Evalunacy

Sam canoes in to see Bingo

Please say hello to Bingo, the latest crew member to join the Eva Luna.

He joined us from the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre, a somewhat skinny and subdued soul, around 10 days ago.

The picture is of him on his profile is his first sail, in a little doggy life jacket donated by a fellow boater.

Bingo was found straying. He went to a foster home for assessment, then to new family, but he apparently didn’t get on with their other dog. Not the greatest start in life, and we had a massive shock when he disgraced himself at dog training classes by picking on a smaller dog. He is not, apparently, iredeemable and has been put on special measures, not least of which is to put him in his place!

Bingo has changed my life. From a sedentary job, travelling everywhere sat in a boat or a car, suddenly I’m walking for three hours a day, and as I have a little conscience watching my every mouthful, snacking’s out of the window.

He’s an adorable, cheeky little character with loads of personality. Around people, he’s incredibly biddable, and someone has obviously trained him at some stage. The past week or so has seen him turn from a scraggy, skinny little mongrel into a much loved family member, just starting to push the boundaries a little to see what he can get away with.

We’re still a little cautious, of course. As a rescue dog with no history, we don’t know what might set him off, but a friend, Sam, spotted that he’s almost certainly a large part Patterdale.

Having read up on them, his behaviour is certainly Patterdale type. (It may of course, just be any terrier – we’re no experts.) Anything small and furry is fair game (the boys witnessed him catching and eating a mouse at the rescue centre), and once he’s fixated on his ‘prey’, it’s very hard to break his attention. He is constantly after the coots, which sound like squeaky toys to add to his interest level.

He also has that awful young dog habit of rolling in fox poo, but I’m learning the signs now – what’s just a sniff, what’s a fixated ‘I’m on the trail’ sniff, and what’s an ‘I’m about to roll in it’ sniff. I have got it wrong, and he’s been showered several times over!!

Despite these less appealing traits, and the Puppy Class disgrace, he has won his way into our hearts, and we are delighted with our new crew member, who has given all of us hours of fun, and extra something to love, less money in our wallets, but a sense of having done something really worthwhile by giving this poor little scrap a new life. Seeing his painfully thin ribs cover over, his confidence growing, his fur turning all soft and silky, is an absolute joy…. and I wish humans were as excited to see me as he is.

He even gets his own visitors. Sam Rippington, a friend and fellow boater, canoed in just to meet him!

I haven’t blogged for a fair while, mostly because I had an attack of conscience. There are some amazing blogs out (I have some there about living on the river, and as we’re not roaming the waterways much (we have to stay close for schools and jobs) there are only so many times you can discuss how pretty Sonning Lock or Goring are.

So apart from being a chronicle of family life, which would really only be of interest to family and friends, and happens mostly on Facebook anyway, what could this blog do?

I think there are a couple of things:

1. Finding a boaters voice

Firstly, we are now travellers, and as such have become conscious of just how tough genuine travelling must be and how marginalised it’s easy to become. I find myself disenfranchised (I have no vote) because we have to declare ourselves homeless to be on a register. The implications of this for the boys are huge, so I shan’t be doing that. We have a lovely home. The choices facing us in Parliament aren’t sufficiently exciting to make me want to make that move. So I think the difficulties of this need discussing. I’m not sure my small, backwater blog will make much difference, but maybe one day someone will read it and act!

Secondly, a lot of people in different situations on the rivers are being very poorly treated. Because we have no voice (see above), are constantly moving and the waterways are so fragmented in terms of management (see below), any kind of concerted action is really hard.

Thirdly, I don’t think people realise how much of their tax money is being wasted on the inefficient management of the waterways. I don’t mean by this that the agencies are doing a bad job – quite the reverse in some cases. But there are masses of authorities and quangos, which, unelected, are spending your money. A quick bit of maths shows millions could be saved!

So I think the time has come to get political with a small p – and if any boater wants to contribute their own arguments, be my guest!

(Note: there are lots of other blogs with very specific interests out there, and I have no intention of doing anything other than pointing out good pieces by them – they do some fantastic work on behalf of boaters. )

2. Environment

When you’re living so close to nature, it’s impossible not to become aware of the wonderful World around us – and how much awful damage we’re doing to it.

We’ve been able to make some changes, and it’s always been a bit of a passion of mine, so watch out for more.

So if you have tried – or have news of – environmentally friendly products, do share here, please. I’m particularly interested in products that replace the existing toxic crap that we’re fed, and retail at the kinds of prices that make them usable on a daily basis by a family of four.

3. Boats and boaters

Every boat is different. And many of the boats on the river today carry pieces of our history with them, from old seafaring boats, converted into homes, to grand palaces built for waterway living. I’d like to chronicle some of these, and some of the amazing people we meet, from people whose history IS the river, to people who play a key part in its existence and survival, including some of the organisations that we have a bit of a stand off with at times. Mostly, we all want the same things – for rivers to be beautiful, healthy places.

Family life

This is is still our family blog, an insight into our new lives as river folk on the Thames. So when great things happen, and when things happen that are of note,  I’ll still keep sharing.

So, do take a look at some of the fantastic waterways travel blogs that are out there. Please stay tuned. I’m sure that this will be erratic, subject to time and stories. Apologies for not having written for a while, and thanks for reading this now!