Bartimaeus

A grey and damp start to the day prompted us to get on with inside jobs.  In recent days I’ve had a few goes at sawing up the parts needed to build up the cupboard.  I remembered the old adage: by doing just a little every day, you can gradually let the task completely overwhelm you.  So instead I did a little more and so today I was ready to start joining things together again.

We were interrupted a couple of times by a knocking on the side of the boat. A swan was taking exception to  the side of our boat, perhaps seeing a reflection of itself, and pecking vigorously.

By the middle of the afternoon I’d made enough progress with the cupboard to want a change of activity.  The next job is suspending it in the space alongside the tandem.  I can see how to do that in principle, but I want to take a bit of a run at it.

The internet coverage wasn’t great where we were moored, and we could get the batteries up to full charge by moving on to Gnosall (pronounced with a silent G we think), only about three miles away.

On the way we had two extended views of kingfishers.  Each would fly off just as the nose of the boat drew level and dazzle us with its characteristic fast low flight over the water.  We usually knew which tree it would appear from next, but only see it when it flew.  I’m still excited to see them.

We found an easy mooring in Gnosall and went for a walk in the last of the daylight – the sun had come out for the first time all day.  Clare pointed out a sign next to a bridge.  It is displayed for the benefit of boaters, not for those crossing the bridge.

The moorings under the next bridge look especially picturesque.  We are in a slightly less pretty spot, but I have learnt to take the first acceptable mooring, it can be very hard to go back if you find nothing better, you can always move up to a better mooring, but we rarely do.