Canal Walk

14:45 yesterday, all the chores are done, time to take Molly for a walk.

good advertising here on a farm gate just above ...

... Brick Kiln Lock (33)

Since George walked Molly this morning someone has opened the bottom gates and now it would be impossible for anyone to close them due to the continuous sheet of ice.

BW working boat Pheobe stuck in the ice - Ann had said that BW staff were working from here when Moore2Life travelled up last Wednesday - they were taking soil/spoil from the hod and piling it up on the offside bank - can't see why though.

the ice is not melting at all

but it does look so pretty

we've seen this bird before but are not sure what it is - it's obviously a hunting bird but I've looked on the RSPB site but can't find anything with quite such a red front - any ideas out there?

We stopped here, the sun looked as if it had set the trees on fire!

This is where Ann from NB Moore2Life caught up with us with (their) Molly; we were looking on the I-phone to see where the now disused railway line went.  We've previously walked to the left and it comes to a dead end by a farm and a road but we didn't know where it went to the right as we look at the picture here.  We discovered that it goes all the way into Cannock but it was difficult tell how far away this was.  (This morning Ann invited us to walk down this track with her, but unfortunately I was busy with other things so she set off with her Molly - I hope she has a great walk - if she enjoys it we've promised to walk that way with her again later in the week)

On the way back to our moorings at Gailey Lock we saw these very unusual bird boxes set high in the trees.

... the sun is starting to get very low in the sky now

Molly is waiting for us to catch up ...

... and she's still waiting as I take this fabulous shot back at Brick Kiln Lock with the setting sun sending beautiful colours across the sky. A fantastic way to squander away the last hour or so of daylight.