She’s slender and sleek;
aptly named “Magnifique”
Her fourteen foot length
provides grace and strength.
She sets her pace at 8-12 kays
A 23hr walk, she does in 6 days!
(*A total of 120km @ 20km/day)
The spacious interior is great for eight; nine or more would make it a chore!
The galley has space for a few
with two fridges, oven, stove and microwave too
(But no casserole dish to make a stew!)
In the stern, the grown-ups snapped up the two en-suite cabins…
(Shh – beds can be pushed together for closer liaisons)
Down in the bow a struggle ensued
It was up to Mom to settle the mood
With a coin toss, the girls won the room they desired
Defeated, the boys to the littler one retired.
(But not for long…)
With the girls in their chambre relishing their win,
they were happy taking turns at co-captain.
Meet our two skippers “Cp’n B & Cp’n A” who safely navigate us on our way…
but you know what they say
About “all work and no play”!
Never tiring, they work from ten till three..
Come rain or come shine, it’s done cheerfully!
Holding ropes to ensure our boat never rocks…
whether tying up for the night or mastering the locks.
Now the lock is an interesting animal;
One might compare it to a cannibal
It takes us inside; swallowing us alive
And spits out when it sees we’re inedible!
(On arrival : bow)
(On arrival : stern)
(Before departure : bow)
(Before departure : stern)
And the rest of the crew?
What do we do?
While our captains our ship do steer?
We eat…
sleep
and play
… to keep boredom at bay
and maintain a regular supply of food
and beer.
A friend of mine sent me this little ditty that she discovered. It reminds me of the friendly rivalry that exists between our two co-pilots. It was this that inspired me to write my post in prose poetry:
SONG SUNG BY A MAN ON A BARGE TO ANOTHER MAN ON A DIFFERENT BARGE IN ORDER TO DRIVE HIM MAD
Oh,
I am the best bargee bar none,
You are the best bargee bar one!
You are the second-best bargee,
You are the best bargee bar me!
Oh,
I am the best…..
(and so on, until he is _hurled into the canal)!
But that won’t happen to us…
just because…
at the end of the day
whether in work
or at play
whatever the weather
we work together
to make it a happy stay!
