A Lot of Locks!

We both slept like babies, happy to be back on board again. We awoke to still, grey weather, which later gave way to the loveliest day - bright, breezy and fresh. Delightful!
Seventeen locks lay ahead of us to our agreed rendezvous with Jamie and Alex at Audlem, so we set off early. All seventeen locks were a delight; the gates and paddles were all easy to work and bordered on each side by the "dairylands" of Cheshire. It was wonderful cruising.

Several of the locks had stalls selling local farmers' produce. At one, we met a lady on a very handsome bicycle. M couldn't resist taking a picture of the bike!

M marvelled at the volume of wild fruits maturing in the hedgerows - apples, damsons, sloes - it looks like being a bumper harvest this autumn.

At Audlem, we moored up right outside the famous Mill, next to the spot where we visited Brenda and Martin on nb "Odyssey" earlier this month.

R washed MM's roof, which was covered with little black smuts that had to be scrubbed off. Hard work and R was not amused! Then we both washed the side facing the towpath and finished just as the heavens opened and it started to pour with rain. Good timing!
Today we passed the figure of  200 locks and miles for this trip.
Today: 3 miles, 17 locks and 6.0 hours
Trip: 247 miles, 202 Locks and 205.1 hours