Ellesmere to Hack Green

 The canals have gone quiet, Eric is back at school, the hire boaters have gone home. 


There is just a few hardy souls like us mooching about, this is our first winter as continuous cruisers & as usual we have no real plan except that we've decided not to opt for a winter mooring  (for this year anyway)  Hopefully a decision we won't come to regret!


We had thought that, once back on the Shroppie we would head back up to Chester & then maybe down & across to Middlewich. That was until we checked the stoppages & spotted that Bunbury is on the list, not wanting to be stuck between there & Chester we decided to 'head south' instead, that required us to get through Hack Green locks as the gates are also on the list for renewal so we came through on Sunday ahead of the work starting yesterday & are currently moored up  just south of the locks. 


The weather was wet & windy but work still got under way with us snug by the fire watching some very soggy BW staff trudge up & down the towpath.


 I'm going to save myself a bit of typing & post a few pics from the last couple of weeks, with apologies to those on slow connections....

 Eric checking out some fungi on a walk round Colemere

 Bracket fungus, evidently....

Jelly Ear Fungus

A frosty morning  at St Martins Moor - taken by Eric

another of Eric's frosty photos

 Sid trying out a spot of camouflage

  Cafe at Grindley Brook shut down for the winter, no coffee & toasted teacake till spring :(

 Descending Hurleston Locks on a beautiful autumn day

 After putting up a bit of a fight the offending mount has been removed & the new shiny one (£62!!) awaits  installation. A much happier engine now & Mark's leg muscles are recovering.....

 New lock gates ready to be installed at Hack Green.

Just having a coffee while I finish this then we're off down (up?) to Audlem, 3 miles & 3 locks.

The forecast for tomorrow looks good for a longish cruising day so it will be another 17 locks before  hopefully finding a good mooring spot in Market Drayton where on Thursday Wilson's are due to fit the back cover, just in time methinks as the weather is turning wintry.