Where have all the weevils gone .....?

Still at Trent Lock ---- feels like being on holiday to me with lots of catching up with family and friends.  We are going to be here until at least Sept 12 when Amy and Andy fly off back to Thailand to work as English teachers (so expect an entry spotted with tears next Wednesday!!).

Highlights this last week have been :----

1.  We’ve had some good sunny hot/warm days (now that its September and the nights are drawing in!!).
2.  My mum brought my niece and nephew to visit before they started back to school today.
3.  We won the pub quiz at the Steamboat pub last Friday with our friends Archie and Jackie after the manager’s persistence that we join in!!   The nicest surprise was that homemade sushi was handed around and we ended up with 2 plates full (think other tables must have declined --- it is the most unusual freebie food we have ever had in a pub!!).    Neither Dai or I had ever tried it before and you’ve got to haven’t you when it’s sitting there in front of you ---- it was delicious and full compliments to the manager’s wife who had obviously spent ages preparing it.
4.   We’ve splashed out and bought two new outside chairs which was very opportune with all the sunshine we’ve had the last few days.   Cost us an arm and a leg but, hey, it’s only money!!
5.  Caught up with old friends at The Crown in Beeston where they sell loads of Real Ale and Ciders - a good time was had by all (thank goodness we had a lift!!).
6.  Watching contractors today just above Trent Lock “removing” the azolla weed from the Erewash Canal.  Apparently they were doing a trial (what happened to the water weevils feasting on it?) with two little putt-putt boats and a boom, dragging the weed along the water to a digger on the towpath who then proceeded to haul the weed out into a tip-up truck.    OK, they did get a fair bit out but why wait until it had nearly all gone anyway??    This last week we have seen water around Jandai instead of the Green Carpet, the weed seeming to be disappearing by, presumably,  (1) now fat water weevils (2) a bit of wind and boaters using the lock so flowing over into the River Trent - we understand the weed doesn’t like flowing water so shouldn’t be too much of an issue on there - (3) natural dying off and/or (4) hugely growing ducklings and baby moorhens/coots (or is that cooties and moories??).

Since last blog we have done … 0 miles and 0 locks  
Total since Setting Off ….. 1958 miles and  1588 locks  

card school in action !

but Sam would sooner play with Foxxie!

While Millie at 7 yrs old requested we play
"threes and fours" !!

first boon-full of weed collected (between the yellow
plastic and towpath)

.... and then the digger fishes the weed out