Wasps are a pain in the neck

6th & 7th August

We actually managed to sleep in yesterday morning, and didn't wake up until nearly seven o' clock. We weren't in a hurry anyway, and after a relaxed start boated to Rugeley. We still got there a bit early and had to hunt about a bit to find a mooring. After a good restock at Morrisons' and Wilkinson's, we ambled on, Sheila steering whilst I stowed the groceries in the galley.

After that I spent a good deal of my time being a lookout on the bow as we negotiated the various narrows through Armitage and Handsacre. We managed this without any drama, but I'm sorry to say that an Ownerships boat that we passed responded to my call of "There's another boat behind us" by opening his throttle, whereupon there was an interesting encounter in the bridge hole we had just cleared.

We tied on the towpath on the Handsacre side of bridge 56, driving all three of our big mooring pins well in. It was a good job that we did so, as the rest of the day was enlivened by boats charging past in both directions.

In the afternoon I worked on the quiz for a bit (I see we've had just one attempt to answer last time's puzzler) and Sheila made the most of what sun there was sitting out on the bow and pressing on with her crochet.

Odd event of the day was a middle aged man walking past looking a little confused. He asked us to confirm that if he turned left "a bit further along up here", he would eventually reach Birmingham. It seems that he had taken the wrong turning further back, presumably at Fradley. We agreed that he was in theory correct but tried to warn him that he was taking a very long way round. Apparently unfazed, he strode off along the towpath and we saw no more of him.

This morning (Friday) we didn't want to make an early start, as we planned to moor at Fradley and so wanted to get there between ten and eleven. Naturally, we woke really early but at least had time to do some internet stuff before setting off. The run would have been absolutely idyllic on a sunny summers morning, were it not for the fact that a wasp got between my collar and neck as I was steering and expressed its discomfort by stinging me. I went to brush it off, it got caught in the chain for my MedicAlert dog tag and stung me again, this time leaving its sting behind.

Though I say it myself, my language was really remarkably restrained. Sheila took over steering whilst I went and found a pair of tweezers and some hydrocortisone ointment, then I took the tiller back whilst she removed the sting and applied the ointment. There don't seem to have been any serious consequences of this, though of course I felt a bit shocked for a while and my neck is still rather sore some hours later.

We had a steady run down Fradley flight, arriving on the visitor moorings at about half ten when there was indeed plenty of choice. On the way down the locks we had a chance for a brief chat with Doug and Anne on Zoria with whom we'd shared a New Year's Eve celebration three years ago. In the intervening period, Graeme and Cathy, who were with us that year, have produced two children.

It all goes to show the nature of friendships in the linear village that is the Inland Waterways. You can meet someone for a few days, not see them for years, and then pick up again where you left off when your tracks happen to cross again.

After we'd moored and had a cup of coffee, I walked on down into Alrewas to collect a prescription from the pharmacy that I'd ordered by post earlier this week, and took the opportunity to buy a newspaper and a loaf of bread.

Whilst I was away, Sheila witnessed more evidence of the moral turpitude of the Mallard Duck. We are used to them knocking seven bells out of each other over a few scraps of bread, and engaging in more open air sex than you would see on the island of Crete this month, but this went beyond all that. A dead duck chick came floating past the boat and Sheila saw one of the adult ducks doing its best to eat it.

After lunch we set out to do some more of the geocaches which are liberally sprinkled around the area. These ones were back up the flight and past Wood End Lock. We couldn't find the first one, either on the way out or on the way back, though we braved ferocious nettles and brambles in our search.

Back at the boat I logged the results on the geocaching website. Because I'm a bit late posting this blog, I'm able to report the follow up straight away, which is that the cache owner investigated, found that it was indeed missing and replaced it.

Feeling pleasantly weary, we settle into the boat to rehydrate and catch up with various jobs including this blog. We were in the middle of this when Elanor turned up with our post. She suggested that by way of celebration for the start of her summer holiday, she take us out for a meal.

After taking just a little time for basic titivation (the Swan after all is a boaters' pub) we abandoned what we were doing and went off with her.

We had the usual basic but well cooked and good value meal, which made an extremely pleasant end to a largely enjoyable day, if one disregards the attentions of Vespula vulgaris.