Soaking up the autumn

What a pleasure it is to be walking the tow paths with the dogs whilst Joe is being chief boatman. We have covered miles and 99% of it is absolutely beautiful. Russet, gold, amber and yellow foliage against crisp blue skies and then you come across a cluster of red toadstools nestling in the drying leaves.

The two dogs are adjusting well to their new life. They are enjoying a surfeit of exercise given that they walk with me all day. They are both beginning to realise what is expected of them at locks, sitting quietly and watching 'mum' do all the work then move off when she does. Meeting lots of other dogs has been taken in their stride and the decision to castrate them has played a part with Fletcher not reacting to aggressive behaviour from other dogs; we are both very proud of them. All in all I would say that we are loving this new lifestyle!

Big Cheese

I came across The Cheese Boat and had to try the wares. Michael and Geraldine Prescott sell Welsh cheese from their boat. The have been doing this for over two years and things are apparently going well. The maximum load is 660 cheeses all refrigerated. I tried the Green Thunder (garlic and herbs) the Bouncing Berry (cranberry) and the Amber something - eaten already (whiskey) and all are superb!

All the cheeses are hygienically and attractively wrapped in coloured wax. Definitely having more when we next meet The Cheese Boat - lovely product.

Come in number seven!

Sapphire, the boat pictured above was reviewed by Graham Booth in the Waterways World mag some time ago and I spotted it at Great Hayward on Tuesday. This is a boat built by the owner from scratch and not in anyway orthodox in design. We were about to leave Great Hayward on and I went to check the availability of the lock. Sapphire was in the lock going down ( the same way we wanted to go) so I lent a hand and was soon joined by a lady whose boat was coming up. It wasn't until this second boat was leaving the lock that I happened to glance at its name and low and behold it was Morpheus, Barn Owl Narrowboat number 7!

So here is Sean, Jane and Neil, fellow Barn Owl owners, posing by their boat! We are going to have to start a club.

Fradley

Thursday morning and we are at Fradley Junction. We arrived here yesterday lunchtime and rapidly moored, did the services stuff, filling one tank and emptied the other before heading for the welcoming doors of the Swan Inn. The notice on door said Dogs on leads welcome; the four of us were through that door and ensconced aside a raging fire before you could say Jack Robinson! A giant steak and kidney pudding was ordered by himself, a packet of pork scratchings for the dogs and a ham roll for herself.
Stuart Harper, Caxton's builder, turned up moments later to deal with a couple of minor snags aboard Caxton - well that is what a snagging cruise is all about.
We will head off later today along the Coventry canal towards our destination of Brinklow some 38 miles away.
I cannot upload any photo's at present, the system is far too slow so they will follow as an when folks.

A sad loss

The folks on NB Daniel Oakley have posted that they have had to have their elderly dog Pip, destroyed and particularly sad is that their other dog, Jet, is terminally ill with cancer.
So sorry to read this folks my thoughts are with you.

Off line

Moored at Penkridge about twenty feet further north than last night after being enlisted in a bow hauling exercise this morning - the critical signal was needed for us to be able to watch the Grand Prix. The programme has just started as I do this update.

This morning, after walking the dogs, I went walkabout off-line, that is off the line of the canal and into Penkridge Village. Below is a photo of the Penkridge gaol, formerly the village lock-up, built in the 1800's and restored by the local civic society.

Here is a typical cottage.

And here is the village church of St. Michael's. A substantial church constructed of penkridge stone in 1180 on a site that has boasted a church since 850. I must admit that I was bit puzzled by the size of some of the buildings, including a very large hotel adjacent to the Church yard. This village had obviously been very prosperous in the past but the these signs of wealth were not close to the canal. So, turning to googleworld when back on the boat I find that Penkridge thrived in the great coaching days, hence the hotel.

And now, with a roast in the oven, the GP just about to start and a glass of wine winking at me, I leave you until tomorrow...

Visitors

Moored in Penkridge near the Cross Keys Inn after trawling up from our overnight stop at Gailey. We waited here yesterday for a knock on the door that turned out to be more like a boot in the side carefully applied by Greygal and husband A from Dogs on Tour. They wouldn't go away so after a tour of the boat, a try of the cross bed for size - nothing funny going on promise - we headed for the Cross Keys and what turned out to be a liquid lunch liberally garnished with crisps and peanuts as the pub had stopped serving food minutes before we stumbled across its threshold - sods law!
It was great to see both and thank you for celebratory bottle of champers! We look forward to meeting you again before very long.