Yesterday ended at Tyrley Wharf where we met with our friend Gloria. We had yet another glorious day of weather and seen some beautiful scenery. I spoiled the best photo moment ever by getting so excited what I had seen that I frightened it away. It was a Kingfisher. The second one I had ever seen in my life. It was sitting on an overhanging branch on the canal just ready to be photographed. I turned round to Roy and shouted look there’s a Kingfisher, look, look, nearly crashed the boat trying to get my camera out and in the commotion I frightened it off. It flew off into the bushes and I thought I could still see it and I did…….this is all I managed to capture:

Passed a few boats that we recognised from Aston Marina, Pied a Terre, Grey Nomad and Gloria on her boat Genevieve. She helped us through the 5 locks at Tyrley after a nice cup of tea and a catch up with her and Louis, her dog. Lovely to see her again. The last time we saw her Foxglove had just arrive at the marina in the sorry state it was in so it was nice to show her all inside completed.

We also passed our first boat ‘Clare Louise’
just outside Gnosall. Still looking good after hours of painstaking sanding and painting back in 2009.

Exhausted last night that I was far too tired to blog. I actually went to bed around 9pm and woke up at 8am this morning. All the fresh air and exercise must have caught up with me.

We set off this morning from Market Drayton knowing that we had 5 locks to start with at Adderley before the flight of 15 locks at Audlem. A day of locks……wonderful!! That is sarcasm by the way, not enjoyment!

We needed to fill up with water again at some point today and also meet with our joiner, Rob Shone as he has a few more jobs to do while Foxglove is being painted so we planned to moor right outside the Shroppie Fly and Audlem Mill late afternoon today.

Called in at Audlem Mill just before it closed……oh my goodness…..we should never have gone in there!! Two more plates for the cabin, a book, a cross-stitch of Audlem, Shropshire Union Canal (that will keep me busy for a while) and another rag rug!! I knew we shouldn’t have gone in 😉 Oh and a Magnum ice cream each……very enjoyable.

We are staying here overnight as Rob is now meeting us first thing in the morning. We have only 4 more locks to do tomorrow then we will almost have reached Overwater Marina. I think we are going to travel past it though tomorrow just to see what the canals are like on the other side and then make our way back on Sunday. This week has gone far too quick. Only 2 days left 😦

Wish has had a great time again today. She has loved doing all the locks with us. She has been very good today. She was even very friendly with a little Westie dog whose owners stopped to chat with us as we were filling up with water. For some reason, Westie’s are the only dogs that Wish seems to like……..we find this very strange……..she must think they are a sheep or something!! Hi Vivien & Alan if you are reading. Bit of a coincidence really as they are at Overwater Marina but in their caravan. They said they will get to see Foxglove being taken out of the water on Tuesday as they will still be there. If you have a camera it would be great if you could take a photo for us. We wish we could really be there to watch but unfortunately we have to go back to work. Work??? That has been a sore subject this week……I do not want to go back, I am enjoying being out on the canals so much that I just do not want it to end. Time will tell 🙂

I cannot believe how lucky we have been with the weather. We have had glorious sunshine every single day. Just as we were mooring up this afternoon around 4.30 there were a few hailstones, and I mean a few, then it stopped, then 5 minutes later it rained. I didn’t care as we were moored up now for the rest of the day. The rain did not last for long and it is still gloriously sunny. Lets hope it lasts for out final 2 days.

Going to have some tea now and then watch a film. Here are some various photos taken from the last couple of days.