I recall learning about soil
erosion in O level geography and these last few days we’ve
experienced it first hand. The fields of the Lancashire moss will no
doubt be empty soon after all this wind. Yesterday we walked to
Burscough to do some shopping and it was probably like a trek across
the Sahara Desert. It was like walking through clouds of smoke.
After we bushed off most of
the dust we attended a family picnic that Heather had organised. It
was super, seeing everyone and at very respectable distances. The
furthest apart were 480 miles. The closest we were was 4 miles away
from Heather, 9 miles from Ada, 223miles from Edmund and 270 miles
from Samantha.
Inside the boat has a
considerable black coating. We’ve cleaned the kitchen surface &
dinette table but are leaving the rest of the boat until the wind
dies down after the weekend.
Last Saturday evening we had a
huge fight at the marina that took hours to resolve. The family of
swans who were nesting above Rufford Lock had decided to pop into the
marina. Mute swans are hugely territorial and the male from here was
obviously not having any of it. It was distressing to see the two of
them with their necks twisted together & the dominant one had the
other ones head under the water. Our neighbour went out in her kayak
& managed to separate them both. The swan that surrendered swam
off & was hiding under one of the jetties. I thought if the other
lad decided to go after him he’d no doubt end up being killed. So
armed with a couple of bath towels we set off to relocate him back
out onto the canal. He let me pick him up and we put the towel over
his head. He was SO heavy one of the other chaps took him off of me.
In the morning we were all shocked to see just 5 cygnets in the
nest, s0 John went for a stroll out onto the canal and found the huge
family of 9 cygnets & both parents. So it appears they have been
evicted from their home!!
Thursday we decided to take
the grandchildren home on the boat. Canal and River Trust have said
we can cruise short distances. To our delight we met our gorgeous
swan family as we cruised.
There was a wonderful
welcoming committee awaiting us at Tarleton, loads & loads of
geese and their goslings. We were busily trying to get the school
work done before Heather came to pick them up, but the geese were
such a distraction!!
On one of our walks to school
the kids decided they wanted to catch tadpoles with theirs hands.
Needless to say, we were very late getting back to start lessons!!!
Such fun.
And another day we were late
for school because we stood ages looking at the lambs.
As some of the lock-down
measures have been lifted we went to the park, on our way to school
last Wednesday. We were up bright & early & the kids knew the
moment anyone else arrived we’d have to leave. No one came so
guess what? Late starting school yet again!!!
Most evenings before bed the
kids like to have a game of tag, which helps nan & grandad keep
fit too.
