Hedgerow Jottings: Spring Sunshine

Tattenhill Lock

Morning Jotters

What a glorious week of sunshine we’ve had. The hawthorn has greened up and the blackthorn blossom is startlingly white against a backdrop of bare branches and briars. A mallard pops out of the reeds, his brilliant male plumage shimmering blue and green in the sunlight and a pair of swans are billing and cooing in the reed bed, patting the strands into place ready for precious eggs to be nurtured. The robin, wren and blackbird accompany us along the way, singing their spring songs, so I join in and add my voice to the chorus, singing along to the radio and a man walking by called out ‘Nice voice’. I was mightily pleased with that compliment and so I’ve continued warbling all week. Carl says he likes to hear me ‘twittering’ - not sure how to take that!

Daffodils at Wychnor

Since we left the marina last Friday, we’ve been hanging around all our usual haunts, waiting for a visit from the Inspector to grant us a new Boat Safety Certificate. Iain came along on Friday morning and after a quick cup of tea, disappeared into various cupboards and delved down into the engine room to make sure we were ship shape and seaworthy. It’s always a relief to pass the inspection and after another cup of tea and a good bit of boaty yarning, we set off back the way we had come and moored in solitary splendour on the river at Wychnor. I looked back through my photos and, almost without exception, we have moored in this spot, at this time of the year, in bright sunshine. We mourn the loss of our favourite mooring spots as houses are built where there were once only fields and factory units spring up to fill in the spaces between canal and road, so we treasure the spots that remain unspoilt. The little church at Wychnor winks down at us from the top of the hill and the daffodils nod as we pass by and squeeze through the narrow bridge on our way to Alrewas. We come up the lock and Carl gets on the water point while I walk along the towpath to find us a mooring for the day. The towpath is thronging with walkers and cyclists and I chat away to an old chap and his ageing Labrador , both of whom are crippled with age and they stop every few yards to rest. Everyone is cheerful in the warm sunshine, smiling and passing the time of day and, once we are moored up, I start the onerous task of scrubbing the cratch cover again. It is looking slightly more respectable now and I have a firm commitment from a manufacturer in Kinver to make us a new cover, if we take our boat to him, rather than him coming out to measure us up. That isn’t at all what we were planning for this year - we had several thoughts, Leicester Ring first then maybe down to the Thames and finally a trip up the Witham. I wonder where we’ll end up - sometimes its nice just to set out and see where you get to.

Magnolia in Alrewas

My daughter had planned a Mother’s Day surprise visit - the whole clan were coming over from Shropshire to spend the day with us but Claire was struck down with a bug on Friday and couldn’t come, so we had all the fun of a day with the grandchildren while Claire had a lonely day at home in bed. Missed you Claire - come and find us as soon as you’re better. They(the grandchildren) arrived in skimpy summer clothes and sandals only to find that the sun had deserted us and the day was overcast with stubborn clouds. Undeterred, we set out from Alrewas and chugged up the locks to Fradley. I had threatened them with egg sandwiches but was over ruled and we trooped off to find food in The Swan pub. Of course, it was heaving! What did we expect on Mothers Day! We found sanctuary in the cafe on the holiday park and wolfed down burgers and paninis and massive slices of cake to celebrate the day. Carl and I haven’t been able to face anything else since then although I’ve been drinking gallons of tea from my new Mothers Day mug, which could double as a paddling pool if the weather turns hot again!

Crowded Boat

We waved the grandchildren off down the towpath in the late afternoon and immediately cast off and chugged up to the Junction Lock, as the sun, at last, came out. We turned onto the Coventry Canal and had an evening cruise and moored as dusk was falling. I’ve been looking for my slippers all evening, where can they be? Once you’ve looked under the chairs and in the steps, there’s really no place for them to hide. I suspect a practical joke by those pesky grandkids!! Will I find them in the oven or under the duvet? I’ll let you know where they eventually turn up.

Alrewas House decoration

Carl is putting Tricky out for her final sniff along the towpath before bed, while I finish this week’s missive. We have all been sleeping really well since we got back to the boat. This morning it was 9.30 before I surfaced. I threw back the covers and leapt out of bed thinking I had so much to do before the visitors arrived and then Carl reminded me that the clocks went forward and it was really 8.30, no rush then! It’s the same every year, I spend the first week translating the time back and saying to Carl ‘but it’s really only 9pm’ when he starts shutting down the fire ready for bed at 10pm. Is it just me?

Sunnies and Sandals in March!

I hope you’ve all had a good week and enjoyed the sunshine. I’m afraid that the coming week is looking less inviting and my big coat is still hanging ready in the wardrobe rather than banished under the bed till next year. I’ll get off to bed now although its really only just 10 pm, I have a good book and the double duvet is till on. Night Night everyone

Love from
The Floating Chandlers

ps Not many photos again, I'll try to do better this week (embarrassed face emoji)

pps We seem to be eating in most of the photos - I must find more interesting subjects to photograph!