We had a walk around Lechlade and it was mostly a typical Cotswold village with lots of lovely warm golden stone buildings with stone roofs in many cases, but this old coaching inn went against the trend with the chequerboard brickwork.
Some lovely gargoyles on the Church which WAS in the local stone that I'd expected.
As we were leaving our mooring at the pub (nice meal by the way) this was looking over to where we had been moored - we'd seen the cows coming over last night and were very pleased that we'd moved, although there is a boat in almost exactly the same place we were in. The boat in front is obviously a local permanent moorer because they had an electric fence erected around their mooring!
Father Thames reclines next to the top navigable lock. He seems pleased with what he sees!
It's confirmed - I do have a thing about skies! This was just an unusual cloud pattern and it also shows that the sun has been shining on us and we have enjoyed a few beautiful days. Unfortunately that has meant horse flies. John has got away without any and I have three. Guess who wears the repellent? John insists that they like it and I'm beginning to wonder. It's from Neal's Yard and was quite expensive but came highly recommended. I may not buy any more.
John was taken with these gates on the way up, but I'd missed them (probably on tea duty) but I caught them on the way down. Strangely they don't lead anywhere, and merely open onto the front section of garden that is unapproachable apart from the river, and there's no landing jetty. Answers on a postcard please.
I took this with the zoom lens but haven't done any editing. We have had these going over most of the way up and down. They are out of Brise Norton apparently, if that's not the spelling it's because John's off looking at the Pitt Rivers Museum (and I'm not!).
Not something you see everyday on the river - well not the Thames anyway. Don't know if it's a crocodile or an alligator. We had an interesting discussion on what the differences were, but since we couldn't see it's teeth we were left in the dark.
A mobile home with a difference! This swan seemed completely unruffled by the fact her nest was gently moving with the current.
This is Tadpole Bridge. It didn't explain why but it's rather elegant. I discovered that the bridge I'd photographed and put on last time was called Ten Foot Bridge because apparently there used to be a weir there that was 10' across. Makes perfect sense when you know doesn't it?
I saw this on the way up but didn't get the camera ready in time. The sign says 'No Mooring', the pill box is about 10' the wrong side of a fence and there is an impenetrable bank that is probably at least 6' this side of the fence, so we decided not to be rebels and try to moor there. We are SO unimaginative!
I put this on my Facebook page with the same caption but is this or is this not Toad Hall? We've seen lots of possible Ratty holes along the riverbank, no sign of Mole but he's quite shy. This is where I'd like to live once all the weasels and stoats have gone of course.
This is my best photo yet of a red kite. There were lots of them and at one point John counted nine of them all flying in one area at once ( I was on tea duty) If you can click onto it to enlarge you can see the amazing markings on it's back. Proud of this one! for some reason I can't get the enhanced close up to come up. I shall try again.
Other things that have happened but no photos taken were that we stayed on Shifford Lock again and there was a fence newly put up with a sign 'Bees Nest, beware!' We also noticed next to the water point that there were lots of holes in the bank with bees going in and out. The lock keeper told us that there were four bees nests just around the lock, not counting the mining ones, so at least they are doing well in one environment.
Also we saw a kingfisher, fleetingly as always but at least I saw this one! Such beautiful birds, you always feel the day is going a little bit better when you see one.
Also I managed to lose a shoe into the river at a lock, and with some nifty use of the pole I managed to salvage it! I put it on the top of the boat and by the time we got to Oxford it had dried out enough for me to start wearing again!
I went for a long walk (1.2 miles) to a Slimming World group this morning and have got my 2 stone award, of which I'm very proud. I'm also now only 2lb away from my target so I'm going to be trying extra hard in the next few weeks to loose them, as I've promised myself some new clothes when I get there!
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