Beginning of the Rundown

Only two days left now of our epic journey that started some six weeks ago and what a journey it has been.
Today we started with the usual intake of water and the emptying of the cassette that was showing the red light last night!
Approaching the junction with the Stourbridge canal the Towpath Telegraph was working overtime as we were getting messages that it was closed due our younger element friends draining the pounds. There was no evidence of a queue as we passed the junction however.

Spotted in a canalside garden. Made from wire mesh.

As we approached Kinver lock there was a man out walking his dog. Not an ordinary walk though. The dog seemed to take great delight in retrieving a stick thrown into the canal. Nothing unusual in this you might say. When the stick was thrown Buster ran at high speed towards the canal and took a ginormous leap of faith and landed half way across before retrieving it and then being hauled out by its owner with stick still in mouth. Incredible as its not particularly narrow here either!

 

The Vine pub at Kinver is open again after a lengthy closure.

 

 

As we emerged from the lock there were two members of Wilson's Canopies taking a break. I shouted out "yes, it's one of yours" which produced a wry smile.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's log store.

We were moored at the approach to the moorings at Wolverley lock when a boat pulled up that we last saw whilst travelling down the River Severn from Stourport to Sharpness. Hey, its Hazel and James Bell on nb Gabriel, fellow Boaters' Christian Fellowship members. During a quick natter whilst tying up, their cat jumped off and within a few minutes had caught a mouse that was only a few feet away from us. There's efficiency for you. They have kindly invited us aboard later for cheese and wine after we have eaten in the Queen's Head in the village.