Short lived but enjoyable

 ...Ok we are not now on the boat, but that was part of the plan/arrangement. We both had opticians stuff in Leek today plus other stuff this PM so reluctantly we left at dusk last night. Part of that was me wanting to watch the rugby and fish a bit which I did.

Earlier in the day I'd gone for a warm up walk around Shebdon prior to getting the lawn mower and strimmer out. We also made an enquiry on our original Shebdon mooring but it was gone within 24 hours. No real hardship as we like where we are and it is quite private whereas the farmer had napalmed our old mooring removing all the lovely vegetation and other structures I had put up such as wood storage and compost bin. 

Our old mooring ....taken within 24 hours 

A nice result was we did not  need to run the engine or genny as the sun charged up the boat and ecoflow batteries on both days before noon. So the electric was FOC thansk to our lovely star of burning energy.

Caught some nice Chub Roach and Bream on bread also.

Back today and treated myself with a 70 mile lanes exploration of the Staffs Moorlands, Staffs Peak district, Derbyshire Peaks High Peak and Derbyshire Dales on my Royal Enfield 411cc motorbike. 

Need to get back to give the boat some polish and paint as well as an engine service, but before that I've an appointment with the furthest point west on mainland Britain... not on the boat !! 

We're only on the boat !!

Reports of my early demise are greatly exaggerated as was one said and attributed to Mark Twain I think.

Where was I  - yes I was giving a review of my 2024 and waiting until December was over and done with. Bottom line I've been on and off with viruses since Christmas eve - Did a blood bike shift on Christmas eve feeling less than perfect then went down with Noro virus on Christmas day for about 5 days. Missed first Christmas at youngest sons house and his lads first Christmas, then same on Boxing day at my other sons house. Since then its been three upper respiratory tract viruses not a great start to 2025.

We have been out and about in between and visited the boat I think once or twice,  I need to check my photos. Even this weekend visit was supposed to have been last week, then earlier this week and we eventually got here Friday afternoon as Rachel was poorly  - I think I passed on the virus.

So this is a little update to record me fitting another inverter after the eco flow killed the last two.... ! We also wanted to get here early to light the fire as on one of the visits I cleaned the chimney and blacked the stove. 

We've been for a walk to the Anchor that was closed, it's open 7-11 Friday, 7-11 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday. Then watched the Rugby  - both still recovering so we are not overdoing it. Now I'm back on the horse I need to catch up on a few memories for my blog 

Should say Percy waited patiently and  the nervous first fill and pump prime went ok. We've had some really cold frosty days since Christmas and the canal has been frozen over for a few days earlier in the year.

So a lazyish visit, we've plans but we've also got work to do at home and on the boat so we shall see. 

We heard an older boat approach and I hailed Halsall for gas. They could not get close after reversing back so the deal was done by floating the cylinders between boats and the payment machine was in a bucket slid between us on my boat pole!

A bit of 3 in 1 on the rear cabin hinges as they were a bit stiff. I might do the other hinges tomorrow as we worked on them last year. 

Lovely day, the ecoflow was at 100% by 12.30 after us running t down to 5% yesterday on the fridge at full bore and the vacuum cleaner having a good run. The boat batteries were full by 11.30 thanks to the new bigger solar panel fitted last year. 

Hopefully a few catch up posts in the coming weeks. 

My 12 monthly reflections of 2024 - November Sky diving of course

The Sky diving  - that's the end of the month, the beginning of November was a bit of IT.... on the bike and in the house. My Home Assistant instance was getting fed ever more info, its an engaging but time consuming cerebral exercise. 

One of many screens to display and allow control of devices around the cottage 

On the 2nd November I was off down south again this time on my Honda NC750 - staying at services on the M4/A34 for a ride out in memory of our friend who'd died the weekend before. We had it planned in but were due to meet Tezza, cheer him up with a gaggle of bikes, but he didn't have the health to hang on for us. 

The 5th November I was on a double blood bike shift 1pm to 11pm. Before that I'd gone shopping on my. Himmy.... at this point we were still a one car family and I think Rachel had the care that morning.

