David I can hardly move.

I found this that I had meant to include yesterday talking about the flowers.  These are not special flowers by any means but very lovely in the sunshine with the butterflies too, in clumps they were growing with Forget-me-knots and in other patches with what looked like to my untrained eye a magenta orchid type thingy which if I did take a photograph of its now vanished.

So we set off at a decent time in the morning, not too early...  We just had the run down to Audlem, a couple of hours.  

As we pushed off, although we had looked behind, we did "Push out" slightly in front of an oncoming boat.  Not immediately in front of you understand but close enough to be annoying to them.

It was a bit breezy but nothing like yesterday, the sun shone, I had my factor 50SPF face cream on to prevent a beetroot look-a-like face and it was a most pleasant run down to the two Hack Green Locks.  We were fortunate to have a boat leaving the lock as we approached.  Waiting there was a nice lady walking a lively Cocker Spaniel, a year old and the lady had passed us by before we set off so she had walked the doggie a good couple of miles.  She said "Oh I was expecting my husband to be here before you"

I apologised and said it was unfortunate that he appeared just as we had freed the ropes, 

She laughed and said oh its alright and we had a chuckle.  We also had the benefit of another boat coming down so they had to wait twice...

We arrived at Audlem and had already decided to moor at the very bottom of the flight which is everso slightly split into two sections with a water point after two locks going up.  We had postponed getting water (See yesterday's post) and I was a bit twitchy about running out, David just says it'll be fine there's plenty... So reluctantly we didn't fill up.  

But there are only moorings for maybe two boats after the water, under trees (Yuk), if they are taken then there's a chance of mooring in a pound further up the flight but its more crowded and I like the view at the very bottom over to the River Weaver, but if the pound moorings are full then you are committed to doing the entire flight.  

We did a bit of faffing, had a late breakfast, a bit more faffing and then some swearing from the stern of WaL where I David was tidying up.  He'd gone into one of the stern lockers and saw that the huge tin of black paint we use for the gunwales had popped it's lid, overflowed at the lid and all over the floor of the locker.  Great.

He had it on his hands and shirt when I got there, then the new mats had some, the mallet too "For gods sake stop touching things" I calmly instructed ummmm

Well with the help of latex gloves I just happened to have onboard and my nail varnish remover, lots of kitchen roll and several bin liners,  a complete disaster was avoided.

He finally sat down in our cratch with a coffee, and tipped one of my cushions into his cup flicking coffee on the new carpet, himself and the cushion cover.

I was hearty sick of the sight of him by now.

Later we got changed to go have very late lunch or conversely very early supper at the Lord Combermere Pub here.  I cannot go past this place, its a great favourite    HERE  

Our overnight mooring unbeknown to us we had snuck out in front of another boat..

 

The food was terrific as usual, I had fig and goats cheese tart so much cheese I shared it with David, then the slow cooked pork shoulder which completely melted in the mouth.  Sadly I couldn't face a dessert, I could hardly move. 

I waddled back to the boat and slept soundly.

We must go again.