Monday 9th May
Another short day today (still needing a rest after Wigan!) has brought us 3 miles and 2 locks, from Crooke to just after Appley Bridge Locks. We are about a mile and a half from Parbold which we walked to this afternoon. A very useful village it is too with 2 pubs (we only went in one), a PO, convenience store, chemist, bank, Chinese chippy and takeaway and Indian takeaway and strangely, a couple of ladies’ boutiques.
Our mooring is a lovely rural spot with good views and we have decided to stay here tomorrow too. We did think we would have the place to ourselves but we were wrong as we have been joined by 3 other boats this evening! One of their dogs ran up the towpath and jumped straight into the front of our boat. Fortunately George was on the bank with me at the time and not in the cratch otherwise there would have been tears before bedtime! I wish people would keep their dogs under control.
Talking of keeping your dog under control, George was very naughty today. Mac was outside playing with his toy while we were having a cup of tea. George wanted to get off the boat so I went and got him. Then he wanted to go behind the bench where Mac was but I wouldn’t let him because although Mac and George tolerate each other now it isn’t a good idea to bring them too close together! As soon as Mac went back to his boat George went straight behind the bench and grabbed his toy. Ken and I tried to get it off him but he wouldn’t open his mouth! He dragged me back to the boat where he leapt into the cratch and took the toy into his cage. Fortunately he dropped it while he was turning round and I grabbed it. He spent 5 minutes looking for it, bless. I bet if I bought him one of his own he wouldn’t want it!
Ken has had an exciting time fishing this evening. Not that he has caught much but he has spent a happy few minutes chasing his maggots which he managed to stand in and kick all over the cratch! Any flies I see in the boat in the next few days will be home grown ones!
