Bartimaeus

It is a lovely time of year to be on the canal. This morning there were tiny black fluffy moorchicks across from us and the parents had a job keeping them together. The geese on the other hand are very organised with their brood.

We passed a swan sitting on her nest today. As usual the water birds are a big draw and as well as the usual herons and ducks, this section has a lot of swallows, goldfinches and wagtails. What I didn’t expect to see out on a sunny afternoon was a fox, looking intently at us from the long grass at the side of the canal. I wonder if it is looking for stray baby birds. It ran off as we got level and then stopped, turned and kept its watchful gaze on from there.

Much as I am enjoying the cruising, I feel like I have forgotten a few things. I have been unsure I can remember how to drive into locks – luckily they are double width to break me back into it. Nonetheless, I opted to work the locks the first couple of times. I had a problem opening one yesterday and found it quite tricky but there have been no shortage of keen helpers. On one the windlass was too small and I had to run back to try a different one. It is the only spigot that size on this set, I am told by another locking crew. Another a passing boater told us our tunnel light was on – another thing I had forgotten was where that switch was… I had leant on it when I sat down!

Shane does not seem to be suffering any lack of confidence and has managed to lift the heavy batteries into place, despite having lost a bit of neck muscle during surgery. I can’t lift them much with all my muscles intact. Still I was able to help out when he dropped a strap at the bottom of the bow thruster locker and couldn’t reach it and I could easily climb in and crouch down to get it.

He has been enjoying the problem solving with the batteries and it is a good to have the bow thruster working again. I have already used it. Unfortunately I had to interrupt his explanation of diodes and capacitors to stand on the seat and photograph a few fields of flowers.