I'm Walking Backwards To Christmas

Morning All

Tricky's leaving home again

It's hard to believe that the cabin is bathed in sunshine as I write this. After a sullen, grey start to the day, the clouds cleared away and an incredibly blue sky appeared here in Alrewas. I'm not fooled by appearances though, the wind is gusting along the water and rattling the windows, the cratch cover is flapping and the fenders are tapping against the hull. Every time there is an extra big gust, the boat lurches and the ropes creak in protest. This upsets Tricky, who stops snoring and sits on the step looking worried. We stayed put yesterday as the forecast was for 50 mph winds due to Storm Brian. We left Tricky with our friends on Naga Queen and caught the bus into Lichfield for a browse around the antique shops and a wander down the High Street. I was amazed to find that some shops are already decorated up for Xmas and, before I knew it, I was caught up in the excitement and bought 2 presents and 3 balls of wool while Carl was distracted with a new Guitarist magazine. I can no longer hide the wool mountain which is exploding out from under the sofa - the question is, will it fit in the car for the return trip to our winter quarters.

Cream roof with red trim

In spite of the wind, Carl is up on the roof again - he's determined to get one more coat of paint on the handrail before we moor up for the winter. While we were in dry dock in Norbury, Carl spent 3 days, a pair of jeans, the skin off both knees and numerous rollers and brushes, painting the boat roof cream. It does look very smart, especially now that Carl has added the red detailing on the forward hatch, but we're not sure if we like it. Carl is already thinking he will have to redo it - I'm hoping that it will grow on us.

Red sun - weird!

Since we left the dry dock in Norbury 2 weeks ago, we've been pottering down the Shroppie, enjoying a final burst of summery warmth caused by Hurricane Ophelia drawing up warm air from Spain. It also threw a cloud of Saharan sand up into the sky and turned the sun red - a very strange sight, I'm not particularly superstitious, but it was enough to give you the shivers. We've been travelling back to base with our friends Pat and Malc on the Naga Queen - Tricky is thrilled about this as she absolutely adores them both and can't wait to jump aboard and decorate their mats with dog hairs and her own unique doggy perfume which smells like old socks. We've had some very happy evenings singing along to everything from Patsy Cline to Freddie Mercury - our rendition of 'Barcelona' was quite unique I thought. We had a slight hiccup on Monday when we chugged off towards Autherley leaving Pat and Malc to follow on behind. I went below and saw I had 5 missed calls from Pat - we hardly ever ring each other, so I knew at once that something was wrong. Their alternator had failed and they were waiting for the breakdown man to arrive. I have to hand it to the man from River and Canal Rescue - he walked 1 mile down the tow-path with his toolbox to get to them, fitted the replacement alternator and got them going again just as we arrived back from Autherley Junction to see if we could assist. It was, by now, late afternoon so we decided to stay another night at the same mooring we had set off from that morning although we were now facing the wrong way. Carl had the bright idea of turning at the winding hole by bridge 7 and reversing the couple of hundred yards back to the mooring spot - it sounds so easy on paper but try as I might, I couldn't keep the boat in a straight line. We were in the bushes on the off side, banging into the rocky shelf on the tow-path side and getting through a bridge backwards is a nightmare. Note to self - don't volunteer to steer the boat in reverse ever again even if Carl is on the bank with the rope!

Boat looking smart

As this is the last jotting for a while, and we're only 6 locks away from our home mooring, I can tell you that this year we have travelled 1005 miles, 249 narrow locks, 312 broad locks, 56 assorted river locks, 47 swing bridges, 21 lift bridges and 15 tunnels. We've seen the seasons change from the stern of our boat as we chugged along. We've watched the spring lambs and the ducklings, welcomed the return of the swallows and their aerial displays, delighted in the kingfishers, the herons, and the grebes. We never tire of the dabbling ducks or the regal swans and the cheeky robins that sing as we pass by. We've chugged through towns and cities, moored in the depths of the countryside, met strangers who became friends and renewed old friendships. We've shared locks and stories with lots of boaters along the way and been out in every kind of weather that you can think of (except snow - none so far!) This year, for the first time, I've made a photographic record of our travels and tried to capture the drama of a stormy sky or a setting sun - not always successfully, but I hope to improve. Finally, a quick word about Captain Carl who clears the weed hatch, empties the despatch box, stokes the stove, chops the wood, paints the boat, changes the oil and only asks that I feed him cheese sandwiches for lunch and Penguins with his morning coffee in return for his endless dedication to keeping our happy ship afloat. Thanks for another brilliant boating year and lets start planning our next cruise.

So that's it from me for this year, thanks for reading the Hedgerow Jottings and I hope to be back next year with more boating tales.

Take care

Love and Hugs

The Floating Chandlers

ps I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas is from the Goon Show – of course you all knew that, didn't you!

Fly Agaric

Knitted Fly Agaric

Rugeley

Wood End Lock, Fradley

Grey skies over Alrewas

Asian Giant Hornet - very nasty

Winding Down

 Morning All

My heart sank this morning as the month turned over to October and I realised that the boating year is almost over. The mixed weather reflects my mixed feelings about going home - I'm looking forward to being closer to my Mum and being able to nip off in the car when the mood takes me but I'll miss Carl, who'll disappear into his music room until February! I'll miss the wandering lifestyle and the ever changing view from the side hatch in the galley but I'm looking forward to revisiting the wool mountain under my bed and starting a new winter project. I'll have a freezer full of ice cubes for my new gin craving and I left at least one bottle of Baileys on standby in case I get the 'Missing the Boat Blues' during November. I'll probably be signing up for 'Dry January' after all that boozing!

Morning coffee in Audlem

Warm enough to sit outside

After the gorgeous weather last Sunday, when Claire and I needed sunscreen for our trip around the M25, we awoke on Monday morning to the sound of rain pounding on the roof. We'd planned to walk into Nantwich for a few supplies before we trekked off along the next stretch of the Shroppie towards Audlem. In the end, I opted for a short walk with Tricky while Carl went off with the rucksack and I settled for a cosy morning on the laptop, catching up with the Jottings. It wasn't until lunchtime, when I tried to get out of my chair that I found my back had gone on strike! I think it had seized up after sitting for so long on Sunday, as we raced around London and then back to Nantwich.   It took several days and a few doses of Ibuprofen before it cleared up and I was worried about tackling the 15 locks of the Audlem flight, but we took a long tea break in the middle and it was fine. Luckily my 'Beetle Back' only lasted a few days and I'm back to normal, splashing along the muddy towpath in my new blue boots – it's so nice to have dry feet after my morning walks, now I wonder if they make them in Tricky sizes!

It was Thursday before we started up the Audlem flight. The early morning mist cleared and we were treated to a long sunny afternoon, just the most perfect day for it. There was hardly any wind and the first flurry of boats cleared quickly, including the 'John McEnroe' of solo boaters who moaned at me for 'stealing' his lock. The fact that he was moored on the water point with his hose connected seemed to have completely escaped his notice and when I apologised and said he was welcome to go in front as we weren't in a hurry, that just seemed to enrage him further. He began a 'John McEnroe' style of rant about 'you people' and how he was 'sick of us all'. I couldn't appease him whatever I said, so I walked off and left him to it. The next three boaters I met coming down the flight, had all offended him in some way and had been berated for some minor breach of etiquette. Beware Mr Grumpy Boater - we've all got your boat name and your fame will spread! I soon forgot him as I met the very handsomely bearded Allan, waiting to bring his boat into the lock. I heard all about his '5 minutes of fame' filming a TV advert for the local channel – I must admit I was a little envious as my own TV appearance was so fleeting as to be invisible!. While I was working the lock for him, an elderly man came along walking his greyhound and stopped to help me open and close the gates for Carl coming into the lock. He let down the paddles without a windlass, using his bare hands to control the speed. The old-time boaters used to do it that way so I asked him if he was a boater. Sadly, he's had to give it up as he's not fit enough any longer, but his love of boats hasn't diminished since he was a boy. From the age of 7, he would help the working boats through the locks, then hitch a ride to the first bridge as a reward. He has seen many changes on the waterways but he still walks along here every day, offering a helping hand when he can and sharing his stories with those of us fortunate enough to meet him. Meeting those two 'gentle men' more than made up for the ranting of Mr McEnroe.

More mushrooms

This week we have travelled from Nantwich to Market Drayton, sharing the waterways with other hardy boaters. We don't mind the muddy tow-paths and the chilly mornings as we get to enjoy the quietness that has descended on the canals now that the holiday season is over. The stove has been lit every morning and the 'big kettle' has appeared from its summer hiding place in the depths of the cupboard under the sink. The long summer evenings are a distant memory, the deckchairs are stowed away and the cabin is strewn with our winter jumpers which are sure to be needed any time soon.

 Spot the Red Admiral on Damson Tree

It was a sunny afternoon when I started writing this but the clouds have rolled in and the windows are speckled with the first rain drops. It's a typical autumn day really - a quiet running down of the year, leaves falling, sun slipping further down the horizon and the unmistakeable changing of the seasons makes me think longingly of the long hot day of summer that we had. (I do love a bit of irony don't you - it's almost as satisfying as sarcasm!) I haven't seen a swallow this week and I wonder if they've flown off early this year. I'm always sad to see them go and there is no sign of the 'Indian Summer' that I hoped for but I live in hope of a few more sunny days before we tie up for good at the end of October.

Sunset by lock 3 Audlem

This week we will be dawdling down to Norbury, ready to go into their dry dock for blacking. Carl has a list of jobs that he wants to get done while the boat is out of the water and I'll probably be walking the tow-paths looking for someone to talk to, just to pass the time. I don't like being in dock - the boat doesn't rock me to sleep and the view from the hatch isn't very inspiring. We will have an electric hook up which is always a treat as it means I can boil the electric kettle and use the electric toaster without needing to turn on the engine - I know that doesn't sound like much of a luxury but it really is a novelty after 7 months out on the boat. I've forgotten what it's like to have a shower without first removing the little step and the bucket that live in there because I can't find anywhere else handy for them. I'm looking forward to having a shower that lasts longer than 30 seconds and drying my hair properly instead of air drying it as I walk Tricky down the towpath. I'm longing to throw my smalls into the tumble dryer after months of using the "Peggy thing' - you know what I mean, one of those little plastic hangers that caravanners use on their holidays.

I'll skip next week if that's OK with you, unless something exciting happens. Like the year, I'm winding down and running out of things to say. Have a lovely week everyone.

Love and hugs

The Floating Chandlers

PS Happy Grandparents Day or #Older Peoples Day for the more modern amongst you. Another scam dreamt up by Hallmark Cards or am I being totally cynical?

PPS Can someone send me some new ideas for supper. I seem to have lost my mojo when it comes to thinking of something appetising for two hungry boaters. What's your favourite standby meal?

Gothic Beauty - Audlem Cemetary

Lock 12 Audlem - a beast of a run-off

Shropshire Skies

Shropshire Skies part 2

 

Is it tea time?