There and back again…..

To Anderton, that is. I feel really guilty, just hanging around this area while other boaters are off on their travels around the network. The call of fresh waters is starting to get insistent, still, this time next month we’ll be on the Lancaster Canal, having braved the perils of the Ribble Link.

On Saturday we pulled pins at the Flashes and cruised back to Anderton.

Sunset over the Trent and Mersey

Breakfast visitors

Approaching the Bridge 185 bend, the horse chestnuts really do need a bit of trimming…

Mags on the tiller near Marbury.

A top up of the grocery cupboards was needed, and tank emptying and filling was looming on the horizon. We moored between the 2 marinas this time, everywhere else was full anyway, and it’s not so busy with pedestrians there. I took a walk up to the Co-op at Barnton on Sunday morning and the area around the lift was heaving with visitors. Several coaches had disgorged their passengers and they were milling about in confusion, waiting for someone to get them organised. I imagine they all had a trip to Northwich and back on the MV Edwin Clarke at some point in the afternoon.

Meg and I had a couple of long walks around the woods and meadows either side of the canal. She often finds a ball when we’re out and about, and Sunday morning was no exception. But I went and spoilt it by booting it over a fence into a very overgrown area. Meg went in after it, rooting around unsuccessfully for 5 minutes until I convinced her that it was a lost cause. Then I had to disentangle the hairy fronds of that creeping hedge bottom weed (don't know what it's called) she’d collected all over so she could see. A thorough brushing when we got back cleared her coat of the little round hairy seeds.

We had a bit of a queue at the service point (I reckon it must be the busiest on the system!) before we got away today, heading south again, back to Orchard to (hopefully) collect the wood I’d ordered.

This lot must have seen a different weather forecast!

If you’re going to meet a boat then Sod’s Law says it’ll be here at Wincham.

Strangely enough that particular Universal Truth wasn’t operating today….

It’s not only boats that damage the banks…..

Hoof cooling.

We pulled in between bridges 182 and 182A and I walked up to the marina. Tomorrow, the wood will be there tomorrow morning, guaranteed. So we’ll stay here tonight and wait for a call in the morning….

Locks 0, miles 10.