Bartimaeus

Over breakfast we discussed the best window in the weather to make the short distance left before being lined up ready for the Ribble tomorrow morning.

We left only a little head of plan, spurred by the sight of another boater preparing the double lock, so we offered to join him and helped each other through.

There had been mention of getting stuck in places with no access to shops or roads, if the going is too hard to handle tomorrow, so I set off for the village shop. I was also looking for motion sickness tablets since both of us are prone and there was a chemist in the village. I had tried earlier in the week to get something we know to be effective from previous ferry crossings, but had found only ginger extract capsules which state it is not a medicine. Saturday morning seemed our last chance.

Unfortunately the chemist was shut all day on a Saturday and the extremely well stocked village shop, didn’t stretch to anti- nausea remedies, but I got bread and other basics and we will just have to hope I am being unreasonably concerned!

l was needed to work occasional swing bridges, mostly just connecting tracks to fields, but the last is in the small town where we set off from tomorrow and there I had a delighted audience of a man with small boy.

Shane went off to see the lie of the land/ river/ tide and in his absence the rain got very heavy. I popped my head out to see the sheep and birds outside and the water birds shot eagerly forward, but I had nothing for them having thrown out my scraps earlier.

I have watched a couple of videos ( Silver Foxes and Country Gentleman) about the Ribble Link and they both made it seem scary. I don’t plan to drive, but Shane just told me to read up on it, in case he starts throwing up or something and I need to take over! Thanks, that has helped me relax and look forward to it in eager anticipation….