Dogfish, herons, shorts and post-op walks

The dogfish that found its way into our crab net

I had expected to be out of circulation for a week or two after the operation to remove my gall bladder, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

My consultant’s instructions that I should do three 30 minute walks a day have got me out and about more than ever over the past week.

Other than that, life on board Ravensdale has been much the same as usual.

Meanwhile, summer seems to have returned to Maryport.  

Having worn shorts all summer, I put them away for the winter after my op as the weather seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.

However, after a few days of wearing leggings – the only things that felt comfortable on my tummy immediately after my op – the sun came out again and I decided that I’d recovered sufficiently to wear shorts again.

Some days, it’s been so warm that I’ve been able to sit out on the aft deck and read a magazine in my shorts and a vest top without feeling the slightest bit cold.

The best catch in our prawn and crab net this week was a good sized dogfish.

Phil was surprised at the weight of the net when he started pulling it up from the bottom of the marina and we were both amazed to see the dogfish curled around inside it.

Phil lifted it out carefully so I could get a photo of it then returned it to the water.

It seems most of the fish being caught on the pier at the moment are dogfish so I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised that one found its way into the marina.

The dogfish in the net

Phil posing for a photo with the dogfish before returning it to the water

The heron on top of one of the piles

I’ve also been trying to get a decent photograph of the heron that has taken to sitting on one of the metal piles that support the pontoons in the marina.

He seems to take up his position on a pile down by the marina gate most evenings as the light starts to fade, which makes it more difficult to get a good shot of him.

Another heron regularly sits on the slipway at the other end of the marina. I guess, between them, they've got the area covered J

My three walks a day have included, walking along the beach and out along the pier, around the harbour, up to town and shopping trips.

The only trouble with walks around the harbour is that we get tempted to stop for coffee and cake at The Aquarium and I’m not convinced that the consultant intended me to increase my cake intake when he said I needed to get out and walk regularly J

I also suggested a trip out one day so I would still get my walks, but in a different location so we paid visits to Allonby (five miles up the coast), where we walked along the beach, and Siloth (seven and half miles further on), where we had lunch and walked along the promenade.

Dog walkers on the beach at Allonby

The promenade at Siloth

It was a very misty day so not great for photos, but I took some anyway. I felt they worked better as black and white images.

I’ve also taken many more photos in and around Maryport, but the changing weather and light means that they're different every time.

Grafitti in an old building by Maryport lighthouse

Close up of the graffiti with a view to the town of Maryport

Marport looking peaceful at nightfall

The sun shining through the mist over Grasslot Shore at Maryport

A man checking his crab pots at low tide in Maryport Basin

A small fishing boat heading into Maryport

Fishing on Maryport Pier

Sunset over Maryport Marina

The heron sitting on the pile at the far end of the marina

Phil has been on many of the walks with me, but sometimes he stays behind if he has something he wants to get on with on board – such as washing the boat and maintenance in the engine room.

Washing Ravensdale's fore deck