Damp Day

Opposite the water point

Filling with water

We woke to the patter of light rain on the roof. By 8.45 it was brighter so we set off after breakfast. For the first hour the drizzle was so light I could barely feel it and the deck was drying.

Come on she's got something

As soon as the Captain passed the last mooring before the locks it started to rain. I found myself steering down an even tighter cutting than yesterday’s with even fewer passing places. Fortunately the only boat I met timed it so that we met at a passing place. Just after 11.00 we moored at the visitor mooring close to the locks.

The Captain insisted it would be a dry afternoon after checking the weather forecast but my trusty barometer hadn’t shown much improvement for today. After a couple of hours the Captain decided to move on as we need food supplies so we started locking in light drizzle. As the day was warm without much wind the drizzle didn’t affect us much.

Feed us!

cygnet tucking in while swan waits in vain for bread

We locked down the flight of five and the rain stopped. We filled with water opposite another covered loading bay. The local swans came over demanding food and at first seemed perplexed when I fed them swan pellets and seed rather than the expected bread. The cygnets caught on quickly and tucked in fishing under the surface for the seed as they sank slowly. Eventually the adult swans stopped asking for bread and tucked in, but by then my supply of seed had run out. Why don't more people feed these birds grain?

After filling the tank (and the cygnets) we cruised round the corner and moored up at a pleasant spot where the town’s gardens backed onto the canal. 

Following the Captain's cuppa we got ready for the long trek into town. Luck favoured us as beside our mooring was a sign pointing to the town and the path it sent us on was much quicker than walking back to the bridge and following the road.



was that it?

At 4.00 the weather was lovely so the Captain cast off to move closer to Adderley locks and find a rural overnight mooring for Lottie. We finally stopped after bridge 66 where there was plenty of space and a wide towpath. Tomorrow we face two flights of locks – if it doesn’t rain.

 




Let's have grass for dessert