Ducking the Downpour!



All's well - so far

dodging showers

The day started overcast but bright with gusts of wind. We set off to see how far we got before having to moor for lunch or rain as the barometer has dropped back to wet. The forecast makes today wetter than yesterday (easily done) and tomorrow horribly wet so we hope to get through the locks today. We made it to Gurnett aqueduct then moored as the sky blackened.  

brightening up

After some rain it brightened so we set off again and managed another mile before a black cloud blew over. We moored just as it dumped its contents on us and sheltered as it lashed down. Half an hour later it was sunny again so off we went. This time we cruised for over an hour before mooring up and diving inside. The rain soon passed over and we headed to the top of the locks.

Weather closing in

As we passed the last moorings we were committed to the flight of locks even if the weather turned nasty. We have done the Hatton flight in the rain and never want to do a half day of soggy locking again. The equipment is harder to use and the ground is slippery making locking harder and more dangerous.

looking up again

The first two locks down were fine. We chatted to some walkers and all was well but as the boat entered the third lock the rain lashed down. The walkers fled for cover but by the time we cleared the lock the rain stopped as suddenly as it began.

I want BREAD

The rest of the descent was incident and rain free apart from a brief shower half way down. We moored at the bottom at the visitor moorings with good views across the fields. At least we have a pleasant mooring if the weather is awful tomorrow. Two ducks came quacking for food outside our window even though our dog barked at them. They were so persistent that I threw out some duck food - a mixture of seed and special pellets. For a minute the drake looked at me as if to ask "where is the bread," while the female tucked in eagerly clearly knowing that too much bread is bad for a duck. The drake soon caught on and even seemed to be enjoying the seed once he had got over his first disappointment. It is sad that ducks get so much bread thrown for them when seed would give them more nutrition.