Baby and Belted's

So immediately before coming back to WaL we spent the weekend with all the Grandchildren together.  

Oh my goodness just look at that baby.....

A special day.

It was actually to have been in London but as the temperature predictions rose to 31C the venue was changed to the other daughters out of London house where it was  considerably cooler but still flippin' hot.

They are all well thank you for asking.

But we did drive back to London daughter's house, took the Poppets to nursery in the morning then made our way up country to Audlem and Overwater Marina.  

We unloaded the car, travelling light this time as most of the "Kit" was already onboard.  David departed to plant the car somewhere I didn't listen to and said he'd be two hours.

Marvellous.  I'd done most of the driving and wanted to, in the words of that Australian lady I met in Middlewich "Rest my ears".  I was thinking, make bed, fetch book and cup of tea and way before he was due to be, he returned.

So with the wind a little under gale force, he reversed WaL out of the longer pontoon, the wind caught it, he almost ended up on the duck island, lots of revving and it was brought back under control and we exited the very nice marina.

We chugged along to Coole Pilate intending to stop here for the night.  Moor up right opposite the Belted Galloways I called, I love to see them.  We did and they all immediately left that part of the field not to be seen again.  The photo I have used is of them when came past a fortnight ago. 

Supper was cheese on toast.

Lovely morning, clear and refreshingly cool.

Aren't they cute.

 

Lovely sunset at Coole Pilate.

The next morning pretty smartish we left there aiming for Hurleston Junction and the Llangollen Canal.  

Jeepers so nice to be cool after these mad high temperatures recently, I was wearing a coat.

As we approached Nantwich, there was a boat was coming towards us and then very suddenly he pulled right across our path.  David slammed WaL into reverse, as you can imagine there was a lot of engine noise, we went behind him and he asked something like if we were alright and then indignantly said we should have waited for HIM!  Now David and I were a trifle surprised by this claim.  

I called over asking if he would have done that manoeuvre driving a car?  A fair question, he replied that he doesn't drive.

So we can all rest easy in our beds.

We followed a hire boat the rest of the way at a distance.  They were slow but we were not in any hurry, they turned left after the bridge to the Hurleston Flight of locks, I said to David to drop me well short of the locks so I can cross the bridge and prep the lock which we did, as I went over the bridge the hire boat was completely out of position and trying to recover, I did momentarily wonder if they were turning but I went to prep the lock anyway.  A few minutes later they were back alongside the landing and she joined me opening the lock gates.

She tentatively asked who was going in first...

Why you are I said, you were first.

Oh okay thank you, only the other day another boat completely pushed in front of us in a queue.

I was quite shocked.

They were ANOTHER lovely couple from NZ, living in Australia but going home to live in NZ again.  My heart always jumps a bit when I meet Kiwi's as my beloveds are now living there.

We were soon up and everso carefully crept past a line of boats waiting to come down the locks.  We moored up and it was only then we noticed a familiar aroma....  

Not everyone's favourite but the local farm was muck spreading.

Supper was roast chicken and chips. 

Gorgeous golden light on the bridge as the sun went down.

Another pretty sky but can you smell the muck?