Friday, November 20, 2015

No rainbows today, but we did find a small pot of gold!

Boater’s gold, wood, of course.

The bright, sunny but chilly start to the day soon deteriorated to dull, rainy and still chilly. The hour-by-hour local forecast indicated that their might be a gap in the wet weather around lunchtime, so off we set, arriving at Bank Newton Top Lock soon after 11:00.

Looking east towards SkiptonIMG_8004

Sunny but a cold wind today
IMG_8005

A maintenance crew were relaying the coping stones under Bridge 164IMG_8006

The top lock was full with the gates half open, so that gave us a good start, and with an enormous amount of water running down the flight, several of the lower ones were being filled with water coming over the top gates…

…and all over the lock surrounds!IMG_8008

Below this lock there was a fairly large tree-trunk lying on the towpath, a casualty of the recent gales, I suspect. I say was…
IMG_8007

It’s sliced up and on the roof, now!
IMG_8009
This is the first decent bit of firewood we’ve had this winter.

Cutting it up didn’t take long, I‘d had all three of my saw chains professionally sharpened, so it was a doddle.

By half-twelve we were dropping down the bottom lock of the six, with just another ten minutes to go before we moored above Stegneck Lock.

Bank Newton Bottom LockIMG_8012

Lunch was taken while another shower passed over, Then out came the chain saw and axe and I got those logs sliced and diced. Should last for a few days.

Into Gargrave tomorrow, visitors on Sunday.

Locks 6, miles 1¾

No comments: