We were moored last night twixt Fradley Junction & Alrewas. Very nice mooring.

Amusing boat names :- Wobbly Bob and Esio Trot ( tortoise backwards), very appropriate for a NB.

Well a sign of the times, I guess, we watched moorhens building a nest ( bit late), it started off with a bed of weed, then topped up with a Salt n Vinegar and a Cheese n Nunion crisp packet, and then another load of weed. aaah. Perhaps its good insulation? or perhaps like us they like crisp sheets at night !!!

I'll have to take Mick to specsavers. We arrived at a bridge-hole, and he signalled to the boat the other side to pass through. No responce. He signalled again. Nada. I looked through the bins and it turned out it was a stationary boat- no-one aboard. Hey ho. could happen to anyone, I suppose.

Ha.! Don't we know the holiday-bods are about. Hire boat company Canaltime a.k.a. Analtime-with 4 person crew took one look at us coming along SLOWLY and decided to panic, engaged forward gear and rammed straight into us. No damage done, except the other blokes pride. He said he was very, very embarrassed. So he should be.

But there we go, we all have to start somewhere, and looking a complete git in front of competent boaters is all part of the fun.

Said hello to Mike and Valerie on NB Dragonfly. We were rafted up with them 2 years ago, down Burwell Lode on the river Cam

Whilst at Fradley(we need a pump out !!!!), where there is water, toilets, rubbish bins etc, but NO Pump Out, we decided to top up the water as I had done a load of washing. For the non-boaters, in the side of the boat near the water line, there is a hole to let out the waste water, from showers, handbasin etc. I was just emptying washing machine, not aware that a young mallard was investigating said hole. Yup, you've guessed it. an almighty squawking and quacking and one very clean and shiny mallard. I watched him have a preen up, so he seemed ok. but'of course' he will smell of YlangYlang & Lotus flowers, now. Hope the others don't give him a hard time.