If all else fails, stick to Plan A

Rain last night and rain this morning, I am thinking it was the same rain that stayed all night.  It has been so rare in my marriage to wake up next to my husband.....  This isn't quite so odd as it sounds as for all his professional life he was a dairy farmer, nowadays he is off cycling before breakfast.  
So I quite like it when we have rain very early as he is there too.  
It was quite a luxurious morning with lie in's, leisurely breakfast, listening to the news, fresh coffee and reading.

But eventually the time came when the rain had gone, then we did move but in a bit of a hurry as more rain coming up tonight.

We got throughout the very narrow section, Pendeford Rocking, it used to be called after a farm the book says, without seeing another boat thankfully, its a real squeeze. Then under this modern bridge which sits on a rock foundation where I was horrified to see dog poo bags tossed up onto the rocky shelf.  Some people are just revolting.

A lot of work has been done along this section of the canal with cutting back and as we got further around the bend, dredging too.  A small delay while the dredger finished filling a work barge and when the barge went past us the diesel fumes were choking.

A new canal for us today, we made the turn at Autherley Junction onto the Shropshire Union canal.  The skies were getting nice and black again ready for todays rain, we quickly topped up with water as we had seen in the New Book that there aren't any water points on this canal.....

Another boat we had chatted to at Penkridge was moored up already but under trees and close to a bridge, so we carried on.  We spotted some mooring rings and had been told by Lesley from Yarwood that there is a shelf all along this canal preventing getting boats in close, so seeing rings we hopped on, couldn't get close even though these were Shropshire Union Canal Society official moorings.   
Moved on, sky darker, breeze picking up.

Onto a beautiful straight section with armco with nice views and no trees, same thing, front in back end stuck out a mile.  In the distance a couple walking coming towards us, 
"Ask them if we can moor up here" I said to David
"They are out walking, they won't know" says the man, now women know about men like these, they are usually driving, lost, insist they know the way and refuse to stop the car and ask a local......  don't we ladies?  Well its the same on the canal.
I called over to ask, they were boaters of course and looking at the moorings themselves.  No they said the shelf is here all along, so back to Plan A which was up to Bridge 8 and join a row of moored boats on 48 hr moorings which were fabulous, quick get in here, you get the stakes where's the bloody hammer, get the middle rope and hurry..

In, boat secured, tonneau cover on and pretty soon afterwards it rained.

Supper was at lunchtime prior to moving off this afternoon, toast with butter, avocado tomatoes and eggs.  
David's new favourite.

Photos will have to follow, Oh here we are at last;

Last nights mooring, do you like Davids new fleece?

Proper ducks, I used to keep these as pets.

In our old book, there was a note saying "Dreadful bend going south"

Boater rubbish left.

Trees cut back and dredging done.  Great.

Who lives here?  Eagles by the size of them.

Narrow narrow cutting

Cut into rock, up on the right was where dog poo bags have been discarded, nice.

Unloading mud onto the bankside.

Next full one being delivered, see the fumes??????

Looks terribly unstable to me.