No owls.

Off we trotted the next morning down to do the locks, it was about 8am and no boats in sight.  A few had come down the locks the previous day but only a few.  You might be aware Reader that much further down the canal there had been a serious landslip close to Brinklow Marina.  It had happened in February and was due to be opened in a few days time....  I had seen some video footage on Youtube and frankly thought it impossible that CART and its contractors could possibly get it cleared.

HERE 

The scale of it was staggering.  So this morning doing the Atherstone flight of locks I talked to the volunteers who said the same as the CART website, that the opening was due on the Friday 17th May 2024.  I was still uncertain that this was achievable.

As we got to towards the top of the flight one of the volunteers came out to say that yes it was opening on Friday (A few days time) and that from Monday 20th May it would be restricted hours to allow the ground work to be completed.

Terrific work.  When you see the task on Youtube you'll understand enormity of it. 

Atherstone Flight has been very quiet as you might imagine, the Boaters who needed to get to Crick or elsewhere have made taken other routes, via Birmingham, but now our own trip is back on target so to speak.

WaL entering the second lock.

Ox-Eye daisies, I've loved these for years.  Last year David planted a packet of seeds for me.  My mother nurtured them for me while we were away and David planted them out  and what a lovely show for spring they made.  They were very happy and have seeded all over the garden, all over my mothers garden and I predict the entire neighbourhood before much longer.

It might have been an error.

Pretties.

The path is strewn with the petals of the hawthorne blossom, its like confetti and looks gorgeous, however in a few days it will all be brown.

I call this Queen of the Meadow, also so pretty.

Someone has done lovely planting on the towpath, so attractive.

Nearly at the top.  A most enjoyable morning.

We said our farewells to the friendly crew of volunteers and headed on.  Not too far but passing a marina this chap popped up from nowhere, he followed us for a distance and then suddenly he'd gone so we didn't get to see where he was going and what he was doing.

 

We moored up at lunchtime enjoying on of the best moorings on the Coventry.

There was reading and knitting to be done in time for this new baby's arrival.

This was the afternoons mooring.  I kept being distracted by the view.

This was sunset.  I was disappointed not to hear any owls at night time.

Supper was chicken salad with pear surprise and cream afterwards.  The surprise is that it was apricot flapjack, I made a traybake of it so fingers crossed it will last a while.

Sadly I didn't hear a single owl that evening.  I hoped we would have.