Lost Log Lament

 

Is there anyone coming towards us?

Passing is tight on narrow sections

Mother duck on the lookout

The day did not start well. The Captain could not find his log for our boat. He searched while we packed then we set off for the boat. The journey up was trouble free but the log wasn’t there. After much huffing and moaning the Captain started writing his log on some file paper.

"I won't know when I repacked the stern gland or when the engine service is due now," he groaned.





chicks hiding in the long grass

We cast off at 3.00 with sunshine but a keen wind kept us cool. We met a lot of boats; three in the narrowest places around Armitage. The first time we reversed and nearly went aground. The second time we met at a narrow bridge on a blind corner. Both captain’s reversed and politely waited for the other to go through. It was all very polite and friendly. The third time we met a posh boat in the narrow cutting after the railway bridge. The posh boat’s captain reversed skilfully back into wider water on seeing our less than perfect paintwork.

 

I was delighted by the young cygnets, duckings and moorhens and found their different attitudes to their young striking. The male swan guards his lady and cygnets while the mother duck copes alone, quacking loudly if one chick gets separated until it reappears. The young moorhens are delightful fluff balls but hard to catch on camera as they hide in the deep foliage along the canal.

 

On mooring up the Captain played with his new phone and checked the weather for the next day while I listened sceptically after checking our trusty barometer.



Keep together everyone