A close shave and Elon Musk

What I forgot to tell last night that it was so warm, that after lights out in bed I asked David to take the bungs out to help with air flow, he aimed it at the floor but there was a tinkling sound as something hit the floor, "I've no idea what that was" he said before dropping off.

This morning, despite him getting up early, something made me look down and there was my engagement ring by the radiator, half an inch from the hole for the pipes.  So close to losing it forever.

So this morning we were going to go the whole way to Llangollen, despite bloody foot and see how we go.

Leaving the gorgeous tended mooring.

The hire boat operative held his nerve here and no bumps either side.

 Well it was a very scenic cruise literally with the Welsh hills coming into view in the distance.

CART's wild flowers are going great guns.

Have you ever seen so many ducks sitting in a row, I couldn't capture them all in one shot.

The forecast was heavy rain later in the afternoon so with one eye on the satellite and the other looking for a mooring as far on as possible we carried on until the sky darkened, what about here? says I looking at a straight section with armco and even space for the solar if ever the sun should come out.... No I want to go a bit further says he.  David is the sort of man who likes a gamble, especially on a homeward journey and the petrol light is on red.  

I think I just felt rain says I....

Oh bloody hell alright then, here.  Exactly where I had suggested before.

This was happening, then thunder

Well the tow path was a slope down to the water, so much so to attach the nappy pin or mooring hook if you prefer David had to lie flat with me holding the belt in his trousers to moor us up.  That was a first! But it did the job, tonneau cover on the back and minutes later prolonged heavy rain which we all desperately need.

Later lightening and masses of thunder.

Supper was simple, breaded  fish and peas.

This morning, we were late up, 05:30, leaving at 05:50, similar operation to remove the nappy pin and we were away.  Creeping past other moored boats as quietly as we could.  One boat without any sign of life that morning was NB Naughty Lass, Robbie Cummin's boat 'im off the telly.  

Almost night time but we were away.

Fab house, prettiest of the day.

NB Naughty Lass, no sign of life but there again, I'd still be in bed....

First view of the Chirk viaduct.

I was playing around with the shadows here, but the valley id lovely.

This was a first too.

David's shadow.

Chirk aqueduct was a bit of a doddle, its built up both sides with a pavement one side and a wide wall the other. 

The horror came next.  

This is our third trip to Llangollen so at least 6th time over this, does it get easier.....?

Absolutely not.  Completely worse.

A hire boat in front of us was finishing at Trevor.

Pontcysllte Aqueduct.  Pavement one side.

Absolutely nothing the other.  I felt as if we were being sucked onto that edge and going over any second.

View to the north, the river Dee just coming into view

Oh dear god look how high we are.

I couldn't bare to look down any closer to the edge.

We didn't meet any other boats until we were on the last leg that is to say turned at Trevor and about half a mile along.

We easily saw a flock of Kayakers', they looked nervous and we came to an almost halt while they scrambled to the edge tow path side.  They had a shepherd and he passed last herding them along, then off we set again not too fast then Horror of Horrors at the very last second and I don't say that lightly there was another kayak that had inexplicably gone 90 degrees to WaL and was almost under our bows, David saw them at the last second and slammed WaL into reverse, we hit the off side and went aground and the shepherd came haring back.

Well in the kayak was a mum and child and I have never been so frightened on WaL as that day with the "What If's".

The mum apologised, the shepherd too, he said he only took his eyes off them for a second.  We had assumed that he was the last to pass and I reckon in small panic the mum had paddled one side, the child perhaps frozen  so went across us instead of to the side.

Phew.

Next three boats were coming towards us (Oh did I say this was all on a slight bend?)  the first one pulled in seeing the situation... by now WaL's bow was across the canal in David's efforts to get off the shallows.  The second boat just kept coming as boats often do when faced with a situation, they just keep coming instead of stopping, well he went bow into the towpath and stern across the canal.

