The Joy of Lazy Starts

28th & 29th November

Before saying anything else, I’d like to acknowledge the recent comments by Sarah, Nev and Mukiwa – it’s really good to know that not only are people reading my ramblings, they get some pleasure from them!

Yesterday, it was nice not to have to leap lightly out of bed first thing in the morning in case the boatyard staff wanted to access the boat. We had a lazy start and then pottered off to Marple to do some shopping. Granny Buttons was tied just before Bridge 2, and Hiraethlyn between 2 and 1.

We got supplies for lunch from the Co-op here – on the way back we noticed that Granny’s stern pin had started to part company with the towpath, so I banged it back in, and later dropped an email to Andrew to let him know. We did a return trip to town after lunch to get some meat, but the butcher’s was closed – must be Wednesday half day in Marple.

Then it was back to Deer Farm Bend for the night, noting that the batteries now seem to be charging OK from the TravelPower.

I made a note for this blog to say that we then had a quiet afternoon, well buttoned down in the boat as it poured with rain. Sheila, however, on hearing me mutter this to myself as I wrote, pointed out that whilst I might have had a quiet time, she finished repairing the crochet blanket for Jane Howarth, and then started an Aran jumper for Daniel.

In the late afternoon, whilst reheating the dinner (we’re still using up the stuff that got a bit defrosted whilst we were away), I made some more stewed fruit for breakfasts. I normally add a tin of fruit to the mix after stewing the dried stuff, and this time had a can of Co-op raspberries to put in. It was a case of opening it, tipping it out and then thinking “Where’s the raspberries?”

There were some, but there was a lot more juice. When I looked closely at the label, it said “net weight 260 grams, drained weight 116 grams”, so there was indeed more juice than rasps. A better description would have been Apple and Blackcurrant Juice with added Raspberries.

Today was a bright and sunny morning, but we still weren’t inclined to make a flying start. We eventually got underway at 9.45 (“Shocking,” I hear Elanor say; it’s hell having a psychologist for a father).

We stopped briefly at High Lane to buy a paper, and then rather longer at Poynton to top up the water tank. Mata Hari was on the water point when we arrived, and I had a chat with her steerer as we waited. They had had an interesting summer on the North Eastern waterways in the floods – sounded as exciting as our time on the Nene.

By just before 12 we were at Lyme View Marina, so stopped for lunch on the visitor moorings there, and then plodded on, on an ever colder afternoon, to stop again just short of Bollington, on the bit of towpath we used in the other direction on Bonfire weekend, so just over three weeks ago.

Looks as if the weather is going to be a bit wild and woolly for a few days, so we may well stay here until it improves next week, or we may go on to Gurnett Aqueduct tomorrow – depends how we feel really.