Too Busy For A Cat Day. 6th March

Mickley Bridge 84 to Moss Hall Aqueduct

The plan today was to let Tilly have free run of the towpath. After her being cooped up during the ‘Beast’ we had found ourselves at a mooring with very little footfall, so she could play to her hearts content all day.

Miles of Tilly Towpath

Another three benches were claimed including the one outside of NB Beefur. Mid morning they pulled away and left us on our own.

The stuff of life, as my dad used to call it

Mick was low on bread, so I set about baking him a loaf so that he could have lunch today. Even though I don’t eat normal bread anymore I quite enjoy making it, but as it takes time I need advance warning. The dough was left to rise before breakfast, then knocked back and left to prove, out of the oven after an extra 5 minutes upside down (that’s cooking on a boat for you) and cool enough for a slice or two at lunchtime. The top went a bit darker than I’d have liked, so next time I’ll reduce the gas mark a touch in the top oven.

The gunnel was washed down yesterdayOnce whiteTilly had spent the morning coming and going. Stopping off for a few Dreamies and a  quick wash and brush up before getting muddy again. Her freshly laundered towels are no longer white!

Just as we were finishing our lunch Mick’s phone rang. RCR. With our gold membership we get a free engine check each year and we had arranged this for last Friday. But because of the ‘Beast’ all their engineers had been sent home for a couple of days so as not to get stranded by the feet of snow we’ve just had. The call was from the office asking where we were and would it be possible to fit us in today. A quick look in Nicholsons and there was a road bridge a couple of bridges ahead. Being on the Shroppie, with it’s shelf, doesn’t mean that we’d be guaranteed to be able to moor, but we’d give it a try. Luckily Tilly was in so we pushed off and travelled the great distance of 0.45 miles. We managed to get pulled in and moored on armco to wait for the engineer.

What's he doing in the box underneath?Checklist GOODThe chap who arrived had been the second engineer who’d come out to us last year when we had our fuel filter leak. A very jolly chappie with the gift of the gab, which actually means you tend not to take too much notice of him! Oleanna’s engine not quite being a year old meant we didn’t really expect him to find anything, it’s just for peace of mind for Mick as he does all our servicing. Everything was as expected in ‘Good’ order and the check list was quickly gone through enabling the engineer to head up the way to a breakdown in Audlem.

The next boat out of Finesses workshop after OleannaOverwater Marina

Not the prettiest of moorings we knew we could do better. So we pushed off again, passing Overwater Marina where we spotted the boat that followed Oleanna out of the Finesse workshop.

Not a bad view

At the bottom of the Audlem flight a large gap between boats greeted us and we pulled up with a great view over the rolling fields and small lake surrounded by sheep. Tilly was a little bit more cautious but still had a couple of hours to enjoy herself before feline curfew. The evening was a very quiet one, Tilly being fast asleep for most of it!

A snuggle up in Tom's coat after a towpath explore

0 locks, 0.45 miles, 1.3 miles, 2 journeys, 8 hours cut to down 5! 20 checks, 15 ‘Good’, 3 moorings, 1 loaf, 1 project nearly finished, 1 great view, 330+ channels.

4 thoughts on “Too Busy For A Cat Day. 6th March

  1. Jennifer

    When I shuffle off this mortal coil, I want to come back as your cat! She's definitely a lucky cat!We've encountered the 'Shroppie Shelf' I though it was just us being unlucky.

  2. Mrs. Jaqueline Biggs

    Gorgeous pictures (especially of Tilly) and your bread looks marvelous. I miss making bread. Les loved it but I don't eat it as it doesn't agree with me anymore. another cold, snowy storm coming through so tay warm and dry!Love Jaq xxx

  3. Pip and Mick

    Thanks Jaq. Bread doesn't like me anymore either, I try to do things gluten free now so that I can enjoy them. But the smell of a freshly baked gluten bouncing wheat filled multi seed loaf is one of the best smells in the world, after fresh sawn cedar.Staying wrapped up warm today as the sleet falls.Stay cosyPip x

Comments are closed.