NO PICS. I DELETED THEM BY ACCIDENT ! DOH !

On the way to the Marvellous Montgomery, we passed Brock’s house. !!!!

This is such a lovely little canal, and will be stunningly beautiful when the whole 30 or so miles are restored.  We can get down as far as Maesbury.  So after a perfect pump-out, we  moored up in the country.

We heard the 1^st Cockoo, saw the 1^st dragonfly and had our 1^st bbq.  Fancy Mick setting it up under this tree.  We could have had the 1^st fire brigade call out, as well.

I went off to pick some lettuce from my grow bag to find that it had turned into CABBAGE. !

This is a bit of Wicky. !( mick’s old mate).  Every year, when we are getting ready for the off,  he tries to get us to take some cabbage plants that he has grown from seed. I always say Than ks but no thanks. Anyway, this year he caught us. !  he passed them off as lettuce plants. !  little monkey, Roger.  Note:  remember to hide his whisky when in Scotland. !!!!

Now, not all you see on Countryfile is true.  Farmers don’t always plough AROUND lapwings nests.  Sometimes they plough over them !  saw it.  Sad.

Other sightings down this lovely waterway:  Vole racing DOWN a hole at the bottom of a tree, at the same time as a squirrel raced UP it.  Who was doing the chasing. ?

A bunny dozing in a patch of weeds, in front of his burrow.

Finlay getting into a field of sheep after rabbits. Yikes.  Glad the farmer wasn’t about.  Perhaps he was ploughing a field.

I did a massive load of washing and was able to hook it up into the trees to catch a breeze.  I have to say it looked a tiny bit pikey-ish. Especially as 2 local ladies, very well spoken, asked us how long we were staying ????  Hee heee,  I reckon she thought we had set up for the summer.

After a lovely day and  night, we moved off to the Queens Head Public House.  We were dining there o. n Thursday night.

At the last lock I had a mis-understanding with 2 geese. ! well, I was walking along to the lock, swinging my windlass and they made a dash for me. I was pecked on my gloved hands, I was pecked on my feet, legs and erm, erm my derriere. Does this mean I have been goosed????  That’s not rude, is it?  Anyway, it did not hurt, but I wasn’t quick enough to grab one for the pot.  I rather like Roast Goose.

I had some really good pics, as well.

Annoyed in the rain at Ellesmere

Arrived Llangollen Basin on Saturday, for 2 nights. We had a great 2 days and on Sunday Mick, Finlay and myself walked the 2 miles to Horseshoe Falls.  It was a lovley walk, and the weather was very good to us.

Finlay tried a drink out of his new hiking dog bowl.  That seemed to work.

Went in to a local butcher and bought some welsh lamb for lunch.  COR. That was so good and so tender, and then I heard bleating!....... and I just put a bit more mint sauce on my plate.  SORRY. 

K&J+2, decided to bbq  .As well as Breezy the Dalmatian, they have Scooby( not to be confused with our chum, Scooby. He’s a bloke, married to Rita Rose and has a narrowboat called Festina Lente), who is 12 months old, he is a cockerpoo or is that a Poodlecock?, has a really bad haircut and looks like Rolf off The Muppets .  (No, sorry, still cannot be confused with Scooby, well. Ooh I dunno know).

HOWEVER, Scooby was whistled and made a mad dash from his NB, and misjudged the distance, and ended up in the water.  Didn’t seem to bother him

 Next time we come here, we know to moor in a different place to get the most of the scenery. We couldn't see a blinking thing. !!!!

 BBQ time and Finlay has stopped snarling at Scooby.  finally.. 

 Finlay has the wind in his ears as we cross back over to ENGLAND. !!!!

I just had an early bath. !!!!   but I ain't bothered.

Now on our way to the head of The Montgomery Canal, and on the way, we managed to pick up a manky old blanket in the prop. Well, if we are going up The Rochdale Canal we had better get used to that.

What is it with older men?  Old Keith on NB Salamander, is always chatting to some woman….. “ ooh, what a lovely smile” or “ what a nice dog etc etc”.  Not to be outdone, Mick then wanders over to join in.  This poor woman yesterday, got entangled with these 2, and after about 10 mins Jan and I said we were off inside as it was cold.  This woman had to endure another 20 minutes of these two ‘erberts laughing and flirting with her. The stuff they got to find out about her

Left Ellesemere on Friday , very early.  On the return we will stock up on the bacon and bap deal, and also some lovely pate from the deli.  Mmmmm

Anyway, I had a sad find at the rubbish bins.

