The Joys of the Unexpected on the Thames

Day 3 on The Thames. We pushed it so much on Tuesday that we decided to have a leisurely start to the day. Another picturesque start to the day. Cool temperatures. My children on the stern feeding the ducks. Up early and outside.
Looking out the starboard side of the Sancerre seeing two elderly men sitting side by side fishing in the River. Quiet. Pensive, Reflective. Amazing. Walking clubs coming by joyful that the sun was out. All commenting on the weather. It's amazing how sun brings light and joy into the lives of those who are not used to it. Reminding me not to take for granted the sunshine we get more often than not in Bermuda. Reminding me to be grateful for the blessing of having the sun almost daily.
After breakfast the children went off on their bikes to ride along the footpath. Riding off in the opposite direction to where we were last night. I am so grateful for having the ability to provide my children with so many different experiences. To expose them to the simplicities of life like bike riding and being in nature without bright lights and nonstop entertainment. Allowing them to find their own fun. Using their own imaginations without someone or something doing it for them. Seeing them riding off together, brother and sister, filled my heart with pure joy.
We left much later than the day before. Setting off at about 10.40 for our leisurely tour up the Thames. First stop Tesco in Reading to get supplies. Then we sat on the boat complete with our picnic table under a large oak tree and ate our lunch. Very civilised and very relaxed watching boats going by on the starboard side and people strolling, running or riding bikes on the towpath of the Thames on the portside. Glorious.
Then the next adventure was to stop to fill the water tanks on the barge as we were running a bit low. Success again. One pound to fill up our water tank - can you believe that? And a really nice man who gave us advice on where to go next. We are really becoming a river team. Our son at the bow. My husband and I at the stern. Our daughter floating between.
We leisurely arrived at our first lock for the day, Caversham, and it was a piece of cake compared to some of the ones we faced on Tuesday so we sailed through like old pros.
We then motored through Reading, one of the largest towns in England, and there were lots of people out in the parks enjoying the sun. Beautiful parks with large trees and people of many different ethnicities mingling together showing that everyone is looking for the same thing  - a bit of light in their lives and a bit of sunshine.
We were actually surprised by how beautiful Reading was as we thought because it is such a largeplace it would be ugly but it was not.  Dotting along the Thames were some pretty impressive homes - even one with a helipad in the yard complete with a helicopter on it. Another with a charming bell tower.
We then saw a home for sale in Caversham - a beauty right on the river. I looked it up on the Internet. Sales price a cool 1.7 million pounds roughly $3mil. Not bad we thought so here's what we are thinking. As soon as we get back, we are going to set up a fund for anyone interested in helping us to raise the funds so we can come back and purchase that house! Anyone interested please let us know. We promise if we raise the necessary funds that we will have a room waiting for you whenever you want to visit.
Sad to leave our dream home behind, we motored through reluctantly. But our spirits were immediately lifted when we had the pleasure of being flashed by a little man who took asbolute delight in rushing out of the trees on the riverbank bearing his jewels to us. Smiling the whole time and waving. Like he had been waiting for us all day. We were disappointed when we turned back to see he hadn't just singled us out. In fact he had his binoculars out waiting for the next unsuspecting boaters to come by. And as they approached he jumped out of the trees again flashing them as well. Dashing any hopes I had that he had fallen under my spell. He was just another horny flasher. Oh well on to the next unexpected event I thought laughing.
On to the next and most challenging lock we had been through, The Mapledurham. It is situated parallel to a weir that had very strong currents so we had to stick very close to the layby but lucky for us it was open as we approached and we were able to get straight into the lock and moor up. It was a brute for us to hold onto because it rose to 6 ft 9 in, the highest one yet. But we had two very helpful lockeepers - one from Barbados and the other from Ireland, who were very happy to pull us alongside. How small the world is becoming. And then we were through again and on our way to our spot for the night so we thought.
We tried in vain to moor at Pangbourne. But at 4.40, we were already too late. There was a limited amount of mooring space and every spot was gone. A shame really because it looked like a lovely little village to spend the night.
Deciding it was not meant to be,  we motored to the next lock which was Whitchurch. And to our surprise it was unmanned. The self service sign hanging on the outside of the lock. My heart leapt immediately into my throat. Panic set in as I wondered what are we going to do but I did not let it take control over me. Instead I surrendered my fear to the Universe. And was I glad I did because when my daughter discovered the lock was unmanned, she came rushing out of the cabin eyes wide all excited to have a job all on her own to do. She had been taught on our first trial run with the owner of Sancerre how to operate the locks if they were unmanned and she had been waiting to have the opportunity to use her skills.
She went rushing off the barge with my husband and son so they could read the instructions on how to work the lock. Leaving me on the barge to man it. She was so proud of herself because she not only opened the lock for us,  she also let another boat through. She then stayed on the lock while my husband and son came back on so we could move the barge into the lock then she climbed on board after the sluices were opened and the lock began to fill.
Once the lock opened we motored through in time to let a waiting yacht through the locks. On we motored to find another mooring. Motoring through Pangbourne we were once again blown away by another picture perfect village. We ended up mooring alongside the Child Beale Wildlife Trust for the night after tustling with a tree to get moored. Once we moored, the children dared to jumped into the Thames for a swim. Declaring it to be icy  cold but bearing it to say they had done it. Braver than I could ever be. Admiring them for their fearlessness.
I cooked dinner and we sat out on the deck eating our meal surrounded by nature at its best. A heron across the river from us.  A red kite flying above the trees across from us. My husband and I enjoying a bottle of Sancerre white wine courtesy of the owner of the vessel. Then a lovely local couple came walking by on the tow path and stopped to talk to us sharing with us places of interest within a 100 yards of where we were.
After they walked on, we completed our meal and then my husband's cell phone rang and it was his mother calling to check up on us. His face as proud as can be when he recounted to her our adventures over the last few days. My heart filling with joy just watching him knowing he was in his element on the river. Knowing I was a part of helping him to fulfill one of his longtime dreams.
Again the end of another perfect day. A family day. More relaxed than the day before but full of the unknown and unexpected. Full of surprises but what I realised more than ever was when we do things from our hearts rather than our minds, we are more willing to take risks. More willing to trust in the Universe. More willing to believe that everything unfolds as it is meant to because we are more willing to surrender. To go with the flow.
Another day full of blessings. Another day of sincere gratitude. Another day of staying in the present moment and for these lessons and blessings I am truly grateful.