So, winter is here for us, this obscurely means it's boating time. We set off rather hurriedly having been reminded that the two locks immediately out of the marina at Shireoaks were due to be closed for a week which would have delayed us massively. We get those emails for a reason, we just don't read them properly! First light (literally) saw us slinking out of the marina and through the locks prior to the wonderful British Waterways boys starting work.
Having escaped successfully we have had a lovely slow amble up the Chesterfield Canal, mooring at Osberton, The Boat Inn at Heyton, Shaw Lock at Gringley and West Stockwith. We have seen a total of 18 cygnets in only four families! So lovely and all of them quite happy to come tapping on the boat for feeding. Sadly one of them seemed to be a bit disabled, we nicknamed him 'Wobbly' because of his interesting way of getting around.
My lovely friend Ruta gave me two home grown cucumbers just before we left. One I used in a carrot and cucumber ribbon salad, the other I used to make sweet cucumber pickle - absolutely delicious (if I do say so myself). Who says I can't make jams and pickles when I'm on the boat?
We are booked to go out on the River Trent on Saturday morning (no commercial craft - hurrah) at 11.15am. Lets hope the fantastic weather we have been having will hold.
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