I brought erh Moto Guzzi V85TT home for some food between shifts, I did a stoke run at 8pm then got send back to Birmingham - I'd already been in the afternoon, to drop an urgent blood sample from Royal Stoke to the National Blood transfusion service. I got out of Birmingham at 10am but they'd shut the M6 so it was slow time home with a Mocha at the services to keep me war and alert, got to bed at 1.30am 

I was up again at 6am on the 6th as I needed to have the bike back for 8am... this is my 7am roll out in the mist of an autumn morning 

7th November back visiting mum who wasn't so well. Then on to look at another bargain bike.... did I buy it ?

Maybe my favourite lane 

Yep another Himalayan 411 - 1600 miles and the next model on a 21 plate 

The 8th we were invited to join Emma and George at Peak Wildlife Park where he likes to go and its only 10 mins from us a lovely few hours being part of his growing up 

On the 9th November our EV arrived, saw it on the 6th and test drove it and had it, we'd had the charging point put in in May 2023. We'd been waiting for the right ( wrongly priced but to our advantage car to come on the market... we've been very pleased so far with it. 

The very next day on the 10th the Green Himmy was fetched from Loughborough. A tidy stable, not had three bikes for some while. 

Missed more northern lights but still a nice  photo midnight on the 10th November 

14th back on a PM blood bike shift, I'd be bringing heart tapes back from Birmingham children's hospital if I was parked here  - main entrance Royal Stoke University Hospital 

A couple of days later and on the 17th Percy was getting a post storm visit I think.

Two  days later the snow came !

The next day I met my friend Graham for a walk from Cromford to Bonsall - lovely village 

23rd My Home Assistant had progressed to a Kiosk tablet for constant data display - well it uses the camera to detect you and switch on as you approach 

26th I was back in Heanor building towers from Duplo with my mate Benjamin 

Then on the 29th the house was being put back together post painting  - picture hanging with lasers in the loo! 

On the 30th we were in Milton Keynes at Iflys using up the birthdays skydiving family treat we'd given Teddy for his birthday in April, patient lad. It bloody hurt my back and was sooo loud. We stayed over at a nice but dated hotel that had overtones of the Shining !!

So November flashed by ... December will be in January as this is being uploaded New Years Eve....

My 12 monthly reflections of 2024 - October quality boat time

Our cruise was ongoing into October but we had a deadline of a hospital appointment and a granchilds birthday party to aim our arrival date back at Shebdon at. So we didn't hang about which was a shame as the weather was a little more settled in the last days of the trip. 

Kings Lock leaving a still wet Wheelock on the 1st October 

Coming to a road near you  - salt tons and tons of it 

The maintenance on the locks was very poor and they were hard work, Rachel dd a few but they were heavy and stiff aso i did the majority. We split the hill into two days 

Under and away from the M6 - see you near Penkridge in a couple of weeks  !

2nd October we were on our way to a decision....this is Rode Heath so my picture data tells me 

Under the Aqueduct with the Macc in it above us a much nicer day. We'd stopped a bit before for lunch as we weren't sure we were going to carry on up the Macc as Heartbreak hill had been hard work for both of us.  

A hire boat on the bottom lock of the flight moored on the lock landing behinds a fallen tree - not ideal. I think the lady was on the loo as she came out as I was setting the lock, very apologetic !! Rachel had to stop and wait for them to pull back so she could get through 

So on the 2nd October  2024 at 4.15pm we were turning onto the Macclesfield canal - last here with Waterlily when we came from Fradley. Our option was to not do the Macc and Peak Forest but just cut short and carry on around the four counties... glad we did make the right decision. 

We moored up just past the stop lock and rested for the night 

The 3rd saw us get some love back for the canals as the Macclesfield is a lovely canal  - certainly the lower half, more on that later. We stopped in Congleton and went for supplies and lunch then motored on to moor in what I think was the best mooring of the trip, just around the corner from the Bosley flight overlooking Bosley Cloud, something I've seen many times when riding my bikes around here. 

As we'd eaten in Congleton we had cheese wine and biscuits for tea!

