousewife

You’d be surprised how many things there are to do on a houseboat.
Laps. The kids discovered very early that you can circumnavigate the boat due to narrow ledges along the outsides. You can vary this by going counterclockwise or over the top. I had to put my foot down at climbing through the windows.
Counting jellyfish. The Moose said he had to stop counting because his tongue was sore, but he said he got up to six hundred. They’re quite large, and I expect to see Spongebob in amongst them with his net. We wonder if they’ll sting, but no one wants to volunteer to find out.

Fishing. There was great excitement yesterday afternoon when the fire bucket made a bid for freedom. A houseboat isn’t very nippy on its feet, so we made several circuits of it before we got close. It was taking on water and starting to look very sad before the Moose reached it with the boat hook and dragged it safety. His greatest triumph.

Reading. While others look at the scenery, I’m reading a fascinating book about the history of double entry accounting. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it, it’s excellent. Called Double Entry, it’s by Jane Gleeson-White, go and buy a copy now.
And finally, steering the boat. It’s a bit exciting, there’s a handsome wooden steering wheel and no rudder, just a tiny engine off the back. So when you first start out you make series of elegant swoops across the river, it takes some time to get used to. However, we’re not going too much faster than a snail with the ague, so not too much harm can be done.
Now Ho for a buoy for the night. We’re not very good at dropping anchor yet, I’m surprised no one’s lost a finger.