1 x beautiful new dog-duvet- large

2 bowls- one being an anti-spill bowl.( Not sure if Fin will get his snitch in it, though)

Half a pack of poop bags

And a brand new, still with the ticket on, pet water bowl, that will go in a rucksack. 

So, I took the cover off the duvet and washed it, even though it wasn’t dirty and there was not much of a doggy smell  .  Finlay had a sniff of the bed, and duly did the round, and round and round bit, before settling down.

So, a nice find for us , but I keep wondering if there someone trundling up the cut, crying, and what happened  to their pet ????.

  Stopped at the Poachers Pocket last night(PUB).  Not bad.

Once in Wales, and just after we came out of a tunnel, Mick and I sang Men of Harlech to our chums following behind.  Well we don’t know the words so we “dee-dee-deed” it. We followed this with “there’ll be a welcome in the hillside”.  Our friends were appreciative and so was a bloke, who came out of his boat to conduct us. I reckon he was a Taff.  I asked if he liked it and he gave us a thumbs up.

Loads of bunnies and squirrels and buzzards.

We are now at Llangollen Basin for 2 days( that’s all you is allowed).  £6 per day and that includes leccy and water.

I am off to the Horseshoe Falls tomoz( Sunday).  Looks like I am going on my own. Its 4 mile round trip.  I don’t even think I will take Finlay, as its too much for him these days.

No walking on this side. Well I suppose there are some numpties that would.

A pic of a cat for Chris.  Can you see the doggy in the window?  I wonder how much he is ????

Don't look down Finlay

Flying the Lincolnshire flag in Wales. ooooo errrrr

SHORT post today.  we are hoping to move off towards Chirk tomorrow. ANYWAY, I woke up at about 5am, and lay there. I opened the window, and waited.  No, no footsteps of the Phantom Pot Plant Pincher( Melva, thats really good ). So I have ammended my thoughts to it being a narrowboater coming back from the pub.  so, I will now cast a beady eye over all the bloats or even boats that we meet, just to see if I can see my wee pot.
 Its warmer today, but not as warm as Spain. ! Tch Tch.

Oh, and Finlay is feeling better.  We caught him sitting under a picnic table on the moorings eating fag buts. or is it butts? and yesterday he was reet poorly. However, it may have passed on through as he is more the ticket today.

Tesco, here has mucked up again.  They are knocking out 6 litre bottles of water for 52p. !!!! Loads of folks are buying water at this price, and I said to Mick "quick, give us 52p and I will get us some".  then Mick pointed out that we get our water FREE on t'canal.  DOH. !

Monday we left Grindley Brook.  Bought 2 x BW Poop Out Cards @ £14.75 each. Last time we bought them they were a tenner. See?  Prices are going up even for the most basic of things. !!!!

Pretty cruise to Ellesmere.  Th e last time we were here we had some tw…. Numpties trying to steal Mick’s fishing rod off the top of the boat, without success.  This time though, the sub-humans stole my plantpot. That was all set up with freesias and bizzy lizzies.   . They see something, want it, and take it. !  I heard footsteps at about 6am, ish.  So I guess someone going to work.  I plan to be up and awake tomoz morning, just to see. And I will challenge them, but I will apologise if I get it wrong.

Anyway on a lighter side. 4 of us trawled off into Tesco, and as we arrived at the Reduced section, the young employee there, starting trying to get us to buy pizza, reduced to £1.08.  I pointed out that they were only reducing it by about 25p. “ How about 50p?” says I.  “ ooh, I dunno about that, lets see”. “ ok, how about 75p?”. He says “ will 72p be acceptable?”   “Very”, says I.  and by this time, we had an audience and they were all buying rather nice( as it turns out) pizza for 72p.. Our travelling chum, Kieth had bought his at the first price, so came rushing back to get another price ticket on it. !!!!

Also, the last time we were here, there is a lovely, deli cum cake shop cum bakery. That was doing a deal of …..1lb of double back bacon + 6 floury baps……oh please, grow up. !   for £2.80.  and they were doing it again. !   so we have all had a floury bap stuffed with bacon for lunch.  With brown sauce, of course. !