The 4th was a superb sun rise and as we were up a bit earlier for us to get up the flight we caught it as we were prepping the boat. 

The Fools Nook electric swing bridge 

The mills in Bollington and Macclesfield are impressive and give a signature to the canals as they pass by.

We moored just before the wharf at Bollington as the next day was Saturday and Holly the cafe boat who we watch on Youtube was open so we resolved to call for cake and coffee. 

The next day was a long one, and not a good day the longer it went on.  We set off late as we went to find a post office that was advertised as open but when we got there was not open. So it was 10.20 by the time we were off passing Zero then a wait at the cafe boat for coffee and cake so gone midday by the time we were heading for the basin. We needed to be at the basin as we'd planned a meet with Callum Emma and George on the Sunday....

Percy waiting at Bollington Wharf

Supplies taken and we were off 

More signs of poor upkeep, every bridge hole was overgrown , 10 minutes three times a year with a strimmer C&RT? 

Thought of Bruce Napier when I passed the Braidbar workshops. But so many boats up here and they say the Shroppie is bad, this was way worse.

Finally approaching the end of the Macclesfield  - surely the Upper Peak forest would be nicer ?

It wasn't more and more boats of all types from 200k boats to stuff that was just floating. You can see the headlight was on for the last hour and we got into Buxworth cold tired and I was fed up. Rachel had done a sterling job of getting food ready so we had a nice hit meal to come into. 

7.20pm ..... 

Sunday was a nicer day and the coal boat come in and I had a couple of bags off Brian. I watched him wind so knew where to do that which we did later on the Sunday so we were ready for an am start Monday after visiting Callum. Callum was half an hour walk so we took our dirty washing and used his machine while we went for a meal then dried in in the Chinley laundry before being run back to Percy late Sunday evening - a nice day and a bit of mission accomplished 

So we set of on the 7th and had to be back at Shebdon for the 15th... game on. The reverse trip back to Bollington was easier but those boats were still there. We decided to up our 'tick over' speed which helped and no shouting at, we were still passing very slow but it helped. 

More reversing of route, the weather said heavy rain 3pm.... it arrived a little early and we got drenched doing th elast lock with plenty of water in it so it emptied very slowly

True to form it stopped as we were heading for the mooring for the night same as on the way up quiet and beautiful.

On the 9th we got past the stop lock near the bottom of the Macclesfield, enjoying the lower Macc again much more than the upper Macc. I think Bollington would be our terminus if we ever come this way again. It was another wet day 

10th October the tunnel to Stone

Shame the Northern Lights hadn't shown up two days earlier how would they have looked in the darkness lighting up Bosley Cloud...

11th Stone to Weston ... just nice cruising after a  rain delayed start.

12th Off the Trent and Mersey onto the lovely Staffs and Worcester passing Youtuber 'Chugabug' . My turn was perfect but no one saw it !  

13th still making steady progress 

Always one !

Lovely chap he'd been on his boat which he built sinceithe mod 80's

14th and I was starting to look like a tramp 

Back on the Shroppie

A stop overnight in Wheaton Aston and a nice last trip meal in the pub saw us heading back to the mooring on the 15th 

Full on autumn 

17th In Derby to see my lovely mum, she was pleased to see me and the photos of the trip 

Test rode this  - CF Moto 450

... and this Himalayan 452

Decided the Old Himmy did all I needed  - see November !!

18th back in Chinley delivering and seeing Emma and George

19th To Heanor for that mad birthday party

20th and I was building my little Raspberry PI Home assistant server with M.2 hat ! 

21st and we were clearing the cottage on certain rooms for the painters. 

23rd this was our end of our booked tips and treats - a dining train on the steam railway that runs in our valley. A perfect end to a busy year of adventures...

24th the Himalayan was getting a valve adjustment (Me) and damage was noticed  - the valve heads were cupped so work there in the New Year. 

Painting

 was progressing no wonder I was in the garage 

25th I was off to see my mum 

27th and I'd received the horrible news the day before of the death of my Friend who I'd visited the month before. So I took myself off for a ride and a solo breakfast

That was a very enjoyable and busy October..... but November we didn't stop still !!