February’s whizzing by!

 

We finally had a family get together for Nikita’s birthday, more than a month ago now. We all went for a super meal in new burger restaurant in Chorley.

I spun on the platform on our way to Chorley, it was a dreary, damp day.

The same spinning on a spring like day.

We have had some lovely weather, which has meant I could dry the washing on the line.

You can never get fed up with the glorious sun rises on an icy day.

  Or moon rises

 

Plus, sun sets that can change in colour in a second.

A new mural has appeared under one of the bridges.

We’ve not cruised very far and often moor near Burscough Wharf.

My good deed for the day, operating two swing bridges for us and two single-handed boaters.

Ada modelling her super chunky cardigan I knitted her, a belated Chrissi prezzi.

Heather got her chunky jumper I made, on her actual birthday.

Jason made her an amazing Black Forest gâteau.

We made marmalade again this year and think we’ve actually got it to set really well this time.

This is the welcome we had at the water point. Dog poo all over and around the mooring bollard. John had to hammer in a mooring pin and I cleared it all up and washed down the bollard ready for the next boater!!

These last few weeks have seen some very harsh stormy weather. This photo just about sums up how changeable it’s been, plus, look at the waves on the water!!!

Yesterday we caught the train to Southport so we could buy (not catch) kippers for breakfast today.

 

Welcome 2022

This time last year we were frozen in for new year, it was 14c warmer and beautifully sunny to welcome 2022. We cruised a short distance from Parbold, and I was able to spin as we went.

Once moored, we had the washing line up and the laundry dried. I was really pleased to be able to hang the two skeins I’d spun from my advent fibre swap in a tree to blow dry.

Once again covid has altered our festive plans, but all of our family that had it were quite well, with minor symptoms or none at all. Edmund had to cancel his pre-Christmas trip up to see us as he had covid, his first day back to work was Christmas Day.

Jason picked us up to go to Chorley on his way home Christmas Eve. Heather arranged for us all to go bowling midday. It’s a tiny bowling alley at Chorley, with just 6 lanes.

After bowling, it was home to prepare the vegetables for the next day.

We were up bright and early Christmas Day, which was to be expected.

We had Ada and Dale on a video call on the table for Christmas dinner as she had ‘it’.

We had moored right outside the Farmers Arms pub in Burscough in preparation for a family get together on the Monday. My sister, Samantha & her husband Paul, were calling in on their grand tour of visiting friends & family. However, we had to cancel 4 of the meals as Heather tested positive for covid too. Samantha & Paul saved the day & picked up the three kids as their tests were negative. 

 

 

Some people with their ponies and traps (not rhyming slang!) stopped at the pub for a pint.

New Year's Day we’d planned a family bonfire in a super spot at Lathom on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. The area was designated a millennium initiative, now the thicket is being left to go back to nature. Again, our plans didn’t come to fruition, as by this time Dale is covid pos, Ada’s clear & Heather was still pos!!!! So John & I had a nice time with the fire pit we’d previously rescued from a skip.

We had seen someone living in the thicket at Lathom earlier in the year, it now appeared the camp hadn’t been in habited for quite some time. There was no actual litter there, however, there was a flattened tent, lots of items and wooden pallets scattered in the woods. We spent New Year's Day afternoon tidying the area. Luckily, there is a skip for boaters rubbish nearby and the pallets were perfect for our bonfire.

We were very relived this electric swing bridge was still working. It appears a rather large vehicle had hit the barrier & it’s control box. We reported it to CRT.

Locked in

 We are locked in along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Appley Bridge on the outskirts of Wigan to Maghull a Liverpool suburb, a nice long lock free section. We chose this stretch to be ‘locked in’, while Canal & River Trust do their planned maintenance on the locks. Along this stretch there’s easy access to shops and more importantly 3 regular craft groups.

I had a super birthday, way back at the end of October. We had planned a trip to Blackpool to see the lights (my sister calls it the ‘hallucinations’). I thought Edmund was at work, but he’d arranged with Heather to surprise me and meet us in the pub for lunch.

I opened my presents on the train once we’d met up with the Chorley lot.

Edmund stayed for the weekend.

Halsall cutting where they commence digging the canal more than 200 years ago was lovely with the autumn colours.

At one point we had a towpath canal beside us!!

I am taking part in a spinning advent fibre swap, 10g/day through December and a special fibre blend, such fun.

We were in Liverpool last week, so I could give blood. Although it was a Monday, it was very busy. The street decorations were lovely.

Last week, we actually saw an old lock gate being taken off on the Rufford Branch while we were at the nearby water tap.

We’ve had some amazing sunrises and a couple of mornings the canal was frozen.

 

We had a fuel delivery from 'Ambush', which made us feel quite tiny!!!!