Future Home?

It was a beautifully warm and sunny day today. I enjoyed an hour or so reclining in the sun in my garden. We also went on a late afternoon walk along the Thames where we eventually saw the sunset.

I've always loved these narrow boats. Originally they were used as working boats to haul coal and other goods along the canals before the advent of the railways. In more recent years both the canals and the boats have been renovated and they are often used as homes or rented for boating holidays. I talked to one of the owners this evening. He and others around him live on their boats and spend their time navigating up and down the rivers and canals of the UK. He said that they have been 'stuck' here since the end of October when the floods began and navigation was impossible. He said that the river was still running too fast but he estimated they would be able to move on in another couple of weeks.

Sometimes I would love to ditch everything I have and live on one of these. Maybe the nomadic lifestyle appeals to me, as I am already somewhat of a nomad. A number of years ago we had a Flight Attendant at work who lived on one as her main home, although it was permanently moored. Some of these boats are very comfortable and cosy inside. I saw a few today with solar panels on the roof! The man I talked to said they produce more power than he can use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrowboat