Bartimaeus

Once visitors have left, life can feel a bit flat and be ordinary, but also there are jobs to be done. Laundry and a pump out for a start. We didn’t have much of a plan for the day but an email from the house sitters about carpets gave us an objective. They are kindly doing a job we have meant to do for years and replacing carpets and had sent a link to one they considered. As luck would have it we weren’t far from one of the company stores. We could go to look at the suggested carpet at the Trafford Retail Park to really see them as textiles and colours on line are hard to judge.

Getting to the pump out point, the more pressing task, involved going forwards to the next winding hole, back through the lift bridge, on to another turning point, turning , pump out, then back through the bridge again and then go towards the Bridgewater canal. The weather was a bit squally but we saw the yellow flash of a  lovely wagtail and the bridge openings were quicker and less eventful, for which I was glad. And without giving any details, the pump out went quickly and smoothly too. Exciting new experience for the day: trying out a toilet product we found be in the boat, to go in the tank. It has a clever measuring system and valve in the neck of the bottle, quite the talking point between Shane and Roland.  I was strangely pleased to have the chance to try out “operating” the mechanism!

When we  went back past our original mooring, it was already nearly lunch time. We stopped a little while later and decided this was actually quite a good spot. There was an excellent view of an old mill.

The weather had brightened and Shane realised that cycling to the retail park to see the carpets would be quicker than taking the boat there. Although this was an area we’d been to before, we had been in a hurry then and so we had more chance to admire the statues and buildings on the way this time. I hadn’t noticed the lighthouse at all ( or not remembered it!)

Coming the other way, I had been driving though this area and somehow missed the lighthouse, but didn’t miss this striking building. I just didn’t have time to take a picture while steering round a sharp corner.

There’s plenty of interesting architecture around, statues and information about the industrial heritage and modern buildings imitating the address past.

We didn’t see a lot of wildlife but I’m pretty sure a rat scooted across in front of us just as we were approaching the retail park. There were plenty of ducks of course and even some statues of them.

We managed to make our choices in the carpet shop. I have found my “waterproof” jacket to be lacking that key quality and recently the pocket ripped, so had a look and found one in the sale, which I’m happy with… Though still to be tried out in actual rain. Margaret’s had a hood with a peak and so I looked for that feature and I’m hoping it will keep the rain off my glasses.

Shane tried again to find waterproof gloves, but no joy. I have good thick gloves but didn’t have them on today because they were in the freezer getting debugged! I am making a start on knitting myself some fluffy mittens too.

From an unpromising start to the day, we have had a sunny successful cycle to the outskirts to Manchester and improved my autumn – winter wardrobe.