Rhymes with Barlow

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here for the past few weeks. Uncle Funsucker and Auntie C. brought the good weather with them and it stuck around a little. The normal weather pattern usually brings some kind of rain during the day so we have enjoyed the sunshine of late and the ability to leave our umbrellas behind. We have become good weather fanatics, much to the irritation of some in our household who think a good weekend is not getting out of bed before 11:00 am., staying in their pajamas until 2:00 p.m., instant messaging friends until late in the night, eating nothing that has any nutritional value whatsoever and then starting all over the next day. So we have been getting them out of the house, practically kicking and screaming. But we don't care, being the parent means we get to torture them occasionally by making them go out in the sunshine and getting a bit of exercise. So sue us!

In order to continue the good weather celebration, last weekend we decided
to go on a little jaunt to Marlow, a cute little village on the Thames River. Truthfully most of the little villages on the banks of the Thames are pretty cute. It is hard to have an uncute village in this kind of setting. Last weekend many little towns had St. George's Day Celebrations. St. George is the patron saint of England, alleged slayer of a dragon and rescuer of a damsel in distress. The park off the high street in Marlow had a little parade with marching bands, local troops of boy scouts, explorers etc.

We strolled along the riverbank taking in the sights. This is quite a popular area for different boat clubs and we watched several teams practice on the river. It was very interesting watching the more experienced teams move in singular motion, almost like a ballet. They move extremely fast. We m
meandered along the walkway, cows on one side, beautiful churches on the other. Further down the river we came to the very small town of Hurley. We stopped for a pub lunch (as usual) and then wandered back. About 7 miles in all. Hurley and Marlow both have locks and we watched several boats go through the locks. For those of you that don't know, a lock is a device which allows boats to move safely on a river that might have an area where the water height suddenly changes, a sudden drop, or navigating an area that might have a rapid. Some of the most famous locks are those in the Panama canal. It is really fascinating to watch. So fascinating that I didn't think to take pictures so you have to try and picture it. The boat goes in a little area on the river, like a box or canal area. Once the boat is in and the gate is closed, the lock either fills with water or lets water out depending on whether your boat is going to a higher or lower level. Trust me, it is interesting. There are lots of locks around here, next time I promise I will take pictures.

It was a great day except for one minor issue. Chizz (and sometimes HIS children) take issue with the speed of my walking (yes, I am turning into my mother - Sorry Mom!). But I like to enjoy my walk, notice my surroundings, drink it all in. I am not like some people, who put their heads down and try to get from point to point as quickly as possible without actually seeing anything around them. So Chizz came up with an idea that he thought might level the playing field and allow everyone to walk together. And here it is.

Right, he tied his shoelaces together. Very funny. Ha Ha Ha. So funny I forgot to laugh. Next time, I will really punish him. I will make him go on one of the walks by himself with Kiki & Snake. And I will stay at home in my pjs, instant messaging my friends and staying up late. That'll show him.