Northwich

This was the sky last night.

It was lovely weather the next day.  Kirsty went for a run and I didn't.

We continued along the Middlewich Canal.  So lovely to see the sun after yesterdays rain.

Such fun to have very willing helpers leaping into action.

Last one onboard is a cissy.

"Oh oh Girls just wanna have bridges..."  A most attractive one here right before the junction onto the Trent and Mersey Canal.

David pushing his weight on the Middlewich locks.

Wild perennial geranium,  my garden has lots of this.

We carried on on this brand new piece of waterway and very very lovely it was too.  Rural, wooded and attractive, then all of a sudden a green oasis came into view..... STOP!!  What here?  Now??  Yes David.

I am not sure what name this has, I have forgotten, but it had evidently only very recently been mowed (This was according to another passing boater)  but it was charming.  An old railway went from this loading area to a nearby clay pit.  There is no access outside the canal.  We moored up and had breakfast, a very good breakfast too, thank you Kirsty.

He wouldn't turn around but way way off was this Buzzard.

Roasted tomatoes, avocado toast, poached eggs on toast followed by fresh fruit.

Onwards after brekkie.  We needed to go on a few miles to the next winding hole (Turning around place) then turn around, the guests are catching the 8:20am train in morning back to London and to work.  We needed to be back near to the car to get them to Crewe again.

So with the sun gleaming through the trees and the wind in our sails off we went again.  I love summer.

Now hands up if you think you could turn WaL around in this space below....?  

No?

Well had I been consulted I could easily have told the Captain there wasn't a hope in hells chance of getting around.  But no I wasn't and  wedged we well and truly got.  Bob on the pointy end with a barge pole pushing and shoving, Kirsty and I heaving like things possessed on the back end rope and David calling out more effort needed to all.   

The fun ended with under the breath mutterings from me and huffing.  But what it did mean was that we had to travel much further along the canal to the next winding hole.

Solar panels provide free energy..... 

See how lovely it all looked?  Then we arrived at Northwich.....

This Heron was on a gantry right over us.

I haven't been here before and it made a real contrast to the surrounding countryside.  Yonks ago it was salt works and today I think it was still manufacturing a salt derived product, but I can't remember what.

So finally turning, we would have to cruise later to get back to the car, but with heaps of crew it wasn't a problem.

Back at Middlewich this private boat was across the canal.  Kirsty and I jumped off with a mallet to fix it at exactly the same time as a hire boat approached it from the other side of it.  

The hire boat had many passengers and most of them had jumped off too to help.  It was quickly hauled in and luckily the pin was in the water at the end of the mooring rope.

The side hatch was open as was the back door, one young lady from the hire boat was a doctor and concerned that there were no replies from our all calling, she went inside to check that the owner wasn't unconscious on the floor.  Nope,  

no-one aboard, except for a large parrot walking about on the dining room table.   There was an iPad in clear view through the side hatch window, as was a large TV and the boat unlocked.

We all joked that the boat owners that the owners would never know our good deed.

We got to the next lock outside a pub, I was on the towpath and decided just to ask the drinkers alongside the path, if they had a boat around the corner...... the second couple I asked said it was their boat.  The one with the parrot?  I asked, the one with the open doors?  With the nice iPad and TV available?  Well Reader the lady looked a bit sheepish but that was all.  Amazing!

We had supper in the warm sunshine and on the back deck.  It was courgette and chorizo pasta.

A great day full of contrasts.

Please excuse the white back ground, it was a mistake but I simply can't face re-doing it tonight.  Apologies.