All For The Love Of Tricky

Shropshire Skies

Evening All

No fireworks here for the Fourth of July, just a damp squib of a day.  We were hoping to go for an evening cruise if the rain held off as forecast.  We planned to water up here in Market Drayton then pop up Tyreley locks before dark.  Unfortunately, a prolonged shower is lingering stubbornly but I think Carl may go for it anyway. The solar panels didn’t get enough sun today, which means the batteries need charging and Carl is keen to run the engine whereas I'm not so keen to do Tyreley locks in the pouring rain.  I wonder who will win (surprised face emoji) 

Audlem Locks

This week we have travelled from Hack Green, spent two days going up the 15 locks at Audlem, whizzed up through the five locks at Adderley and secured a prime mooring spot in Market Drayton.  We’ve arranged to meet up with the Shropshire Gang for one last time before we chug off into the distance and out of hugging range. 

Tea Break at Lock 8

 I’ve been in a bit of a muddle all week, life suddenly seems too complicated.  I caught a bus into Crewe from Audlem - that sounds fairly straightforward doesn’t it?  Firstly, we had to walk a mile from our mooring above lock 3 down to lock 12. It was a nice morning, we chatted to other walkers and boaters who were working there way up or down the flight, so far, so good.  I branched off into the village, leaving Carl and Tricky to walk back up the locks. Tricky was horrified that I’d gone off without her,and refused to walk another step without me so Carl had to carry her halfway back - I don’t think he was best pleased.   Carl was in a hurry to get back as he had found a nasty patch of rust in the bilges that required urgent attention. It was so bad that when he poked it with his screwdriver, it squirted water at him. We thought he’d gone through to the canal! Thank goodness it wasn’t half as bad as it looked and by the time I got back that afternoon, the rust was banished and the bilges are good for another 10,000 nautical miles

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Coming into Lock 12 Audlem

Meanwhile, I'm standing by the bus shelter, wondering if the bus would pick me up as I seemed to be on the wrong side of the road.  I saw the bus in the distance and started waving frantically, in case he went off without me.  I felt a bit silly when he looped round the triangle and stopped right by me.  We went off in totally the wrong direction for Nantwich but, as is usual with buses, we eventually arrived in the right place.  I had to change buses for Crewe and by now I was ready for refreshments.  Crewe bus station is the most dismal place you ever saw and there weren’t any signposts to the Town Centre either.  I set off following the other passengers and eventually came to the High Street, hoping to find a nice cappuccino and then Asdas - I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to hang around this town for very long.  Sorry, I forgot to say that the trip to Crewe was to buy a bag of dog food for Tricky and only Asda have it.  The things I do for that dog! I wandered around without finding anywhere for coffee - well, nowhere I liked the look of.  I stumbled over Asdas accidentally, so went in for the dog food, to find that they no longer sell it.  Now what! I trekked off around town, hoping for inspiration and wishing I’d packed a flask, to find myself suddenly back at the bus station – I'd walked all round town when Asdas was just around the corner in the other direction!  I gave up and caught the next bus back to Nantwich.  Tricky is dining on whatever I can find in the fridge that she will deign to eat.  I set out at 10:30 and arrived home at 4:30 – all for the love of Tricky!

Tricky - The Dog Who Walked Alone!

The next morning dawned fine and warm and we went through the last two locks of the Audlem flight and chugged along in the sunshine, enjoying the calm stillness of a perfect summers morning.  Birds flitted across the canal and we listened out for the ‘pip pip’ which signifies a kingfisher - we are disappointed that we have only seen one so far this year and that was the briefest of glimpses.  We pass our normal mooring spot at Adderley and Carl drops me off at the first of five locks for today’s exercise.  Tricky gets off for a sniff and follows me around as I open paddles and watch the water rush out.  I swing one half of the pair of mitred gates open and a nice man walking by does the other side for me.  We meet a boat coming down at the next lock and the two boats pass in the pound, Carl slips into the empty lock.  It’s always nice when that happens.  I sit on the lock arm waiting for the boat to come up, sniffing at the honeysuckle winding through the hedge nearby.  Tricky is also sniffing, but I don’t think I want to inhale the ‘eau de fox’ that is driving Tricky wild and causing her to roll in ecstasy, with her little legs waving in the air.  Imagine if we did that!  Meanwhile, on the stern, Carl is feeding a bee with sugar and water from a teaspoon, something we have read about but not needed to put into practise until now.  It was so rewarding to see it fly away and I tracked its progress to the patch of honeysuckle.

Bee on the Hatch

We were lucky to get a great mooring spot in Market Drayton and we’ve been here ever since, awaiting the arrival of VIP visitors today.  The boat has been swept and polished, the kelter (good word, I think I might have made it up, but it means clutter - hands up if you knew that word and two hands up if you use it too!) has been stowed away and the chairs moved into summer setting so that everyone can get aboard.  Three small children under 5 need a lot of watching so we soon abandoned ship and convoyed to the local Carvery for a feast and a long overdue catch up with 4 generations of our two families - socially distanced of course! 

Rust- the Boaters Enemy!

The rain is still pouring down and Carl and I are tired after so much chatter and laughter today, the gentle drumming on the roof will lull us off to sleep and tomorrow we’ll chug off back towards Autherley Junction and turn towards Stourport and the river Severn.  Have a good week my friends and I’ll write again soon.

Love from

The Floating Chandlers 

Midsummer Mist

PS We had to rescue a boat that had been torn loose from its pins by a speeding boat. Carl jumped ashore and pulled it back in and tied it up. I managed to collide with the boat, while trying to steer close enough for Carl to jump back on board.  Oops! Does it still count as our good deed for the day? I wonder if they read my blog?

Boat Adrift

PPS Our towpath neighbours last night were on a boat called 'Oh Dear Me' – it made me smile.

Market Drayton Lightshow

PPS Love my Lolli - she ordered the desserts on the pub app but sent them to the wrong pub.  Oops! (Don't be cross with me Lauren, no-one will read this far down (fingers crossed emoji)

Lovely Lolli, Who's the Wrinkly?