The waiting game

 Aug 17th

 I went fishing early evening yesterday, not picked up the rod for ages and had high hopes of catching something big. All the signs were good, plenty of bubbles coming to the surface, fish topping and the lady in the house opposite said she had seen some whoppers. Bread was the only bait I had, and so onto the hook went a small flake. Well.... first cast and the float disappeared, I reeled in hoping for something enormous and look what I got!

And that was all I caught! After an hour I gave up as a bad job!

Our plan today was to make for the Dog and Doublet at Bodymoor Heath. It would be from here that Toffee would be going home. With only 4 miles and 8 locks to do there was no rush to leave. Heading toward The Boat Inn there were mooring rings (you have to look closely) but absolutely useless for mooring up to. The width was restricted and anything moored would make life very difficult for any boats having to pass. If only those Willows were cut back! Who is responsible? Is it CRT or the householder? Anyway I'm sure that pub is losing passing trade because of it.

And talking of making life difficult. Check out this bridge hole!

At Curdworth Tunnel it was a waiting game. I held back for one boat  and then blow me down, and before I had a chance to enter the mouth, another boat followed through! With that breeze it turned out to be a bit of a nightmare wait!

The second boat coming through

 

At Curdworth lock 2 CRT volunteers were busy painting the beams and mowing the grass. A lovely job they were doing too. Memories of the good old days when all the canals were well tended, don't we all wish those days would come back?

 

HS2, the up-and-coming blot on the landscape, work was very evident at lock 5. Parts of the canals will never be the same again because of this eyesore!

The Dog and Doublet moorings were free, quite surprising as I expected more boats to be there. It is a noisy mooring though, the noise from the M42 was very invasive and that was amplified when youths on motorbikes came roaring past! 

 

So now we await our sons arrival tomorrow, hmm... I better go and pack Toffee's bag!

And wildlife