Thursday 5th September, 2013 at Engine Lock near Stoke-on-Trent.
Another magical misty morning for the start of R's birthday. There is definitely a feel of autumn in the air now. Over breakfast, R opened his birthday cards and gifts.
As the mist cleared and the sun rose, it lit up the old lime kilns which had stood guard over us all night.
We set off back towards Stoke - interesting how different things look going the other way. At one of the locks, when we opened up the paddles to fill the lock, a fountain of water shot up into the air. Luckily R was no longer standing next to it!
We had hoped to buy provisions at a farm shop that had a brilliant write-up in the guide books. We moored up and walked down to it, only to discover that it had closed down. They did have an ostrich however!
We had been in an area with no phone or broadband signal at all since yesterday, so all of a sudden R's phone went crazy as all his birthday text messages arrived at once!
At the junction with the Leek arm, there is a beautiful cottage that sits between the canals and the heritage steam railway. It has swallows nesting in the eaves and a lovely garden. Good thing it wasn't for sale!
We moored up for the night close to Engine Lock and gave MM a rather overdue wash down. The sunset was beautiful but the forecast says that tomorrow the weather will change and there will be rain.
A very quiet one for R's birthday, but a very pleasant one.
Today: 9 miles, 13 locks and 8.0 hours
Trip: 362 miles, 289 locks and 295.3 hours.
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