The first boat rescued the entire situation by getting off his boat, his  

able wife taking the helm and slipping past WaL, he then pulled in the hireboat then we slipped past the third boat on the wrong side.

Phew.  After all that I needed a sit down.

Gorgeous scenery, what the heck is that coming?

So here they are clutching the sides, can you see the mother and child across the bows?  No nor could we.  We then went aground

I can't remember passing any other boats, the bloody foot wasn't too bad so I walked the mile I think it was through the narrow sections.

There are two narrow sections, the first of which closest to Trevor has a few passing places, the last one does not so crews should walk ahead to stop other boats entering until your boat has cleared.

Two Day Boats were coming and happily moored up to wait the five or six minutes before David was out.

Two day boats happily pulled over to allow WaL (Nose just coming into view)

Two sections of narrows, this is the second section without any passing places.

Finally into the basin.  £13 a night now, by agreement to stay longer than the strictly enforced previously, two nights regardless of if the basin was empty.

Demanding food with menaces.

We got to the basin and decided on a mooring, plugged into the leckkie and had a nap.

For those interested in timings, we left our mooring between bridge 15 and 16 at 05:50

We arrived at Trevor at 9am and arrived at the basin in Llangollen at 11:20.

Now for some reason my ancient laptop is not allowing me to load any photos.  I don't know why and in the absence of Amanda as my IT tech support I will try tomorrow at home.

We are leaving WaL in the capable hands of Swanley Marina for a repaint, finally that is.

So when I get home I'll another go at loading photos.

Well the photos have loaded I'm glad to say, perhaps it was an internet dip.  There were plenty of those in Shropshire.  Going back I met a lay preacher who has a Starlight on the roof of his boat.  He said he loathes paying Mr Elon Musk each month but it is brilliant.  I certainly would have an issue giving Mr Musk any more than £1.50 an month...

Back in a few weeks.

TTFN.

    

"What a charming wife you have" says I.

 So the reason we went in the car today to Llangollen is firstly David loves it there and it's his special day and secondly my foot has had to make us change our plans, I can't see any point in us going to Llangollen in the boat when I can hardly walk around and the basin is up a hill.  With with reluctance we have decided to turn WaL at Frankton Junction, that is where the Montgomery canal joins this one and retrace our steps.

David fetched the car to the layby right here and off we drove down lanes with grass growing in the middle, always a bad sign to me.

Well soppy Google took us on a short cut (Doesn't it always?) and we ended up trying to make a right hand turn onto the A5 which took us far far longer than the short cut would have saved but that's progress for you and my silly fault for not going by the map.  I always say David and I prefer a map and an argument to Google.

Sadly the Eisteddfod was last weekend, today was a Saturday, the first weekend of the summer holidays and it was sunny.  These factors all made for tricky parking close to the centre, the fact that Davids favourite place The Corn Mill was chockablock and who else has noticed the wasps this year?  Well there were more wasps than people today.

We walked to another place for a riverside drinks hoping to return to the Corn Mill when we figured most people will have eaten and gone.  

Last visit here I went into an art place looking for a card for my sister and came out with a gorgeous tall pottery vase, yellow  with hand painted flowers on.  I found the shop by accident that time, but next door were the most abundant and colourful flower boxes.  We found the shop and I chose a wee floral bud vase in pinks and David chose a coffee mug.  Obviously no woman in their right OCD mind could have one mug so we brought a pair, pink and blue, his and hers.  Sadly the only surprise I got him I'd left at home.

Our daughter Koo wanted me to throw a surprise party for him....  Of course I asked him straight away and he positively shrank at the thought.  We will celebrate with all the family later in August when we are home.

The view from the town bridge of what I thought was a boatload of teenagers.... turned out they were older than David and that's saying something.

No one died or anything.... well today that is.

I suggested to David that we do this two years ago, I think it's something to do with him not being a strong swimmer that puts him off.

This years amazing box.

Two years ago amazing box.

