More cruising joy

We are moored at Chillington Wharf for the weekend, right by Chillington woods. The wharf isn’t one any longer, just a winding hole and a handful of moored boats. We are moored in glorious isolation just beyond the wharf.

The woods are ancient and stunning and Bonny is practicing self control as I have let her run wild after the squirrels and then called her back. She is graduating with honours!

She even came when I called this morning when we found her greatest terror looming out of the mist – a horse and rider. In the past she would have run away and hid and it would have taken me hours to get her back. Now she is finally seeing me as her safe place and she practically leapt into my arms with every hair standing upright with fear!

Here is my little Autumn Cairn

Monday’s weather is looking grim so I am planning to stay till Tuesday and then make the trek off the Shroppie and up the Staffs and Worcester to Gailey. I suspect we might get wet but it is all worth it.

Loving this cruise!

Yes Autumn has arrived and yes I have got wet and the boat has been blown about a bit and yes it’s a bit chilly, but I love this cruise!!

We are currently moored in the most beautiful spot near Knighton Woods, on the way to Market Drayton. There are fantastic walks in every direction and so far I have had the mooring to myself. We arrived yesterday afternoon and as we did, the sun came out (after a very wet and windy morning). This is what it looked like…

In front of us

Behind us (the best bridge pic I think I’ve taken)

And beside us. Not bad eh? The forecast isn’t great for the next couple of days so we are staying put and will explore the area. This morning we were walking in the woods at around 7.45am in the rain, when I came across a man sitting in a truck. The headlines immediately flashed through my head… “Decomposed bodies of woman and dog found in Knighton Woods”. “She should never have been out walking alone”, a spokesman said.

We walked on up the track and after a few minutes heard the truck approaching from behind. My heart picked up pace but all was well. It was only the local gamekeeper tending to his pheasants. He helpfully pointed out the right footpath to take and went on his way. Phew!

Back on the boat, and brewed a cuppa. I listened and the loudest noise I could hear was the wing flaps of a passing magpie. No road noise, no voices, perfect peace. Bliss.

At last!!!

I have been trying to get my blog dashboard to recognise me on my tablet for ages but it kept reverting to a google email address and then said I didn't have any blogs. It was driving me crazy!
Today I tried uninstalling both google plus and google email and have finally managed to sign in with the right details. What a relief!

Autumn Cruising

I love cruising at this time of year. The scenery is lovely – especially when its not raining! There are no lock queues and the boaters that you do meet generally seem to know what they are doing. Moorings are plentiful and it is easier to get away from the crowd. It is, as they say, all good.

Here are examples of what I mean…

Autumn colours at G HaywoodMooring at Tixall WideA happy, off the lead cruising dog!

We are on the Shropshire Union now, on a lovely mooring near the Chillington Estate where there are beautiful woodland walks. We woke to our first rain today, since we came out so that has given us an excuse to light the first fire of the season and stay put. Tomorrow (Sunday) is forecast dry so we will stop briefly in Brewood for provisions, Wheaton Aston for rubbish and possibly the cheapest diesel in the country and then hopefully moor near the Cowley Tunnel where there are more lovely walks.

By the way, if anyone asks the difference between the Staffs and Worcester Canal and the Shropshire Union, here is one…

narrow S and W

Wide Shroppie

Google Gripe but happy holidays

I love my tablet and very rarely use my laptop any more. However I have had to dig it out to post anything at all on my blog. Google won't let me sign into my blog with the right email address. Instead it keeps reverting to a gmail address which I do have on the tablet (and can't get rid of) and of course my blog doesn't recognise the gmail address. Grrr. I have told Google to butt out but with no joy. Any advice would be welcome!

On a brighter note, my friends took my boat out, went all the way to the Peak Forest Canal and back in 9 days and brought  the boat in one piece. By the way, they met a lady on the Maccy with a broken arm who said she follows this blog. Hello, lady boater with broken arm. Hope you mend soon.

Meanwhile Stan and I visited the Rochdale Canal...

Then, after a night in the Forest of Dean, we went to my friends house in Devon and had a cracking time.

This is me at Hartland Quay

This is Bon hiding under an old bridge from the Bude Canal.

This is Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor where we simply had to talk like pirates. Aaarr!

Now I am home. I have been racing around doing chores before I embark on my next big adventure... a cruise up the Shroppie. Yes!! We leave on Sunday. I hope to keep you updated on our cruise if Google let me!

sensible madness?

Having a few days out cruising was a bit like giving just a tea spoon full of food to a starving person - it just reminds them how hungry they are!

So I mulled over my options and looked at how much work was going to be on offer in October. It turns out there is not much at all as there are very few events booked. So I asked my bosses if I could disappear for the month and they said yes!!

Deepest joy I can go for a proper cruise. Yes I'll be even poorer than a church mouse, but for a month I'll be free! The Shropshire Union Canal is calling to me, but I haven't made a final decision yet. I have a holiday booked in Devon first, with Stan, while my friends Roger and Shirleyann take my boat out. They are almost certainly going to my other favourite canal - the Macclesfield, so give them a wave if you see them.

For me, it is more important to grab life now than to save up for a secure future, because who knows how long I will live. Mind you I may regret it when I run out of money, but, hey ho, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Out at last

No, I haven’t discovered a new sexuality, I’m out on the boat! A whole four days to mooch about Handsacre and indulge Bonny after her operation.

She had two teeth removed under general anaesthetic on Tuesday and came back all dazed and drugged up. I carried her to her bed and popped outside to fetch something off the mooring. Being Bon, she hauled herself up the steps after me, somehow managed to jump out of the boat and then staggered up the mooring – mostly sideways – all because she hadn’t had her walk!

She was so much improved the next day, that I cast off our ropes and toddled up to Kings Bromley to do the usual pumping out and dieseling up. Then, instead of retracing our steps, we carried on to Handsacre where there is one of our favourite walks. We could have gone further, but with us both needing some recuperation time (I have had a stinky cold), I decided just to enjoy having a different view and still having time to rest.

I had forgotten again just how perfectly cruising suits both Bonny and me. We adore exploring new walks, having time to watch squirrels and to shelter from the rain when necessary. We don’t need to be near pubs or people. We don’t need any more entertainment than the hedgerows afford us and it has been such a joy having her all to myself after a long and busy working summer.

I was cleaning the outside of the boat a couple of hours ago when we were passed by a lovely shiny boat called ‘What a Lark’. The lady on board said she was a reader of my blog and really enjoyed it. What a lovely comment. So I thought I better blog immediately! Ahoy there to What a Lark.

I have also finally given in and joined the Facebook generation – it is amazing who has popped up so far. So many people from my various past lives!

To conclude, here are some pics of our mini trip:

Bonny recovering

Handsacre mooring

Bon much improved – in health and behaviour!

Our favourite circular walk