1st
unclaimed.bike.look - 6 miles 5 locks - Cross Keys
Set off in bright sunshine, got to Gaily Lock and the heavens opened providing torrential rain. Fortunately there was a boat coming up the lock and the hire boat people were re-arranging their boats so we stayed inside the boat till the worst of the rain finished.
From there to Penkridge it was sunny intervals but no more rain. The damsons at Offerton lock were past it so we gave them a miss.
Moored up at the Cross Keys pub in time for lunch but they have stopped doing meals.
Wandered into Penkridge to the farm supplies store and got a new chain for my chainsaw (a bit on the expensive side but it fits).
The Olde Sweetie Shoppe sells Liquorice Imps so I purchased two flavours aniseed and liquorice. Topped up with some basics at the co-op.
We had sort of decided to have fish and chips from the local chippy but in the end decided that it would be cold by the time we got it back to the boat so plumped for cheesy beans on toast for dinner.
Click to go to the Gaol site.
2nd
my travelling companion took a walk towards Acton Trussel and found some more damsons. When she had processed them we calculated that we must have collected 25kg of damsons in total, that's a bag of coal's worth in weight altogether.
I went into Penkridge again to the market where I got a chain saw file, some baking potatoes and beetroot. Now that the fire is going all day the beetroot can simmer on the stove for as long as it takes. On the way back from the market I got a free range chicken and some shallots, pot roast for dinner tonight.
Of all the times I have been into Penkridge I have never had my camera with me or I have simply forgotten to get a picture of the gaol so today I decided to get one. Would you believe it, my camera has run out of battery!
3rd
student.outnumber.ringside - 10 miles 7 locks - Tixall Wide
Used the facilities at Penkridge lock. Fairly uneventful journey until just before Tixall Lock when the heavens opened, but we carried on for another half mile till we got to Tiwall Wide proper which was our target for the day.
4th and 5th
A day off.
River Sow meets the River Trent.
6th
ideal.pull.stick - 6 miles 2 locks - Rugeley
Crossing the aqueduct over the river Trent we noticed how high it was and decided to stop off and have a look as last time we passed it was quite low.
Defrosted the fridge while we were travelling.
Shopping at Tesco, when I got back to the boat I spotted a moorhen face down in the water twitching. I picked it up and took it into the boat where I wrapped it in a towel to try and get it dry. While I unpacked the shopping it crawled into a corner under the bookcase and just lay there breathing slowly.
Shopping at Iceland and Morrisons. When I got back the moorhen was still alive, a good sign. I knew that if I just left it where it was it would die of starvation and or dehydration and or fright so I wrapped it up in a towel so that it would not struggle and carried it along the tow path till I found somewhere that it might be able to hide in the bushes until it fully recovered. Found a suitable place and released it. It crawled into the bushes and lay there, sort of in the sunshine but fairly well concealed.
Couldn't do anything else for it, it will either recover or die.
Final shop at Tesco for beer.
When I turned the TV on there was no signal and on checking I noticed that the aerial cable had come apart. There is a join about eighteen inches from the aerial itself which had broken. It was always the weak point in the system. I repaired that and the TV works just fine now.
7th
windy.logbook.rotation - 13 miles 1 swing bridge - Hopwas
Usually along this stretch there are great big polytunnels covering many acres of field beside the canal but this time it was all under grass. Maybe theyu are letting the soil recover for a year,
8th
electric.shepherds.faced - 9 miles 2 locks - Polesworth
Filled up with water at Glascote locks. Unusually the water point is on the lock landing moorings so other boats coming along that do not know the area tend to want us to move so they can use the moorings instead of mooring up the other side of Glascote Basin which is the other lock landing moorings.
Apart from that an uneventful but pleasant journey.
10th
motor.couriers.protest - 4½ ,miles 11 lock - Atherstone
Shopping in Aldi for long life milk. I usually keep a dozen cartons under the stairs for emergency use but this store has run down of late as there has been no long life available in the supermarkets that I have visited (no sardines in oil either) and no Cravendale so the stock of long life has been used up. I managed to get half a dozen, couldn't carry any more.
Ordered my medication from the doctor by email to be collected from the pharmacy at Nuneaton, the same pharmacy that I can get my covid booster jab. I'll check tomorrow if they have flu vaccine for the over 70's and if so get it all done at one time.
Quiet start, quiet journey, quiet finish, no noteworthy incidents to report on.
11thWith the fire on for the first time in ages I decided to do some ironing. While we were in Llangollen I got a new flat iron, it is slightly smaller then my old one but a little heavier, because it is heavier it holds the heat longer. Now that I ahve two I can be ironing with one while the other is warming on the stove so no interruptions waiting for the iron to heat up. Everything went much more quickly and seemed easier all round. I did have to give the new iron a thorough scrub for several minutes to get rid of the 'blacking' that someone had put on it to make it look good.
