My Best Photo maybe ever

So the Fine Company had departed for another year.  It always feels so odd from having a boat-full to being 

'Á Deux' but thats how it is.

I've included this balloon that went over us last evening after they had all departed.  A sign of summer for sure.

Today the task was to proceed along the wonderful Worcester to Birmingham canal.  It really is wonderfully beautiful, especially in the sun.

Call me a luddite but if god intended us to go up in a basket under a handkerchief and a candle, he'd have made us with wings.

W to B, beautiful all the way.

A bit reedy.....

Small tunnel, not many drips though.

We needed a pump out, badly needed, this was the first place we came to.  David called out to a man on a hire boat, he was operating the pump out.....  could he have one?  
"Not today" ummmm... blast it David said to me that it's ten minutes work and £18 you'd think he'd say yes, well as if by magic or the man thought the same thing, he called out "Yes!!!"

So old clever clogs reversed WaL into a narrow slot, with a boat moored up opposite without touching another boats.  I really have a way to go on this boat driving malarky.

David reversed into this gap.  I was impressed!

Back on our way to the Reedy place.  This boat waited nicely for us to come through....

I guess they are soft.

A flash of colour, EVEN David saw this one.

He flew on a bit and landed on this branch, look carefully....

Almost my best photo this year.....

My best photo this year.  Stunning birds, a bit over exposed, sorry.

Coming along nicely, both of us in sun hats, this was one of the first of about twelve locks in a flight to do today.  I did the first and struggled a bit.  I don't understand why they are hard work, they are singles, not terribly deep but they are hard.

David did them. 

Amazing sunflowers at this lock.

Beautiful flowers both sides.

Lovely open views.

The locks were closer together now so out came MY BIKE.

Me leaving one lock and he opening the next, he then has to cycle back to shut the gate behind me.

This man watched me like a hawk..... I called to him "Not bad eh?" he said not at all bad, I cheekily called back "For a woman!"

Now Reader, if you can get your hands on this vintage small bale baler, its a licence to print money, Horsey women love these small bales but today they are like Gold Dust, David had this type of baler years and years ago ......

So this is where we rocked up, The Queens Head at Stoke Pound     HERE.  We had been told a horror story by friends Lesley & Joe off NB Yarwood  HERE  that having done at least the  twelve locks, they arrived here at the foot of the Tardebigge Flight, there was no room on the moorings so in the afternoon they had to do the whole flight, there is nowhere to moor in these pounds.  We didn't want to risk that, so we had arrived soon after lunch, only two other boats here, one of which was facing away from the flight.

So Reader if you don't know, this flight is 30 Locks, Phew.

We had our usual cunning plan which was to go at the crack of dawn, so gaining the advantage of the locks emptying overnight....

But first lets join the crowds and have a drink at The Queens Head.  Reader I bet there were two thousand people there, there was a queue for a garden table!!!!  It was a boiling hot Bank Holiday Monday and a very enjoyable atmosphere for sure, but wanting to sit down we left.  By evening the moorings were full with all the new boats facing uphill.  Can't risk missing that first slot, put the alarm on even earlier David!!!

We sat in the sun all evening and had a very early night.