Maisie has a visitor……

We often have visitors to stay but this week, it’s Maisie’s turn.

Meet George ………………………..

             

He’s a poodle crossed with …………………. we can’t decide!  We were told Jack Russell but, try as we might, we can’t see any Jack in him?   As you can see, despite the fact that he didn’t really know us, he’s made himself well at home!  He’s being a really well behaved visitor.

 

Maisie? 

Well,  she’s not so sure now!  She made a big fuss of him at first but …………… he wants all her chews, all her toys, our laps and is even partial to her new bed!

Maisie doesn’t do share!!

 

Ever since we’ve been in this marina we’ve been told there are big carp in here.  The marina staff are regularly having trouble with fishermen wanting to cast lines in the marina entrance.  Apparently one or two determined fishermen have even tried using remote controlled model boats to deploy bait into the marina!  Well!  Yesterday, however, we actually got to see what all this extraordinary effort is about.  At least three enormous carp were cruising about outside our kitchen window.  Their mouths were easily the size of tennis balls.  They truly were massive fish.  We tried to get a photo of course but the reflection on the water was against us.  Still, ……

Ashby St Legers ……………..

is a village just a few miles from Crick.  It’s not on the canal.  Driving through,  it feels as though the whole village is a conservation area – there are so many old stone, thatched buildings.  The most impressive of these is what remains of the original manor house.                        The Gunpowder Plot is believed to have been contrived in a room over the gateway to the Manor House.  Apparently the locals still refer to this room as the ‘Plot Room’.  Robert Catesby, the main man in the conspiracy, was heir to the estates at Ashby.  He never did get his inheritance of course because he was killed in a battle fighting for what he believed in.

       

There’s a nice pub/restaurant in the village.  Dogs are allowed in the bar which is a bonus but it’s a bit on the expensive side.

There are lots of nice villages around and one of the good things about having access to a car for the winter months is that we get to see more of the surrounding area.  Thanks to our friends Ken & Sandra we have acquired a little old ‘banger’ affectionately named by me as ‘Gertie’.  We have suffered a lot of teasing about her but she is proving to be just right for our needs!!  We are already close to doubling her mileage!

xxoo