Like a cork out of a bottle

Oxford...moored in a quiet spot near Aristotle Bridge...once darkness fell and the children went home. Such a peaceful night. First night since last November without a fire, pleasant and mild. We slept like logs.

Up early, excited to get going, I was watching the birds and squirrels when a couch quietly sailed past! The things that you see!
Augusta took her time to warm up again...poor darling. Again we begged our engine goddess for her largesse and were rewarded by Augusta's reassuring chug chug chug.
We cruised fairly gently down the canal past very nice housing, under a few charming bridges, past the Jericho canal development, to arrive at Isis Lock. Pretty as a picture. From this lock you turn into the Sheepwash Channel past the very very low Osney Railway Bridge and the equally low Osney Bridge before another turn onto the Thames proper.

We hit the current and Augusta zoomed through the Sheepwash Channel, scraping the tiller pin under the railway bridge, under Osney Bridge then left onto the Thames. Oh My God!!!
We were like a cork out of a bottle. Scary fast. Shot from a cannon, we were flotsam swept along with the current.
Thank goodness for Osney Lock! Augusta's nose button fender slammed into the lock doors and we heaved a huge sigh of relief. There was no way we wanted to go any further. Two environmental agency chaps arrived..."what are you thinking?!? You can't be thinking of traveling down stream! The Thames is flooding and we have every gate and weir open. No way are you going anywhere!" Thank you fellas we had just figured that out! I was so relieved, that I didn't even mind being scolded.
With their generous help, they dragged us backwards to the mooring pontoon. No way could we reverse to a real mooring. So here we are. Flooded and stuck again, this time in Oxford.

So here we will stay until the river is passable. Dave will work from the boat. I might get to wander the City while we're here...how marvelous. If it ever stops raining.

Boat name of the day....the Mrs Miggins...complete with pie illustrations.

As usual wish us luck.