Well my idea worked of delaying going to eat and when we got back David found a table in a great position on the deck overlooking the river.  We decided and he went into order.

Sorry the kitchens are overwhelmed and we are only taking orders for booked tables, we are fully booked.

Oh dear oh dear.  No plan B.

We finished our drinks in sombre mood, then David said you go in and try.

David is of the view that I can charm the birds off the trees....

Well I had a go and spoke to the Maitre D', got a table, by the window ( We watched the poor outside folks flapping the wasps) the table had to be retuned in 90 minutes and we had a delightful meal.  Seems David is right about me!

I thanked the Maitre D' profusely needless to say.

When we got back to the boat that evening and I sat down on what has become my routine...

I said actually David, shall we just go anyway?  I can buy a pack of peas from the Co-op there and sit in a cafe if it needs it.

So change of plan and we set off in the morning.

Where has all the signal gone?

The next morning after a damp start, all rain welcome,  we set off again.  The bloody foot not too bad this morning.  From here above the locks at Grindley, it's a lock free run for miles, but five annoying lift bridges to do in a relatively short distance.  I managed to do them getting off WaL very gingerly.  

I am always reminded of Pauline from NB Waterlily, she is a young slip of a thing and with gay abandon leapt off  her boat on the Thames, slipped down a hole, broke her ankle, husband Neil had to carry her back onboard, (That alone would have killed my husband carrying me, I think he'd of dragged me) and then get her to the nearest hospital.

Did the first bridge, no problem, did the second as it was under repairs and chained open. At the third David just about avoided a private boat haring towards him and the uplifted bridge.... the other boat finally reversed to avoid a collision and after WaL had gone though called to "Sorry I supposed I should of waited!!"

Third bridge was down but a single hander was there and waiting for another boat to come and operate it for her... I was slightly miffed as I would have quite liked someone to do one for me, but there was virtually no pull in space for a single hander to operate it, for non boaters, single handers have to tie up on the wrong side, here there was no space just one bollard to tie your front rope to, scramble off the boat, operate the bridge, scramble back onboard, drive the boat through, tie up the back of the boat on to one bollard, scramble off through the nettles, lower the bridge and chug away.

After all the bridges my foot was aching. 

I had been trying to book flights, I haven't told my mother yet but we are going back to New Zealand after Christmas to visit our daughter Verity, son-in-law Mitchell and the baby Xanthe, frequently flyers to this blog with remember that I went our last August to help after her birth, well she's almost a year now, we'll miss her party but...  

The internet along this canal and from what I can remember the Shropshire Union canal was hopeless last time we were here.  During the course of the phone call to the agent, we were cut off several times.  I said to the agent that if necessary David would drive me to a bigger town tomorrow so I could get signal.

So we arrived at Ellesmere.  David took the bike and did a flit to Tesco while I sat with ice on bloody foot and tried to download the required App into which all the tickets and boarding passes (and payment!) must be made.  Call me old fashioned but I like the ticket in my wallet....

Now I know it's hard to see but this is armco, these are trees that we believe have been cut back previously and now sprouting with vigor.  Unchecked (Or killed off) this will surely damage the armco.

I think I said that we were moored up in a town and the penny dropped with the agent that we weren't at home, I bet she thought I was mad saying David will drive me to get signal!

We moored a little further on outside Ellesmere, by a house in which lives an ex-boater.  He likes having the line of moorings and indeed chatted to David for some considerable time.  He mows the towpath here, has a big Buddleia which was covered in butterflies, has regular moorers on and there's a long layby too for many dog walkers and boaters too.

A mooring made in heaven.

Quite a lots of examples of this along this section.

The first lift bridge done.

So can you see the nose of the boat that was approaching, at speed, to the bridge and finally reversed....

What a darling bijou pied-a-terre. 

What the heck it that?

A close up, I'm pretty sure it's a giant pasta maker.

I like ducks, I used to keep Aylesbury ducks but I've never seen black ducks.  I might get some David.

