It's all gorgeous.

The next morning was cooler,  a delightful change from the pretty extreme heat we have had these past days but who's complaining?

Lesley and Joe departed first and about 9-ish.  We did a bit of faffing and I guess followed on 20 minutes after.

We passed through Shackerstone and what I call the Crescent moorings, private moorings following the curve of the canal all along a large field.  In the field are the remains of a Motte and Bailey castle, I can't find much about the castle except it was almost certainly wooden and Medieval.  Interestingly, during the WW2 an air raid shelter was dug within and it is said that a rocking chair still remains in there.

Private moorings on the left all the way around.

The Motte, the Bailey is not evident at all.

David dropped me in the winding hole (turney around place) and I set off to meet him, by way of a tarmac lane, at Snarestone, which I did, I arrived first!

I walked on the lane as its easier on the feet than a towpath.

On way way look at this dense hedge, small birds were whizzing in and out of it.

A spot of farming news.  I forget what this is, David Lewis will tell me I'm sure, but it's early remembering that these two photos were taken a fortnight ago.

Heads on in early may

A light dusting of green, maize planted and coming up.  Its a bit dry for it.  The field was chained shut with largest padlock or I would have got closer.

So I arrived at Snarestone, I had time for a good gander at some new builds which I liked the look of in the grounds of what I took to be a dilapidated farm yard, further into the village was a cottage for sale which I also liked....

I'd promised my mum I'd pop into the knitting shop, part of a complex of wee shops just out of the village, but now the shops are gone and a nursery of the children variety has arrived.

Sorry mum.

I'd said that I would hop on at the tunnel for the last bit having marched my 10K steps, but there was no way he could pull in and the steps down were chancy of slipping and taking a dip at the bottom.

There's a path under there somewhere.

Steps if you believe me.

Out of sequence, but last time we were here, five years ago, David and I caught this wee bus down to Congerstone for lunch at the Horse and Jockey, where we were yesterday.  He has no memory of it so I took this to show him.

This last half a mile is so after the tunnel is incredibly pretty.  The blossom, the greens of fields and trees, the birds song, the butterflies and the canal speckled with the petals.

and here the open views, David appreciated this as he had been in a green wooded tunnel most of the way.

The next boat on the left is NB Hogarth.

We left no Git Gaps, later two others popped on behind us and several more went onto the new section past the footbridge.

We filled our evening by teaching "The Yars" Hearts and later it was reversed and The Yars taught us Cribbage.  It took me a good while to pick up Hearts which we played whenever our now Kiwi daughter and SIL visited the boat or at Christmas and I can tell you that sometimes, only sometimes, I don't come last.

Cribbage was another matter altogether.  I'm trying hard to learn as my mother plays, she has tried valiantly to teach me but it was a hopeless task.  

Lesley is unfailing in her efforts to make me understand and do the scoring.

Phew.