Turned out damp

After a rather broken night, we made a lazy start this morning. It's been damp all day, occasionally actually raining but more often just moist to the touch. I walked into Fradley village after breakfast to get a paper; it's about the same distance as going into Alrewas, especially as the shop and PO is at the further end of the village from the access to the Coventry Canal towpath, but it made a change from slogging back down the T&M.

Back at the boat we did some constructive loafing until lunchtime. Following a suggestion in a comment by Andy yesterday I gave coal boat Callisto a ring, as a result of which I've literally just taken delivery of 3 bags of Stoveglow from him, pausing typing this post to do so. Sheer good luck; he'd normally be 6 days further on, but the lack of supply of manufactured fuel meant that he had to wait at Sutton's Stop to get a load.

Many thanks Andy! The smokeless manufacturers run down production at the end of March, going from working 24/7 to an 8 hour day, and they've been caught out by the extended winter this year.

The afternoon has passed gently by with the aid of an episode of Blakes 7 and some photography. (The damp has meant that I couldn't finish off my paintwork, of course.)

First off, a rather scruffy goose who came to the side hatch to see if there was any chance of bread:

Sorry, mate, nothing doing.

I also took a shot of the smart new staging on the opposite side of the canal, where the old short finger moorings used to be:

Spot the design fault

As I understand it, these are to be let out as more long term moorings. There are a couple of boats on there already, but I don't know if they are officially there or just taking advantage. Similarly, it's not clear whether the pontoon is finished. I hope not – the location of the mooring rings projecting from the edge would wreak havoc with the blacking as you came alongside.

Hopefully, there's a fender to be fitted along the edge yet.

Venison casserole tonight, then tomorrow we'll head off up to Kings Bromley for the weekend.