Spring hail

a good start

sunshine after the hail stones

The weather forecast was rotten with chances of heavy rain and hail but we headed to the boat. We unpacked at the Marina in sunshine (as inky cloud blew away) with an excited dog. I unloaded our supplies while the Captain, who was nursing a sore shoulder and other aches, walked Lottie, to avoid her attacking the trolley.

will the hail return?

After pumping out (it is lovely to have a sweet smelling toilet) we set out late afternoon even though dark clouds smudged the horizon expecting to cruise for up to an hour before they struck. 

Immediately on reaching the canal I walked the loopy Lurcher who jumped and wove round the puddles. While I slithered through thick mud along she herded several ducks back into the water but did not follow them in. Within minutes the wind strengthened and I was attacked by horizontal sleet and snow. This was supposed to be a spring cruise! Lottie hated the hail but there was no way of bringing the boat close to the bank so we walked to the next bridge.

Armitage Tunnel

By the time we got  back on board the storm had blown over and the sun returned to melt the hailstones that had heaped up on the back deck. Although our control lever was very stiff we meandered towards to Rugeley with Lottie leaning far over the water to see what lay ahead. Spring flowers where abundant and the fields were verdant.

As Lottie and I walked ahead to check the roofless Armitage tunnel was empty the winds rose again. Fortunately by the time we were clear of the tunnel the storm had gone as swiftly as it arrived. The Captain moored in a quiet spot on the far side of Rugeley, not far from the bloody steps where a gruesome murder of a young woman called Christine took place back in the days of horse drawn barges.

peace after the tunnel

The night was peaceful apart from Lottie demanding her quilt was put back over her, even though the fire burnt slowly.