Bye-bye Bunny...

He has a new spot in the garden now...

very, very old wee fellow will be missed!

 

I do love everyday plants!

Crab Apple 'John Downie)

 

Azalea (through the back window)

Weigela

Street photography: eating mincemeat...

 

Yesterday is no foreign land!

 

Canal: Stafford to Sandon... then back to Stone!

Away from Stafford to journey along the part of the Staffs & Worcs I know best; skirting Baswich, Milford, & inching through the busy-ness of the floating market at Haywood Junction... narrowboats everywhere, with Tixall Wide like a carpark!

However, once back on the Trent & Mersey, the countryside settled back to the bucolic & tranquil... despite occasional imposition from the railway line & A51!

We moored for the night a little to the south of Weston, 

& were furnished with a lovely, lazy evening.

If it wasn't for me knee...

I could be happy-ee!

Incredible sunset...

sweetly-soft night... 

Just a wee bimble, to get above Sandon Lock & stop in more beautiful countryside... filled with nimbly-wimbly lambkins!

Had a visit from some southerners... but were not disheartened!

... that there's the Trent... here's Sandon Lock!

Fantastic week...

& next time Leek!

Canal: I really, really like this one...

 

Canal: Penkridge to Stafford... via Slade Heath!

South we went... down past us neck o'th'woods...

into the Wolverhampton countryside...

Once the canal diverges from the M6, to continue south below the A5, the landscape becomes soft & beautiful... you know there are industrious folk nearby, but it doesn't matter... slept like babes in the quiet of Laches Wood. 

In the morning, it was back to Four Ashes... we had visitors...

Oh, we're back in Penkridge... bye, bye visitors!

We chugged north, to moor at a spot between Acton Hill & the River Penk.  

A beautiful evening in beautiful countryside... so very, very relaxing...

the Staffs & Worcs runs through some stunning landscapes...

... plenty nightcaps & early to bed!

Early, misty-moist start to the day... so lovely...

See?  Told you!

Canal: it rained overnight at Penkridge...

it rained in the morning... 

so we stayed for the day & went to the pubs!

A lovely day... 

The Horse & Jockey (Black Country Ales) was especially good!

Canal: Stone to Penkridge

Can you believe it?  The Caldon Canal was shut!

So a couple weeks ago, we left Stone in a 47ft narrowboat, 

heading south for the Staffordshire & Worcester, & Slade Heath... 

cruising where we have walked oh-so-many times!

Started out nice enough, so we bimbled a few miles down to Weston; having beached the bugger a coupla times, we spent the night at The Saracen's Head.

It had already started to rain... 

In the morning... it rained some more... a lot more!

We set off (in the rain) to make our way (in the rain) to Penkridge

The rain stopped early afternoon, but not until our waterproofs proved to be 

not-very-waterproof at all (I forgot I had spent loads on purchasing the best sealskin outer jacket I could afford - without being a bellend.  It was at home!)

Being damp & tired, finally it was Penkridge & the pub.  Then it got back to raining. ... & it rained... & it rained... & it rained! Luckily, we had supplies...