Speedy Gonzales

There's a wonderful canal website on which you can plan journeys. We used it to estimate how long it would take to get from Great Haywood to Chirk, and have been using it to check and re-calculate our progress. I'm happy to say that it slightly over-estimates the times, so we've been arriving earlier or going further than the calculator indicated. My Garmin tells me how fast I'm going, and I keep an eye on the wash, so I don't think I've been misbehavin'. Maybe it's just the time of year.

Having worked with both databases and websites in my time, my mind boggles at the complexitiy of the project – it seems to know so much about everything, and there are masses of variables to take account of. Only a couple of times has it suggested a stopping place that might not be desirable. It will do alternatives if you want, and presents the whole thing as a detailed itinerary, a daily journey summary, and a map marked with the stopping places. So cheers, Nick and the other developers and contributors. One grateful user here.

Excitement today – a couple of lift bridges. Can you spot my best beloved's cap just showing above the control console behind the bridge?

Tranquility today – lunch tied up at Marbury.

Expectation today – roast chicken about to go in the oven!