Latest update

 Blooming weather! Really getting fed up with the constant rain with the risk of more flooding to come. Snow was welcome yesterday, a brief respite from the rain, but for us here at Langley Mill, very short-lived. Pretty though while it lasted.

 And today the barometer dropped considerably. Not another storm coming, surely???

 

These last few weeks have been very quiet, I have become something of a hermit, leaving FS only to go shopping or visit family. Ian on the other hand is never still, always managing to find something to do even if it's just to fix the squeaky wheel of the association's wheelbarrow! Fridays are always a hive of activity for the work parties and one of the jobs CRT have handed over to ECP&DA is offside veg clearing from Langley Mill to Shipley, a race against time because come March all will have to stop as the nesting season starts, and we can't let our feathered friends go without good cover to raise their young now can we.

 Photos provided by Canada Dave and middle size Alan (don't ask!) Surnames of both I have yet to find out.

During last week, the water levels of the basin dropped considerably. A paddle was found partially up, not sure why because as far as we knew, no boat had come up. But there again we had been out shopping, so anything could have happened while we were away. Anyway, with the water levels so low, Ian decided what a great opportunity to try and find the pipe outlet from the pump house. The problem still persists of a leaky pipe from the pump to the main pipe and all other tries of finding the outlet has failed so far, (See Post.) So on went Ian's work clothes, grabbed a builder's bag from the yard to lay on, fetch my waterproof camera and lower it into the canal to see if the entrance to the pipe could be found.

 

Great result, as my camera worked a treat and showed by the escape of air bubbles exactly where the pipe was.There was a moment of mirth from me when Ian stood up and a sudden gust of wind got under the bag and blew it into the canal. He made a grab for it and almost disappeared into the murky depths. Me to the rescue as I waited for it to slowly sail across the canal where I could retrieve it with a rubbish grabber.

  So on the next work party, a hole was dug, and a small manhole was found with the cut-off valve to the pipe. This meant that at last the dodgy leaky pipe could be replaced and a new one filled. 

Before

g

 And after

 We are still having problems with the CO alarm going off, and the one thing in common every time it starts bleeping is the wind direction. Whenever the breeze blows over the boat from front to back, the alarm sounds. We have sort of deduced smoke and carbon monoxide could be coming in through the roof vents, but we obviously are very reluctant to cover them up! It's our only ventilation during the winter, our windows all have a secondary film across to stop condensation and yes this works a treat, but it does mean no windows can be opened. So before we do go to the route of a new stove, Ian has extended the length of the chimney by adding the smaller one to see if this will make the stove 'draw' better.

 

At the weekend, the tiniest pony was seen being led along the path across from FS, made us wonder what sort of boat it could pull and more to the point, what size would it be?? Any ideas? 😉😂😂

And wildlife