Our mooring in Rugeley was fine apart from the alarm that was going off in the derelict building opposite every couple of minutes. It was a high pitched tone that rang for about 1 minute and then waited for a short interval and then rang again. I know this because I was awake until gone 5am listening to it completely unable to sleep. Warning to boaters. Pull in to visit Tesco or Morrisons or get fish and chips before bridge 66. If you are staying the night move up towards bridge 67 and enjoy a quiet night. unless you have really good earplugs! The lady in the boat behind us thought she'd developed tinnitus!
There was a very brief shower about 9.30 but it only lasted moments, so I popped around to Tesco to get a paper and some bits and pieces that I forgot yesterday. We set off at 10.20 and the sky was pretty overcast.
How's this for an erection? it beats Kev's Christmas decorations on the marina which says something! If you don't know about Kev's erection then I'll put a picture of it on if I remember at Christmas. This is bigger.
For those who have travelled up the Trent and Mersey you will recognise this corner above Rugeley. The first time we met it, John had real problems getting around it, but now, knowing about it and with experience, we went around with ease. There was a lot of traffic coming the other way. We spent much of today's travel avoiding oncoming boats. The wind was strong again and the sun came out, and would then go in again as soon as we took our jumpers off. How does it know?
Another good size family of swans. As I was taking this I hadn't noticed a lady waiting for me to finish, how nice of her. She laughed and said she was avoiding spoiling the picture and then struck a funny pose. It's so nice to come across nice, smiley people, and generally around boats you tend to find them. Mind you when we come across the few boaters who keep eyes completely forward, and avoid meeting your gaze at all costs, we tend to make a face at each other and then fall about laughing. It's the little things in life that make it worthwhile.
From the bottom of Colwich Lock I spotted this beautiful delphinium. I'm not a gardener and never have been but I thought this was beautiful.
Lovely dog rose in another lock, not sure which one but it might have been Hoo Mill (love that name, makes me think of Dr. Seuss).
Spotted these two foals, not a horsey person but these were getting very agitated because the two adults were getting quite violent towards each other across a fence.
A PROPER goose, none of these horrible Canadian interlopers. The native ones are so much nicer. There were a few of these in a field with a flock of white domesticated geese. Lets campaign to annihilate all the Canadian ones - we saw none in Canada and I know why - they all live at Mercia Marina!
This is becoming a livestock blog not a boating one, sorry. Blame the new camera, it's making me try to take shots that I wouldn't have taken before, blame Ian and the camera club as well!
We spotted a small mooring, one of those in the middle of nowhere that are only long enough for one 62' boat, and are usually taken by a 30' boat moored in the centre. Despite it being earlier than planned we decided to moor and almost immediately we had a shower of rain so we felt justified in our decision. The rain didn't come to anything, and I was able to let Paddy have a free run along the towpath because there's no-one anywhere in the vicinity. He was in doggy heaven. When we got back he stayed outside and rolled around in the grass. I love it when he can run free and we don't have to worry about him.
We are alongside the salt marshes between bridges 77 and 78. We have seen 1 boat going past in our direction and about a dozen going the other way. How strange.
Well we have internet, and a radio. We have plenty of food and space for Paddy to run so if the rain comes tomorrow that is forecast, we'll just stay here........as I wrote that a boat went past and has moored behind us...... bugger, poor old Paddy, back on the lead.
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