All alone

Looking back at my diary for the last 3 months in the fens, one of the key points will be the peace and tranquility. I often went for days on end not passing another boat. I would see other boats on and off the water, tied up for the winter, with tarpaulins over their roofs or curtains pulled closed to keep out the cold weather but very few were being used. 

People were about in the towns but there were very few people along the rivers or around the marinas and moorings.

The most boat people I saw were the live-boards and there weren't many of them. Some were over-wintering in the Fens as it's easy to move about on the ice free water, find provisions in the towns and moor for a few days without causing any problems. Come the spring, most will be going back on the canals via Peterborough and Northampton.

All was peaceful and quiet on the river. Everything was at rest and as I was in no hurry to get to one place or another, it was good to keep the revs down and not disturb the tranquility.

Being an early riser, I would often be moving by 6.30 am and would see some stunning landscapes. It was very cold on one or two occasions but usually the temperature was above freezing - just.

Some of the sunrises were stunning too; often a little on the bleak side but stunning nevertheless.

It was good to see how the wildlife started to become more active as the temperatures increased, especially the swans, grebes, herons and kingfishers. Their pairing and mating rituals were fascinating; often characterised by 'mirroring' each others actions with head bobbing, neck arching and ritual washing. It was good to see the spring flowers appear and the leaf buds on the trees starting to show signs of green in the last few weeks.

On my trip up the Little Ouse last week, the river was looking fantastic again; still not many people about but then that will change over Easter and beyond. 

Having had the river pretty much to myself for the last 3 months, I need to brace myself!