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.