Despite being overcast it was very very warm today and I felt for this guy wrapped head to foot in thick plastic.

Frozen peas, there was quite a bit of this going on, it actually did work.

Fabulous mooring, solar, mowed grass.

 

Supper was salmon pasta.  David really likes that one.  

Tomorrow is his BIG birthday, we are going out for a jaunt after we have watched the first British Lions match.

Leaving Wrenbury

 My foot.

Now the back story to .... my foot.

Last August when I returned from New Zealand after caring for our youngest daughter, her new baby and husband Mitchell, my foot started to hurt, actually both of them.

I thought it must be something to do with flying, swollen ankles and new shoes, but I didn't have swollen ankles.  I ignored it pretty much.  I bet a few of you can guess.... agony in the morning getting out of bed, it slightly wearing off, then after lunch and a sit down agony again.  Plantar Fasciitis. 

Saw a physio, got the spiky ball, got the stretchy elasticated support sock and still it persisted.

Eleven months later is better but not gone..... Until today.

I stood up and cried out in pain but a different pain, a new and exciting pain.  

Marvellous.

I was supposed to be doing to lift bridges but as I got off the boat oh so gently and limped I got back onto the boat and stayed onboard to the bridges.  I managed to limp to operate them keeping my heel raised and my toes down.

Well I took pain killers and had it up on the seat and it was bearable to limp at the locks although I must say David begged me to let him do them.

First lock of the day.

Now look carefully and you will see a bird in the water, it flew low over the boat and landed in front of WaL, I thought it was a duck, then it popped up right beside the rudder for seconds, diving down and reappearing by the rudder again.  Very hard to catch in photos but it was keeping up with us underwater at 3 miles an hour.  Remarkable.  Stayed with us for several hundred yards too, I saw it gobble two fish.   

Finally leaving us at a bridge hole. 

I think a Cormorant.

Coming up at Grindley Brook.

We pulled in at the services, David did several loads of detritus from the back lockers, he found something "He couldn't find for ages"  obviously he's one of those men that look with their eyes shut but I didn't say that. 

I had taken to the sofa and was popping more pills.  I pretty much stayed there for the afternoon.  

The view from the boat tonight.

David moved WaL down the visitor moorings to a gap in the trees for the solar, rain due tomorrow morning.  Foot will be better by then I'm sure....

Supper was that tasty salmon and pasta dish we love.

Movement

We have a hole in our cratch cover.  Very annoying, but it's actually undoing stitching not a tear.  I had called the maker but they were not going to be coming to Great Haywood for weeks.  So we have come away with it.

I got the name of "Cratch Cover and Canopies" from the nice people at Swanley and called them.  Today we unplucked the cratch cover, picked off the spiders and bird poo, folded it as best we could and took it in the car back to Nantwich Marina where this company are based.  Well Reader what fabulous people and they fixed it while we waited.  Bish bash bosh.  I had thought while it was in there David and I could go food shopping in Nantwich but no seconds later we were on our way.

I can't recommend them highly enough.

So now we popped into the chandlery there and brought a new nose fender as WaL's is old, bashed, falling apart and held on with one of Joe's old bootlaces.  

Then food shopping, whizz whizz and back to WaL to stow it all away in the fridge.

Then big treat of the day, visiting Marbury and The Swan pub.  So we have come here as part of David's Big Birthday celebrations.  There are lovely long moorings here but taking advice from other boaters about the numbers of Horseflies around on these meadow moorings, we decided to dodge that and pass Marbury by.

The food is wonderful here, the service, the garden all lovely.

The walls of the pub are covered with many pictures that I liked, here are a few.  

The first reminds me of Wimbledon.

Walking around the village after lunch we came by the church, if you go behind it there is a bench.

We sat.

Looking over this small lake, there's David on the bench, and the bench is on a grave or vault.  I hope the occupants don't mind.

Back to Wrenbury and we are cruising tomorrow!

Beaut sky tonight.