The Shortest Day!

That’s it, it can only get better from here as the days start to lengthen!
We’ve been a bit up and down these last couple of days, up and down the lock. Most of Sunday was spent shuttling boats through the ice. We went up first. As we’re facing the right way it was easier for us to break through with the sharp end. Still not that easy, though!

George freeing up the top lock gate
After defrosting the water tap we filled the tank, then emptied the loos before dropping back down the lock in reverse.

Chas was next on M2L, reversing through the ice floes and onto the wharf for diesel then across the cut for water.
Meanwhile George brought R’n’R also backwards, to do the same. They both have oil heating, so use more diesel than us.
Rock ‘n’ Roll into the lock
It had been a fine sunny day, but got decided parky when the sun went down. (Not that it got up much, anyway).

Yesterday was not quite so active, we were the only ones to go up again, this time to meet Tescoman for our delivery. Even after just one night, the ice was pretty thick again, in some cases worse as the slabs of ice we’d displaced on Sunday froze on top of the new stuff.

There was a bit of excitement up on the road late yesterday afternoon. Watling Street (now known as the A5) crosses the canal just this side of the lock. There’s a lay-by near the bridge regularly used by trucks, but one won’t be going any further, at least not under it’s own power.
No-one was hurt and the emergency services were on the scene promptly. The road was closed for about an hour while the blaze was brought under control and made safe.

The truck is a sorry sight this morning.
The temperatures have been steadily rising after a very cold Sunday night. It barely dropped below freezing last night, but on the other hand it’s not much above now. It’ll be a while before we’ll be moving any distance at this rate.

Locks - 4 (arguably), miles - a little bit of one.