There is no audio this week. Rain and a persistent throat virus prevent me from taking a walk and recording a message. I have a feeling though I am too soft. Rain, sore throat and an ear ache wouldn’t have stopped the subject of this week’s blog and certainly not the people in last week’s.

( All photos were taken along Ely River on my narrow boat trip last year)

Has Winter felt long this year? It has for me, but a recent discovery as we sit and brave out the dark nights has arrived in the form of a YouTube channel called ‘The Mindful Narrow Boat’ by Vanessa Thomas. The benefits of nature, wildlife, sunshine, walking, travelling and being outside are laid out on our screens for all to see as we float along the canals with her, be it in our armchairs.With her unique brand of creativity, she shares her life on a narrow boat with her dog Zephyr. I am sure her husband helps in the background, but she is the sole presenter.

I’m not drawn to water, not being a swimmer, but there is something about the narrow boat life that is appealing. I am an Aquarian, the sign of the water carrier, so perhaps something of that element is within me waiting to be explored. However, I think it has more to do with the gentle pace of this life and the undeniable fact that if we are to re-wild our most nature-deprived country in Europe then water has a huge role to play in its recovery.

You may remember, in another blog, my experience of a writing retreat day on a narrow boat in Ely last year. I can see why I enjoyed it so much. To be carried by the water and the soothing sound of the boat’s engine, watching the swaying reed beds and soaking up, what was then a September day, did an enormous amount of good for my well-being. A new teaching term meant that I was reviving up the work engine and this outing was a gentle way back into this after the long summer break.

( This picture reminded me of The Mindful Narrow Boater’s own boxed garden on her barge. I love it)

But I also think her enormous following says more than just her fascinating account of her life, as she washes in local history, walks, beautiful filming of wildlife and brews tea at the end (as we all wait to see what she is putting on her plate this week) in the form of cake or some tasty snack.

More of us want to ‘get-away-from-it-all ’ the increase in motor home and camper van sales, the caravans and the rambles in the countryside, not to mention the increase in flights and seeking different holiday destinations. Also, the picking up a tent and taking off with wild camping such as we saw in last week’s blog The Salt Path.

We live in an ever-fast-paced world, of noise, screens and technology. I think most of us want to slow down, decompress, go on a walk, pick up a book, or camera and just breathe. For me, the escape on a Friday night (when new Vlogs are released) helps me forget the world and become absorbed in that week’s environment. Vanessa moors and steps off her narrow boat taking us on walks to fascinating museums, towns, mill factories and other buildings of the past Industrial Revolution. This appeals to my deep love of history as well as nature.

In saying this, I am under no illusion this is not an easy life as this week’s episode mentions the practicalities of seeking water, gas, and refuse collection points as well as the fitness required to deal with the opening and closing of locks. The latter seems monotonous and tedious and it slows you down.

 It doesn’t appear you can get anywhere fast on a narrow boat, but maybe that’s the advantage. You must have patience, time and a mindset of facing challenges posed by the elements as you face each lock, one at a time. There are lessons to be learnt here as we face our own locks of obstacles, setbacks and challenges methodically overcome with patience and persistence.

( This one is a connection to the two swans in this week’s Vlog)

This brings me back to ‘The Salt Path’, a journey completed on land, not water but there is a close, unbreakable force in a relationship with the outside world. Respecting this was key to the walker’s survival and respecting the land. I suspect this is just as much for Vanessa’s life as it was for Ray and Moth’s.

At the end of each week’s Vlog, the icing on the cake for me is, once the tea is brewed, then we catch a glimpse into this week’s capture of life in poems and exquisite coloured pencil drawings of birds, flora and other observations in her journal pages, which this author and illustrator sells on Etsy. They are divine and utterly gorgeous. I bought the two back copies and will buy the 2024 edition recently released. I won’t photograph mine for copyright reasons.

So, I would encourage you to take a look, as Patrons grow (the only YouTube channel I have ever signed up to) coffees bought and subscribers continue to rise. Vanessa is truly worthy of our support and one day we want to go to Manchester to experience part of this landscape first-hand. For now, Cornwall is the first destination.

Until next time…….

(On a related side note, the film ‘The Salt Path’ mentioned in last week’s blog’s release date is April 25th). The trailer is out and it looks epic.