Happiness is a journey…

…not a destination

So says the birthday card my best beloved blessed me with on Monday.

But at the start of today, journeying was the last thing on our mind. It was a day for getting up late, putting the heating on, having toast and marmalade as well as muesli for breakfast, and then moving quickly on to coffee time. The Met Office had promised us heavy rain, and that was what Penkridge delivered. The MO had held out hope of a less wet afternoon, but we weren't holding our breath.

And then it came – blue skies and even some sunshine. So we said our farewells to Penkridge and moved to the lock. Underfoot was evidence of the massive acorn harvest there's been.

When we opened the bottom gates I tried to say farewell to Penkridge properly, but had to do some serious engine work just to get Erin Mae out of the lock. As we emerged, the reason became apparent. The water level in the pound was way down, judging by the marks.

I can't think there's been a water shortage after this morning! Perhaps someone had left all the paddles open at the next lock.

So the journey continued, to somewhere in the middle of very little. We've seen a pair of large birds of prey in the field opposite, and my best beloved thinks they might be marsh harriers. If they are, that's a first for us, but the bird book is inconclusive about whether their distribution makes this identification unlikely.

I suspect we will finally reach our home mooring at Great Haywood tomorrow. Happiness probably entails being content with destinations as well.