Made it

Job well done, really. The hard rain as we were getting up meant we were in no hurry to start on the last leg, even though the forecast promised much of the same all day long. However, by the time I came to drop the pram hood and move off the rain had actually stopped, as did we for a while in Rugeley to visit the fruit & veg shop and Morrisons. It was raining again when we emerged, so we stayed inside Erin Mae for coffee. By the time we'd finished, it had dried up again and we moved on. My chief concern was not to get water in the diesel tank when we filled up at the Taft Wharf. All was well and, happily, he was also selling gas bottles cheaper than anyone else. Ours ran out just a day ago.

Couldn't have gone better, really. We passed Maffi's boat in Rugeley, and No Problem on the way into Great Haywood, but no stopping this time – we were nearly home. Part of the way the canal runs alongside the river.

Is this barely discernible ditch really the mighty Trent whose tidal stretches we braved just a few weeks ago?

While waiting to go up Great Haywood lock I nipped up the path towards Shugborough, to give the river its due with a couple of photos, one each way.

It does look a little bit mightier from up on the bridge!

By the time we had done the last lock, gone through Great Haywood junction and were approaching the marina entrance, the sun had come out, brilliantly streaming across the scene as we came in.

We've been out and about since 30th May. I make that 21 weeks, which is the longest we've done so far.

I thought it would feel strange to be back in harbour, connected to a landline, not worrying about whether the batteries are being drained by this or that.. It actually feels pretty normal, which is strange in itself. The ducks are making the same noises, the trains that rush by still interfere with the TV signal.

Tomorrow we shall see whether the solar panel on the dashboard meant the car survived its summer without us.