Kind October weather for our last few days cruising.

Friday night we moored well outside Braunston and I think Geoff harboured thoughts that we would walk in from there for our planned cooked breakfast at the Gongoozlers Rest Cafe!!!

I was not so keen on that idea so Saturday morning earlyish, reluctantly on Geoff's part, we motored further in.  Rather I motored and Geoff and Barnaby walked.......

We had a couple of attempts at mooring before the junction in what are designated as 14 day moorings.   But there was nowhere we could get close enough to the bank........however as we turned right at the junction we found there were lots of spaces and we moored fairly close to the end.

After a good breakfast and a wander round Braunston we returned to Petroc and Geoff discovered he couldn't get a TV picture, so it was up sticks and on we go.    We turned at the marina entrance and went back out past the junction and onto the north Oxford section.    No spaces in our preferred spot with the lovely view of the church so we ended up a bit further out.   Good TV picture here so we stayed!!

We had a mixture of a gentle weekend but interspersed with some cleaning preparatory to abandoning Petroc for the winter.    In my case this meant cleaning the oven....grrrrrh.......

We debated staying over Monday night but the towpath back into Braunston is not the best so we decided to carry on.  We had thoughts of making for the top Hillmorton locks but when we were just short of Barby the view was too good to miss......lovely open field full of cows and the sun was shining.......just right for our last night.  

We discovered that adjacent to us just behind the hedge was the start of yet another marina.....Dunchurch Pools Marina........

At tea time Perentis with friends Dick and Gill aboard pulled up in front of us so it was tea on their boat and after supper, drinks on Petroc.   Dick was disappointed that Geoff was having a dry October........at least that kept the two of them from getting into trouble!!

The weather for our last few days has been really kind.......chillier but plenty of sunshine and only the odd shower when we have been safely tied up.

So today it was the final 3 lock at Hillmorton and the last run of the year.    Geoff and Barney walked the whole way.  This kept them warm but I was a mite chilly steering Petroc.  The early morning mist was a bit slow to clear.   However I discovered that my small hot water bottle tucked under my several layers worked wonders.....

Here endeth out 10th year of cruising..........Back in April 2017 all being well.