I like Ellesmere, (apart from that git who stole my plant), its like being on the set of Gavin and Stacey.  I even heard, now you may not believe this, but I heard someone say “whats Occurring?” and the other phrase that Uncle Bryn says, but I have forgotten it, damn. !

Jan and Keith’s( NB Salamander)  wee washing machine blew up last week, but again we had a result.  We saw a 2ndhand shop and found them a 2^nd hand machine that had been used just a couple of times .  As I say we all happy, but not with that git who stole my plant pot.  And the weather could be better.  Its raining again. But hey ho.  Bring on tomorrow morning.  I’m gonna get ‘im. !!!   grrrhhhh. I will set my rotweiler on him. !   and then I will set Finlay on him. !!!!

bird having a bath, just in case you not sure what it is. !!!

So we are not to enjoy ourselves, then ?

As always, we enjoyed Nantwich.

However,  BENDIGEDEG  or summat like that.  It means Wondferful in welsh.

The Llangollen is beautiful, with wide grassy towpaths, safe for Finlay to be “Loose”.Plenty of squirrels, rabbits and hares.Poor old Finners can’t see them so well, these days.

Plenty of buzzards and crows doing airiel ?  acrobatics.

Saw a calf being born, whilst waiting at a lock. Well, I saw the back legs sticking out of the cow, then I had to go, and Keith in the boat we are now travelling with us, well he saw the main event.  The cow had to have a bit of help from the farmer . anyway.

Have drank some good if expensive beer at a local pub.  £3.20 a pint. !   

Then we saw a friend that we “did” the Chesterfield Canal with, Richard. It was lovely to see him again.and just sad that we didn’t time it right for the pub.  Never mind, we’ll catch him another time.

Tuesday 1^st May.

Have enjoyed Market Drayton, and I did as our chum Scooby and Rita, suggested and went to the chocolate shop. The lady here is a chocolatier, and you can see her making her choccy.  Scoob suggested the chilli choc, and although he asks her to put more chilli in for his taste, we found this just fine.We had tried a small bit, and were commenting that we couldn’t taste any heat, so we had a bigger bit, and the chilli hit us. ! Very Nice.  I was almost tempted by the lavender choccy, but then thought that perhaps the scent of lavender is nicer than the taste.

Watered up, de-rubbished and more importantly de-pooped, using our BW card.So one nice empty boat.

Off we go towards the Adderley flight of 5 locks.

 Had an exchange with a slower than slow lady on a hire boat,there were 6 of them, and I was waiting to open the paddles but her and the skipper were just dawdling about. So I shouted to one lady standing doing nothing in particular. “ don’t forget to drop your paddles”  “ what’s that woman saying?” “ I said don’t forget to drop your paddle” reply “ I know , I know”  very annoyed, she was.  It would seem that they only have one windlass between them,. !  hey ho.

By the time we had finished the locks, it was pouring down, so pulled up and called that that. Plus we have a lovely view, if we could just see it through the rain

Wednesday the Audlem locks, 15 in all, and my favourite. They are stunning, and meander through wonderful countryside.

Bought some home made saussies from the farmers wife at the top lock, and found the same thing at the bottom.  I thought I was going doo-lally. I asked the bloke( farmer) are you married to her at the top, then ?   No, and I was here first.  Oh blimey. Farm Shop Wars. !!!!!

The Shroppie Fly wasn’t open, it was only 10.30am. !  so couldn’t stop for a pint.  But that meant we made it to a fave mooring at a place called Coole Pilate, and its soooo COOL.  Picnic tables and facilities for your bbq at each one.  Well Done. Shrop Union Canal Society.

Lovely afternoon, and Salamander with Jan and Keith + 2, found us.  They are moored in front of us back at Floods Ferry, and as we are all going the same way, we will cruise together for a bit.

We had our pre-dinner drinkies sitting outside in the evening sun, with buzzards overhead, and our dinner dozing and bleating in the field next to us.

Now at Nantwich, a really lovely town, until sat morning, when we will make our way to the Llangollen.  Yackey Dah, and we have to try an “Oggie”?   no idea what it is, but will give it a try.

Lovely Mooring.

Start of the Audlem Locks.

These big'uns dont belong to us, honest/

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz"

I wish our dinner would wake up. !