The Mist by Ian H Bruce (2017) Recorded by Ian H Bruce The mist lies low above the water The frost is spreading on the ground Frozen leaves from the trees Crunch beneath my weary feet As I trudge along the towpath by the pound I can smell smoke rising from the chimney The stove is still alight and glowing bright With a log thrown on the fire For the evening I'll retire And hunker down with music for the night I've got hot water when I've boiled a kettle Battery power when the engine has been run The coal will have to last 'Til the coal boat next comes past It's been months since I last saw the summer sun When at last dormant nature awakens Hedgerows show signs of turning green There's no arguing with CaRT So winter moorings I'll depart And head off for an enforced change of scene Where I try to befriend those frenzied boaters Who think boating is a contact sport They've seen barging on TV Now we've a leisure boat grand prix For boats rocked in their wake they give no thought Then there's the threat of day hire dodgem Boats crewed by drunks in silly hats As they lurch from side to side You just pray they won't collide If they miss you going they'll get you coming back There'll be arguments, abuse, blood pressures rising Grumpy anglers, speeding cyclists, queues at locks It's not a fast way to slow down It's a theatre for clowns I'll be happy when all this madness stops Then it's time to moor up for the winter No more crazy boaters, fingers crossed Falling temperatures prelude A season's welcome solitude With only one companion - Jack Frost The red mist is draining from my system As white frost spreads across the ground Frozen leaves from the trees Crunch beneath my dancing feet As I skip along the towpath by the pound Notes from the song writer : "The mist lies low above the water" - these words came to me in the winter of 2016/17 but the song didn't come together until I'd been on an extended cruise in the summer of 2017 where I'd been reminded of some of the negative aspects of boating, mainly selfish speeding boaters. When I encountered some continuous cruising friends who had suffered horrendous abuse when they had asked people to slow down - so much so that they decided to sell their boat - I had more or less finished the song, but it gave me the theme that being on a boat in winter may have some disadvantages but there are advantages too. Mainly the respite from the summer 'madness'. The recording is just a temporary one until I can produce better. Ian H Bruce
The Mist by Ian H Bruce (2017) Recorded by Ian H Bruce The mist lies low above the water The frost is spreading on the ground Frozen leaves from the trees Crunch beneath my weary feet As I trudge along the towpath by the pound I can smell smoke rising from the chimney The stove is still alight and glowing bright With a log thrown on the fire For the evening I'll retire And hunker down with music for the night I've got hot water when I've boiled a kettle Battery power when the engine has been run The coal will have to last 'Til the coal boat next comes past It's been months since I last saw the summer sun When at last dormant nature awakens Hedgerows show signs of turning green There's no arguing with CaRT So winter moorings I'll depart And head off for an enforced change of scene Where I try to befriend those frenzied boaters Who think boating is a contact sport They've seen barging on TV Now we've a leisure boat grand prix For boats rocked in their wake they give no thought Then there's the threat of day hire dodgem Boats crewed by drunks in silly hats As they lurch from side to side You just pray they won't collide If they miss you going they'll get you coming back There'll be arguments, abuse, blood pressures rising Grumpy anglers, speeding cyclists, queues at locks It's not a fast way to slow down It's a theatre for clowns I'll be happy when all this madness stops Then it's time to moor up for the winter No more crazy boaters, fingers crossed Falling temperatures prelude A season's welcome solitude With only one companion - Jack Frost The red mist is draining from my system As white frost spreads across the ground Frozen leaves from the trees Crunch beneath my dancing feet As I skip along the towpath by the pound Notes from the song writer : "The mist lies low above the water" - these words came to me in the winter of 2016/17 but the song didn't come together until I'd been on an extended cruise in the summer of 2017 where I'd been reminded of some of the negative aspects of boating, mainly selfish speeding boaters. When I encountered some continuous cruising friends who had suffered horrendous abuse when they had asked people to slow down - so much so that they decided to sell their boat - I had more or less finished the song, but it gave me the theme that being on a boat in winter may have some disadvantages but there are advantages too. Mainly the respite from the summer 'madness'. The recording is just a temporary one until I can produce better. Ian H Bruce