Another Very Pleasant Meeting - and an Unusual Duckling.

Thursday 7th July, 2016 at Rugeley.
A dry morning, if cloudy. Suddenly, it seemed as if all the boats moored up in Alrewas decided to set off at the same time!

A fairly big queue built up on our side of the lock, which was only 100 yards past our mooring. We quickly joined the queue, much to the annoyance of a rather sourfaced woman who joined behind us and complained bitterly that progress was too slow! We would point out that it is very rare to come across that sort of attitude in the boating community.

By contrast, we passed the time by helping other boaters through the lock and fell into conversation with a delightful gentleman called Michael. He was single handed, so we helped each other through all the locks to Fradley Junction (they are narrow locks but we helped each other though one after the other). We have been to Fradley many times, but we have never approached it from the east, so this was a first.
At Fradley, we moored up both boats since the three of us decided that coffee/second breakfast at the C&RT café was a fitting reward for all the locks we had done together.

M declared that the "breakfast bap" was excellent - and the coffee was good too.
We spent a couple of hours chatting to Michael over a second cup of coffee. He was a very interesting and amusing gentleman; we enjoyed his company.
As we sat next to the canal, we saw what we thought was a yellow plastic duck float by. It turned out to be one very yellow duckling looking out of place in a brood of (normal) brown siblings. Either it was a throw-back or perhaps its mum had been "got at" by two drakes of different ancestry.

At about 2:30, we said goodbye to Michael and filled MM up with water (the C&RT café is in the background).

 Then we went through the last lock before the actual junction. This lock was manned by C&RT volunteers.

There are two more locks going west out of Fradley - so, imagine our surprise when the first lock opened as we approached - thanks to Michael, who had walked up and set the lock for us. After that, we really did say cheerio to him! We shall miss him, as he turned south down the canal towards Coventry.

Wood End Lock has to be one of our favourite locks, right out in the country in a beautiful setting.

Two of the boats that we passed were of particular interest. M thinks she should acquire this one, being a nod to her birthday...

The second was a must for R as a chocoholic...

We finally moored up in Rugeley, where we were visited by a family of swans who wanted to share our dinner - we did give them some duck food, which seemed to be well received.

Today: 9 miles, 8 locks and 6.4 hours.
Trip: 193 miles, 121 locks and 141.3 hours.