The Lakes

0 Locks, 7 Miles, 1 Lift bridge. Now moored at Blake Mere.

It was a leisurely start this morning with Robin and I visiting "The Barn" canal side shop for another fresh loaf of bread and a date and walnut cake for morning tea. The cake was to replace a packet of lemon shortcake biscuits that Jenny had bought with her which only survived until yesterdays afternoon tea. They were yummie.

We eventually set off around 9.30 with plenty of hire boats heading home in the opposite direction after their race to reach Llangollen, several we met at bridge holes but they all hove too and let us pass so not all boat hirers push on regardless. At bridge 48 we called in at the water point and upon mooring up wondered where a terrible smell was coming from. It turned out that we had a very dead dog or calf wrapped around our bow which eventually drifted away taking the smell with it.

The only lift bridge today carries a country lane across the canal and actually lowers right down to water level where most lift bridges have at least a foot or so clearance above the water. We have also seen 3 Kingfishers today but still no success with photographing any of them.

Just after the junction with the Prees branch of the canal we passed over the boundary from England into Wales and travelled along tree lined 'tunnels' where we were completely engulfed by woodlands. Once we reached the lakes or Meres as they are known around here we started to look for suitable mooring which we found by Blake Mere complete with our own picnic table for a BBQ if the weather stays fine.

While sorting out things on the stern deck I found myself being pelted by acorns or parts of. The culprit was a grey squirrel sitting up in the Oak tree above me stuffing his face as fast as he good go in preparation for the forth coming winter.

1420 locks, 2039 miles, 45 Tunnels, 42 swing bridges and 26 lift bridges since Nov 2006