A brief lesson about locks

I find the weekends can be scary Weaver, what with hire boats and canoes and paddle boarders, I have no problems sharing the water with them if they know what they are doing but some take the most stupid risks.

The towpath is also incredibly busy with cyclists at the weekend, the dogs and I take our life in our hands/paws when we walk. I get off the towpath if I can as it's safer walking elsewhere. Of course it is a bank holiday so we have three days of it.

It's very cold here today so far I'm hoping it will warm up later. 

The locks on the K&A either have paddles that open in the gate or ground paddles. The basic idea is that you empty the lock, open the gates pootle into the lock and then fill the lock with water. Today I was walking Loulou when  boat entered the lock. I helped shut the gate once the boat was in, I then watched as the crew started trying to open the already open paddles on the bottom gate. After a few minutes I suggested that they would have more success if they closed the paddles in the bottom gate and opened the paddles in the top gate as this would enable the lock to fill. The very patronising twat on the boat told me not to be silly, he informed me that the safest way to fill the lock was with the ground paddles. This particular lock doesn't have ground paddles so I can only assume that he was hoping the water would run up hill. At this point I walked away. They were in the lock for about 40 minutes until another boater showed them what to do!

Here is a YouTube video of a lock being opened. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVIovDjH1jU

Small casualties

 Su-zee, as Jan says, we have our post delivered to DD1's house.

We had a couple of small casualties yesterday, caused by an out of control hire boat. A lot of them struggle to get to grips with the slow speed canal boats travel at. They frequently travel too fast because they are giving the engine too much welly.

After one such collision yesterday a photo fell off the wall and when I opened the cupboard to remove a carton of orange juice a jar of hotdogs leapt on to the floor. The had didn't smash but it started to leak.

So the photo has been put away in a drawer,and the hotdogs have been frozen.

Moving day.

I drove the car a couple of miles to the second bridge, walked back to let Steve through the first bridge, as it Saturday the volunteer lock keepers were working so I didn't have to do the lock as well.

We went into the marina for a pump out and after that went on to the next swing bridge and lock, there were volunteers working again so I didn't have to work the lock. 

I was able to walk along to find a mooring space, once we were moored up I walked approximately 4 miles back to collect the car.

As we were moored so close to the lock we took over when the volunteers finished for the day 

Friday

I took DD1 some milk and bread over today, she's not been feeling well. I collected the parcels that we'd had delivered too her as well. I bought some bag clips as I'm fed up with lost peas rolling around in the freezer and I bought some plastic glasses, I've been drinking my morning orange juice out of a yoghurt pot as I dropped a glass last week.

We're moored near the hire boat wharf so it's been an interesting afternoon, three of the five that passed us bumped into us, the last hire boat of the day decided to moor on the waterpoint, big no no as it stops other boaters filling up. They have moored quite close to us and had their engine running since 5:30 so we closed our doors as they were filling our boat with there exhaust fumes. The engine is still running now and they shouldn't th it after 8 o'clock so I'm expecting one of the nearby homeowners to come out and complain.

Tomorrow I shall let Steve through the swingbridge so he can pump out the black water tank. I'll drive the car the the next lock, leave it there and walk back to work the locks for him. It's probably about four miles so it will be a long walk but hopefully we'll be moored up by 3 o'clock.

Moving day

We left the cow field at 9:30.

I walked to the first swing bridge and let the boat through.

I returned to the car and drove it to the next bridge. I parked up and walked back to the lock and locked through the boat through.

I walked back to the swing bridge and opened it to let the boat through.

I then returned to the car and  drove to the next swing bridge, parked up in a car park, once again I walked back to the lock to let the boat through and then walked back to the car.

We moored up and had breakfast as it was 11:30, we were intending to move on through the next and swing bridge but by the time we'd filled the water tank it had started to rain so we changed our minds.

We moved off the water point in case someone else needed to use it.  It was now raining heavily so we closed the cratch cover and lifted the pram cover it was raining heavily. We combined walking the dogs with getting rid of our rubbish at the nearest compound. Within minutes the rain had gone from heavy to torrential with added thunder and lightening.

I've taken the skin off my toes as my shoes got wet whilst walking. I've used a lot of plasters to give some protection. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow so I will wear my waterproof shoes.

Hearing aids

 The local audiology has not yet reopened to f2f appointments. 

The drop in repair centre is also still closed.

They are only doing video and phone appointments which I can't do because I can't hear what is being said.

I haven't paid for private hearing aids because as the vestibular schwannoma grows my hearing is deteriorating too fast, I cannot afford to replace them regularly.

Weather

We have 50 mile an hour winds and sporadic heavy rain.

It's been bright enough to top up the batteries from the solar panels.

We are only using the electric to charge our kindles.

I'm not risking putting up the satellite dish so I shan't be watching TV.

I slept for only three hours last night so I shall have an early night tonight.

I've found an apartment for us to stay in whilst the boat is in dry dock, we are having the bottom blacked, new sacrificial anodes fitted and getting the prop start straightened.

We could stay on the way but it means using a ladder to get on and off, not ideal as if have to carry the dogs up and down the ladder!