A Most Excellent Day

(late again as no reception Wed and Thurs - this is a notorious stretch for no reception for phones or internet but think we are out of it now.)

This week we have done …  still on the Shroppie :  Adderley to Market Drayton to Goldstone Wharf to Norbury Junction.

who's that peeping ? It's Millie Mop

Fantastic day last Saturday when Amy and her boyfriend Hayan plus my brother Shaunie with Mand, Sam and Millie came to see us.   We were moored at Market Drayton so winded and took a leisurely cruise back to Adderley Locks and returned to Market Drayton.     Sausage cobs / my homemade cake and mince pies / beer and red wine …. And then a meal at the pub in the evening.    The weather was wonderful - sunny and warm.     It was just great to see them all - it’s the one thing I really do miss, not being able to see my family often and whenever.    

the bestest nephew and niece in the world - Sam and Millie

Amy had been to a Halloween party the night before and didn’t get home till just before Hayan picked her up for the journey to see us - her hair was even more pink and wild than ever !!    At least she had taken out the white contact lenses so didn’t scare Sam and Millie too much - ha ha !!

doesn't she look like her mother - err, no !!!!

Must admit I got a little tearful after they had gone …. But not too long before Christmas when we will be meeting up again somehow, somewhere !!

Freerange eggs at Adderley Top Lock --- some hens are even roaming around the lock - and they are the best eggs we have had since the duck eggs on the Oxford Canal last spring.    Huge and so yellow yoked.   We ended up with 3 trays ----- 90 eggs.      Well, unfortunately Dai fell down the boat steps with first tray so we lost about 20, then I baked some quiche and egg custard and then lots of cake ready for my family visiting.    Then we have scrambled eggs every morning Mon to Fri  (Sat and Sun being egg and bacon days as our weekend treat).    Still got some left but won’t last much longer!!!

On our trip from Market Drayton to Goldstone Wharf last Tuesday guess what?    We saw 3, yes 3, kingfishers.    Sightings this year have been very low, so 3 in  3 hours was just amazing.

Loads and loads of leaves on the canal now which is not good news when you’re cruising as they get caught round the prop in like a kindof wad and slow us down …. And we go slow enough anyway.

Since last blog we have done …  3 miles and 18 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 822 miles and  829 locks

my pink with shades of purple haired Amy with Hayan

my fab sister - Mand 

new crew on lookout duty - brother Shaunie

Sam taking lessons !