Short leg

No, we haven't taken to playing canal cricket (apologies to those for whom cricket is part of an alien world). We decided to make just the very short journey from our somewhat crooked Middlewich mooring…

to one of our favourite spots.

It's only about a mile out of Middlewich. On the way there's a short aqueduct over the river, innocuous until you meet someone coming round the bend as you're getting ready to cross.

And then you come to Croxton Flash – one of the very shallow lakes in this area formed by subsidence from the old salt workings.

The last time we were here it was covered with wildfowl. This time there was just a lonely family group of geese on the opposite bank.

Bramble Cuttings is a lovely spot to park up on a sunny day.

There's room for only a couple of boats the size of Erin Mae, and I'm always surprised when we manage to get a mooring. Since we were last here they've added the name sign (above), a rather nice chair and this bird-table.

Thing is, bird tables need to be tended. I just don't see the wonderful people who have created this spot coming down every day to add titbits to it.

On the other hand, my best beloved does a very mean titbit for our lunch.

Thing about this is, the washing just has to be put out first! On a day like this, it will be dry in no time. And the other thing about a day like this is that you can afford to do just a short leg, because at 2 in the afternoon the new solar panel is pumping over 20 amps into the batteries, so they're getting charged without cruising, in spite of having run the washing machine.

It's nice when it all comes together! And it's nice sitting in the sun, gently playing my guitar to my best beloved without invading too much the auditory space of the people next door.