Went shopping in Atherstone again, this time for Borax substitute and Stardrops, both of which I know I can get at the hardware shop here and are difficult to get elsewhere. Also got a new pair of sandals. I bought a pair in the factory shop in Atherstone before we set off in June and they are still in one piece (I did have to stitch up one of the straps but that was just the stitching that broke not the material). Most sandals only seem to last a month or so the way I abuse them opening lock gates. It does put a strain on the toe end. So a spare pair while I am here seems to be a good idea.
Threw the baby out with the bathwater today, well it was a spoon and it was the washing up water but you get the idea, the last time I did that was the middle of September 2010 when Almyne was out of the water at Gayton Junction
12th
suits.nervy.senior - 1 mile - Purly Park
Quick trip into town to get a free range chicken and last minute green vegetables to last a few days before we set off to the sticks for some peace and quiet. Got myself a hose reel wile I was in town as I need one for Iowner and we are nearly back at my moorings.
Once we were moored up I contacted the pharmacy to see if my medication was available and was told they had not got it, also haven't got over 70'a flu jab either. Rang my doctor and was told the they had sent the prescription through on Monday at 12:25, guess the pharmacy did not look too thoroughly.
13th
Chased the pharmacy again letting them know when the doctor had sent the prescription to them, they found it this time but still don't have flu vaccine for me. Booked my covid booster for tomorrow anyway.
14th
risks.peanut.plots - 8 miles - Lloyds Bridge
Went into Nuneaton for my booster jab and collected my medication, well most of it, they only had one inhaler so I will have to go back again for the second one. I'll wait till they have the flu vaccine and kill two birds with ine stone.
15th
bridge.super.friend - 3½ miles - Stretton Baskerville
Collected Iowner. The solar controller for the fridge copped a wobbly in the past few days. I know it was fairly recently because although the freezer had defrosted it was still chilly and there was virtually no mould in the closed fridge. I could not remember gow to kick start it so after checking water and oil in the engine I started the engine and, hey presto, it came to life.
Washed out the fridge with borax and warm water to remove what little mould there was and set it going. Within half an hour the freezer had frost in it.
Put a load in the washing machine and set off. Turned around and followed my travelling companion to Stretton Baskerville where we moored up. Got another load of washing on and started on the list of little jobs that has been lining up. Pinned and glued the handle on the hatch cover.
Lit the fire, that works, to dry the washing and put some salt in the salt water car that I bought while we were travelling. It was a kit that I got at a charity shop for a couple of pounds but as neither of us use salt we didn't have any with is so I had to wait till we got back to Iowner to try it out - it works.
Started taking daily blood pressure readings for the doctor.
16th
Washing, lots to catch up on, started the new table base. I so like the one I built with the drawers in the ends instead of the side that my travelling companion has purloined that I decided to build one for myself utilising the table top that I have.
20th
4 miles - there and back
Took Dennis to Hyde Lane to fill up with water and get a delivery from the supermarket.
22nd
excavate.librarian.instead - 13½ miles - Cherry Tree Farm
Cruised into Nuneaton to have our winter flu jab. On the way met the fuel boat and purchased coal, diesel and 'Blue' (for the elsan).
After getting the jab we carried on to Atherstone to use the facilities there and turned around to go back to Hartshill to moor up overnight as it is much more pleasant than being in the middle of town.
I have been taking my BP readings for the past week and this evening I got a bit of a shock.
The first few readings were up around the 190/60 mark, which is much too high but I had only
just stopped rushing around so was not too bothered. The next reading was 18.7/8 - at that rate there was no blood getting anywhere around my body. Took another reading quickly, same result, turned the machine off and back on again (it works with Mirosoft computers) but still got the same reading. Took a deep breath, paused and checked the reading again, still 18.7/8 but the little symbol next to the reading said kPa. Aha. Looked up kPr on the internet and it is a different scale of pressure readings. Found out how to reset the device to display mmHg (millimeteres of Mercury) instead of kPa (kilopascals), took another reading, 123/54, much better.
23rd
eating.film.secure - 10 miles - Stretton Baskerville
Called in at Travis Perkins on the way to get some timber. I had my cutting list in my head and did not think that we could carrry it all in one go so purchased half. We could just manage it between us. Stopped off for a cup of tea and went back for the second lot.
Uneventful cruise back to Iowner in the sunshine, where I started on the drawers for my new table.
24th
Spent all day making a drawer.
25th
Spent all day making five drawers, it would have been seven but Travis Perkins had supplied the wrong timber on my second visit, Gave me planks 175 mm wide and I wanted 200mm wide.
26th
bake.tidal.awstruck - 7 miles - Basin Bridge
Stopped off at Hyde Lane to top up with water, carried on to Nutts Lane to go to Travis Perkins to sort out the timber. It's about three quartes of a mile to TP and when I got there I found that this particular branch does not stock the 200mm planks - expletive.
Collected some items from Argos click and collect and did some shopping at Sainsburys and Iceland while I was there.
