Two for tea and tea for one

Sometimes I offer Barney a cuppa. Yes please, he says and decides, coffee or tea.
I go away and make the opposite of what he asked for. I don't know why I do this but at one time it seemed to happen to at least half of his drinks. One of life's little mysteries.
Then sometimes I go away and make the right drink but forget to put the sugar in. Well anyone could be forgiven for doing that.
Then occasionally I put too much sugar in mine and not enough in his. No problem - just swap.

But tonight takes the biscuit.
I went away and carefully made a cup of tea - the right drink. Then I carefully put in the right amount of sugar....one spoonful. Then I carefully put in the right amount of sugar for me....half a spoonful. Then I realised I'd only made one cup.

Do you think maybe I'm not paying attention?...

It seems to me that whoever built this nest wasn't paying attention. It's in a lock gate at the bottom of the Watford staircase. Well at least it's on the lower side of the gate!
I was so amazed by this Kingfisher not flying away that I nearly missed him altogether!
Heron also stayed in one place long enough to take pictures. Perversely, I really really wanted to catch him in flight.

Eventually!

And this lady (obviously offended by the mud stirred up by passing boats) just appeared out of the bushes as we glided past :)
View from the top of the Foxton staircase (with gongoozler*...or maybe another boat person, I'm not sure which)
And from the lower end of the first five locks. The gentleman in shorts on the right is the lock-keeper,mowing the grass. There were two lock-keepers and they kept everything running smoothly as the only place two boats can pass is here, in between the two staircases. Everyone had to book their turn through the locks. It really is very neat as you get two boats at a time, one going up and one going down. they meet in the middle and pass and the locks are always set for you by the boat going the opposite way.
It all seems wonderfully peaceful and smooth and easy till you open the paddles an see the immense power of the water bursting up from below the surface. (here, it's being met by a leak in between the two gates)

*Gongoozler, usually found in many small groups by locks. People who stand and watch you working through, asking questions, pointing cameras and looking interested when you stop to have a row over who's fault it was that the winding thingy fell in the water. The children of gongoozlers are always very helpful and push lock gates and may even be given rides to the next lock if they don't seem too dangerously adventurous. At Foxton, we had more gongoozlers children helping than felt safe and the locks were lined with gongoozlers all pointing and asking questions at once. And as Barney pointed out, it really is better to push the gates the right way when there are so many people watching. Besides, if you push the wrong way you could push for ever but it won't open!