Flaming row and a dear deer.

while I grapple with WiFi problems.  We are at home and simply have no WiFi at all.  

It's not at all annoying.  We had one visit from a BT chap who said the the minimum speed BT guarantee is 12 something's and whilst he was here he measured 2 something's.  So that is the situation, barely enough to power the phone and certainly not for two phones.

Another BT chap coming out ASAP.

So just now I'm having another bash at blogging on my phone which is just about okay as David isn't here using all the WiFi.

So where were we?  Oh yes.  Bunbury, well the next morning we set off in really lovely sunshine and it got better all day.  David had already moved the car and cycled back so in the heat of the day we were never going to do a very long day.

This section down from Bunbury Locks is really beautiful, that is to say fairly open with views across, undulating low hills with cattle and sheep, but fundamentally it's May, all is fresh bright greens and very lush, my absolutely favourite month.  

Another boat came into view behind us when we were already in the lock, I yelled to them are you coming in?  Indistinguishable reply... Are you coming in I yelled again still unclear, but in I had emptied the bottom lock, this is to allow the water from the top lock to fill the second lock as you descend.  So feeling a tad miffed that although a hire boat they were not communicating adequately,  

"Yes" finally was a response...

They then completely hashed the approach after dropping one crew member so by this time I had refilled the lock, David was irritated by them not responding but worst of all the crew member didn't bring a windlass with her.  From the stern of the hire boat came " Reverse reverse! FOR GODS SAKE!!!"

So now maybe twenty minutes or so after I had first called to them they were in the lock with the gates shut but due to the leakage the bottom lock had filled up.  By now the the other two crews were off the boat but not one had a windlass!

I said well I'm going to need one of you with one of with one of these waving my windlass in the air, with that nothing... But the Anglo Welsh manager came out and he worked the locks with me.

Unknown to me David was talking to the helm,  they'd been out for a week together and had not gone well, to such an extent the helm had been put off boating completely.  None of the crew spoke but kept the eyes down walking in different directions.

I said to David later that I hoped they had arrived at Bunbury in separate cars.....

Finally the BT man came today.  He says he's got the speed up to 15 somethings.  He was originally from Jordan, he said the signal in this country is the worst in Europe.  My daughter has said that in New Zealand last year when on her brother-in-laws boat three miles off land she gets a strong 4G signal, that would be nice n'est pas?

We had some company in some of the locks but if memory serves me well this is the Iron Lock, the walls of the double lock are distorted now so only single boats advised to go in.  Did I say it was hot?  Well along the way came a runner he had a number on, ran over the bridge over the canal and away over the adjacent field, then another appeared and then a dozen more.  One stopped momentarily and I asked him where he was going, Malpas to Frodsham doing the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge run, this was an "Ultra" run of 34 miles, 55 kilometres!!!!  It was sweltering but oh golly what an amazing feat.

 

Gorgeous scenery.

A passing boater yelled across to us there's a deer on the hill!  Slightly disbelieving I started peering through the greenery and yes here it was, I presume guarding a fawn as she didn't budge.  But there was pretty high fencing along this section so I'm sure it is a venison farm, I hope no one is squeamish.

Not a ghastly Canadian but a single Greylag Goose

So we passed a field and saw this machine in action, David called it a forage wagon, but the difference is that it picks up the mown grass for silage and chops it without a forage harvester machine.  A step on from our own farm where we had a forage harvester plus trailers.

So this was the end of the day for us.  As with all the other boats from both directions that day, the Shady Oak Pub with a large garden and wonderful views of Beeston Castle.

A lovely afternoon for me relaxing with a new book.  We spoke briefly to another boater, he and his wife had brought their boat out from Tattenhall Marina down the canal, he'd previously had an ocean going boat after leaving the navy.  He started a holiday cottage rental business and it was so successful they had added their own home to the rental portfolio so lived onboard for the summer.  They had done this for a number of years now but still hadn't done a lock just coming out of the marina, coming along to here and returning via the nearby winding hole.

No judgements from me.

No Git Gaps here.

A most relaxing afternoon and warm evening.  A change in the forecast tomorrow I fear.