how we get this 40 kilo dog out of the water if he falls in is quite another sleepless night's worth.

The brighter days are really allowing spring to put her Sunday best on and it is such a thrill to see the willow going green and the daffs promising not to be blind with juicy flower buds well on the way to a flurry of activity. We left HOSS behind on duty yesterday so that we could concentrate on giving Beema a really good clean. We donned our wellies, packed the pressure washer and got cracking. It really is a one man job using a pressure washer, no matter where the other person stands, works or sits they get wet. I tried to get on with washing the canopy then the teak but Mike was in my space no matter where I turned so I just spent much of the time watching him spray on "clean". The pressure washer has got to be the most amazing and effective gadget developed this century, we take it totally for granted, but watching the dirt and grime just disappear is quite mesmerising and satisfying. The event was tinged by a deep regret that we have let Beema get into such a horrible state but we are sprucing and adjusting to get her ready for her trip up to Cherbourg to moor in sea side conditions and marina atmosphere, don't want her looking like an ugly bug at the ball so she will be at her cleanest and tidiest before we set off in the next couple of weeks. HOSS got the message today that he is really not welcome down on the boat and slouched off into his room when we said "back later" as we loaded the car and set off again......but today was a general Beema tidy up and measuring up Mike's new step extension invention to give HOSS access into the cabin without falling through the five foot drop into the saloon. We want to get it installed and working before getting HOSS involved but he will come along with us, we already have his life jacket and he wears it quite happily, how we get this 40 kilo dog out of the water if he falls in is quite another sleepless night's worth.