Bartimaeus

The evening before setting back towards the marina, we had managed to get back aboard just before the small amount of rain started. Our urban spot had not been chosen for beauty, but because it was in a good spot for the panels to catch the sun. The last of the sun and the small amount of rain made for a more dramatic outlook to the canal side buildings and an old mill, now a spa hotel.

With the locks behind us it was a short drive the following day to the marina. It was a sunny morning. Going back through the same stretch we had just been, we didn’t expect to see much we hadn’t seen before, but it was a beautiful day to admire the trees and fields. Shane heard a kite and we caught sight of it circling.

Looking ahead I saw bright orange on a tree and thought it might be a robin, but it soon became clear from the shape that it was a kingfisher. The handsome specimen stayed still on the branch allowing us to pass.

Shane tried reversing to try to get closer, but as we moved within close range it took off. The blue of its wings in the bright light was truly brilliant. It was still within sight as it settled on a branch further back, then it dropped to the water and caught something and flew further away again. A very short time later I gave a second cry of “kingfisher!” as one ahead of us flew towards us and shot past, giving another dazzling display of speed and colour. We didn’t mind retracing our journey at all. I felt like the boat I had seen when driving between the locks the day before and I am not referring to being drab and grey. 

Someone had asked if I was cold driving, but I had said I was fine in the sunshine. The towpath was in shade but I was not, so I was a lucky lady then too.

We were soon approaching the marina and going back past the long line of moored boats, a brisk wind blowing the Nauti Buoys flag. There were a few people out and about.

We pulled into the marina and I went in to ask someone about buying diesel. The young assistant was engaged with a bearded man who I had seen before so seemed to be resident. He was just telling her that he was 62 and she told him he didn’t look it and he responded that had made him very happy. She turned and looked towards me, so I asked if we were all sharing ages and that I would be 62 too later in the year, where upon she was obliged to repeat her line “you don’t look 62”. 

She filled us up with diesel and we went to the boatyard to ask about our engine trouble. As Shane drove out of the services dock I tried to get a better look at a boat moored across from it. I had thought it was named Looking Good and it was a smart vessel, but it appeared to be a canal themed pun, Locking Good, but it was quite hard to see.

While we waited a reply came in on the Ortomarine technical chat channel, following Rob saying he had a spare relay in stock. The owner of Moroko was in Droitwich, where Ortomarine are based and if we were in Chester he could pick up the part and bring it to us on his way to The Wirral. It was very good of him to offer but Shane felt he could get it easily himself and didn’t want to inconvenience him. If there hadn’t been an outlet with them in stock in Chester, the would certainly have been a welcome delivery.

We headed back out and returned towards Chester. We were taking our time though as we had now established when Shane needed to be back in Edinburgh for his crown fitting and we had plenty time to get there and have a further explore before then, so we moored on the outskirts.

The next morning I saw a lot of people running past the boat with numbers attached. Most looked pretty tired and some were walking. I at first thought it might be a park run and admired people fit enough to do that, but then I noticed the word Ultra on their numbers. It was a 50 mile event. No wonder people were looking tired and I was all the more impressed that these people should even look at a fifty mile run and think that was a good idea and they were fit for it.

We had a much less energetic day and moved a little closer to Chester, having picked up water. We eventually stretched our legs in the late afternoon with a walk along the towpath. A pair of lighter coloured mallards were noticeable. They were accompanied by another drake in the usual shades. They always seemed to stick together as we had seen them a few times now. They made a handsome trio.

On the way back the low sun lit the opposite bank turning it golden and tinging the treetop with a rosy glow. It transformed a plain outlook.