A foxy lady makes my day…

We had a good, hard, frost last night, we’ve not had many of those this winter! Recorded temperature on our roof mounted sensor was -2°, but it felt colder than that as I’d let the stove out last night to give it a good clean. In retrospect, not good timing.

We let the day warm up a bit before getting away, and by then the early morning sunshine had given way to cloudy skies.

Leaving Fradley Junction




Five minutes into the trip I spotted what I thought was a stray dog on the towpath….






We followed her for a few minutes till she sat down and watched us go past. 

Meg spotted her at this point and gave a woof, spooking her into running back the way we’d come. What a treat, although she wasn’t looking her best in her winter woolies.





It’s been a good day for wildlife spotting, several squirrels, a jay near Brookhay and a couple of ducks with their heads on backwards!




The day spoiled itself as it started to rain as we approached the A38 road bridge.

Bell Bridge, No 89, carrying the A38
The A38 runs on a section of Ryknild (Iknield) Street, a Roman Road built to run from Gloucestershire to Templeborough in Sheffield. I wonder what the marching legionaries would have made of the 45 tonne artics thundering along at 60 mph? Poor old Clavdivs Maximvs would have been hard pressed to keep up 4 mph carrying upwards of 100lbs of weapons, armour and equipment.
In the rain…

Brookhay Cottage, next to the bridge, is going up for sale this year. A really nice property, downside is the proximity of the railway, upside is the canal alongside.

Brookhay Cottage

It was raining in earnest by this time, and I started looking for a likely spot to moor. I thought about just past Streethay Wharf, near the new Kings Orchard Marina, but the towpath was boggy.

Kings Orchard Marina, filling up but still with vacancies

We pulled over near The Plough at Huddlesford, the towpath good along here for a few hundred yards.

Moored near The Plough

It’s been raining on and off all afternoon, but is supposed to ease by lunchtime tomorrow. I’m glad we live in a floating home, unlike those poor souls down south. Even the canals are flooding now, stoppages on the Grand Union main line and the Aylesbury Arm.
Les and Jackie are stuck on the arm at the moment.

Of course, any navigation which relies wholly or in part on a river is closed. The Trent, The Severn, Calder and Hebble, Aire and Calder, New Junction Canal……

Locks 0, miles 4¼