Bartimaeus

Sometimes we've had to go back to Edinburgh leaving the boat in places that were not ideal.  Not this time: we returned from Edinburgh to Bartimaeus securely moored with the batteries topped up by the sun, the fridge still cold and the hot water tank heated with surplus solar power.

The next morning was a bit wet, so it wasn't until afternoon that we set off a little further along the canal, stopping on the outskirts of Stoke Golding.  I found a route across fields in to the village.  Clare seemed surprised to find the grass wet under her feet - we really have seen very little rain this year!

The next morning we drove with the diesel engine for an hour to get the batteries back to fully charged.  Once they were full, we drove electric and started looking for a nice mooring again.  Clare had just driven under a bridge when she saw a boat approaching and a large overhanging tree.  The other boat slewed across the canal - most likely meaning they were trying to stop and give way.

I went to the front to get a better view and perhaps help with communication.  The tree just in front of us had low thick branches.  I advised Clare to use the bow thruster to keep us out from underneath it, and then she was able to pass the other boat on the wrong side.

Later conversations with other boaters prompted me to report the problem tree to the Canal and River Trust.  If we're lucky, we'll find it has been trimmed by the time we return.

Just around the corner we found a lovely looking mooring.  There were cows and calves in the field opposite and swallows skimming and dipping above the water.

We spent a leisurely afternoon watching the birds and cows, with a short walk - effectively a lap of the cow's field - in the evening.

The next day was Clare's birthday.  She was reluctant for us to drive on from such an idyllic spot, so we decided to stay put.  I took a short bike ride to the small supermarket in Market Drayton to buy various essentials and a bunch of flowers (no florists or jewellers were available).

The day was sunny and bright and punctuated by aerobatic displays from large numbers of swallows.  They don't make it easy to photograph, but they were close and plentiful enough to catch occasionally.

The following day started dull and damp, so we still didn't fancy moving on.  A number of boats came by, including one, Willum, we remembered seeing two years ago on the Thames.  By the afternoon, it seemed bright enough to risk a walk in to Market Drayton.  When I had cycled in the previous day I had been reminded that the main road in to town is quite busy.  The lane I had come back on by contrast was peaceful, so that is the way we went.

We found a little cafe and ordered coffee and cake.  They recommended we sit in the courtyard as they were about to close, but we could relax there even after they had shut.  As we were sitting down I remembered that we had sat here three years ago too.

We were the only customers until just before closing time when the owner of Willum arrived.  Once she'd sat down with her ice cream I asked if she was indeed the owner of Willum.  She was surprised to be recognised, but happy to chat once we'd explained that we'd seen her pass and remembered her.  Like us, her cruising plans have been severely modified by the shortage of water.

The next morning was wet again, but as the day brightened after lunch we moved on to the water point.  The water pressure was the strongest we remember and Clare got splashed trying to settle the hose.  I took over to show her how to do it properly - and duly got soaked properly.

We drove on in the strong sunshine until we found another open mooring. It was about a mile along the canal to a pub, so we went for a drink, and then stayed for our dinner.

The canal here is pretty well due East-West, so I was slightly concerned about being in the shadow of the hedge to the south.  By sunset I'd realised that at this time of the year that isn't a problem - the sun set is north of us.

This morning we spotted a tiny caterpillar on the inside of the window above the table.  It vanished, but we soon found it crawling round the edge of the table.  We identified it as a yellow-tail moth, and found that its hairs can be irritating.  We transferred it (carefully) to the hawthorn hedge outside.

We also got a visit from a small family of swans.  I heard the distinctive peeping of the cygnets and opened the side hatch.  The adults were keen to take food from my hands, and were happy to compete with the cygnets for anything we threw in to the water.  Some crumbs ended up on the cygnets' backs.  They were keen to pick them up from both their own and their sibling's feathers.