Sunday 12 May 2019

Sunshine at last and I took off one of my coats.


So here we are again Reader.  My mother is very well thank you for asking.

We got back to WaL at about teatime, so after moving the car along and me making the bed David in his wisdom indicated an evening cruise and how lovely that would be.... 

Now we have had WaL for Oooooo seven years now,  July '12 she was launched, during that time we have had precisely one evening cruise, that was in high summer too.  It just goes against the grain in my head, but here we are in sub zero conditions with rain threatening at any moment, going for a scenic evening cruise.

So we left Penkridge at about six-ish.  I had many layers on.  
At Penkridge lock as we approached it was like a youth club, 
no offers of help, no smiles come to that, but at my presence, they all vacated to a party I guess.  We emptied our rubbish and I picked up all of theirs too.

Onward and upwards.  No boats anywhere during the day let alone in the night.  But here we met Alan and his very very smiley dog Jack who was full of the joys of spring.  Alan in a Reader and stopped to say Hello.  
Nice to have met you Alan.





and the very bouncy Jack.


Mooring up at Gailey after a couple of hours and in light rain now  we got on the miserable visitor moorings under trees very quickly getting supper underway which was beans on toast with cheese on the top, delicious.  

There we stayed all the next day in unremitting rain.  Actually it rarely happens that it rains an entire day. 
I quite liked it, snuggly eating flapjack, drinking red wine, writing the blog and reading my new book.



The next morning David set off at about six, he could do this alone as it's a pound for several miles.   
I joined him sometime later having tidied the boat and played with my new cordless Dyson.

I then did some driving as David did the rickety paddles. 


This is where I got very wet feet.


As we trundled along we were chatting about this canal, how much we enjoy it and just how many times we have been here.  It seems this is the third time.... various reasons but here we are again.  Now as you proceed on the summit you come to Wolverhampton, our son-in-law Leon is a Black Countryman so he is allowed to say horrid things about Wolverhampton, but look here Leon and see how stunningly BEAUTIFUL it is here!




A green tunnel, Kingfishers are spoken of but we see one today, we did see a deer, trapped in the playing fields of a school though, I would like to hope it got its liberation before playtime.



Then these open meadows, no other boats just us.  Worth sitting in the miserable moorings for today looking at this.

First cygnets we've seen this year.

Purple pretties.

Bit tricky to fit through here even is I am a waif.

Love to see these echoes of a previous life.

Old Hop-along used these gingerly, they are wet and a bit green.

We greeted a boat who was just setting off (Behind us), they came from our hometown, in fact the man was born where we live now, but he didn't remember our farm.  They passed us as we moored up at Bratch Locks.  We'd done 5.5 hours and it felt like it.  We walked up to the locks in the sunshine.  Not a single boat moored up apart form us, the Lockkies were a bit bored. 
We'll do Bratch Staircase in the morning.



Can't believe Elf and safety allow these ancient steps to remain.  Long may it stay that way.


Our mooring tonight.






Supper was my favourite fishcakes from Sainsbury's as I stocked up on them at home. 

2 comments:

  1. Morning from the top of Foxton Locks, Lisa.

    Can you please give me more details about the Sainsbury's fishcakes. Plain, thai, xxx, aaa? At home, New World supermarket does lovely Thai fish cakes and we usually have a few stored in the freezer. A source of such yummies here would be excellent!

    Cheers, Marilyn

    ReplyDelete
  2. Morning Marilyn,
    My favourite are Sainsbury's salmon, chilli and ginger fishcakes, they are not always available so when I see them I buy several packets.
    So how are you getting on? Where are you planning to go this summer?
    I was impressed with your new cratch cover, we need a repair and possible modification!
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete