Huffy Heron



Don't disturb me

I'm going

We woke to clear skies and sunshine.

“Blow it,” the Captain groaned while filling the stern gland greaser. “I’ve lost the cir-clip that holds the plunger in place.”

He searched for ages watched by a curious family of ducks then cast off – promptly spotting the tiny clip when coiling his rear rope.



Not you again!

We disturbed several herons which strangely always fly ahead of the boat, land, then look affronted as it approaches. Why don’t they fly in a short loop and land behind the boat?

 

Lottie enjoyed sunbathing at our lunch stop and was rather reluctant to continue her cruise, but she jumped on board when the Captain started the engine.

 

 

Sunny towpath

There were plenty of boats around this afternoon but we arrived at each lock without having to queue unlike the boats coming towards us. By the time we left one lock three boats had queued up behind us and four waiting to come down.

 

 

Tixall lock looked lovely in the sun with its old crane and colourful flower beds. Before long we entered a section of canal that was overshadowed by the adjacent railway line, but the canal soon resumed its rural face

 

Flower bed at Tixall Lock

 

We moored for the evening early to avoid mooring too close to the M6 which was a distant rumble. The grassy towpath was idyllic for Lottie as there were no animals in the nearby fields.

Overshadowed by the railway

Rural bliss