Change of Plan

happy hound

Lottie woke the Captain at 6.30 to go rabbit hunting. After breakfast she was keen to cruise so we were first away from the mooring. The Cheshire locks were built as pairs but some of the locks have become dilapidated and can no longer be used and a couple have been filled in. We met boats coming towards us at convenient times and moved through this spread out flight steadily until we met the hotel boat towing its butty.

A lot of ducklings to feed

The hotel boat captain told us that lock 10 on the Aston flight had a gate broken on Friday. It will take a couple of weeks to build and fit a new gate which means we cannot do the Cheshire ring as planned.
after studying the canal map we decided we could explore the Leeds and Liverpool instead.

Cygnets seem unafraid of thunder

We moored for lunch at Wheelock. By 1.30 dark clouds had amassed and within the hour it was raining. The Captain wasn’t going to get wet a second day running as there is no good mooring for hours after Wheelock due to a main road running immediately adjacent to the canal for miles. It brightened up by 3.00 so the Captain walked Lottie. She slipped through a gap in the wall and went exploring. Though he called she did not come back for some time. Eventually she charged back to him looking pleased with herself. She soon started shaking when the clouds rolled over us and thunder sounded in the distance but the cygnets and ducks were unconcerned as they crowded round our rear deck hoping to be fed.

hogging the sofa

The rain came down heavily and Lottie cowered in the corridor where she obviously felt safest. Storm over she returned to share the sofa with the Captain. eventually she pushed him into one corner and stretched out her legs dangling over the edge.

Its easy for the lurcher - she plays, rests and has occasional frights. However she doesn't have to check the bat is working, shop or decide which way we will head next. Who knows what we will do tomorrow or where we will go on this cruise.