Saturday 28^th July

* Evening Sunset

* Early Morning Mist

We awoke to mist drifting across the window but after I had made the early morning tea it had gone and a bright sunny morning developed. We left the mooring at 7.15 and after two and a half hours of cruising had only seen 2 boats on the move and very few moored up. This part of the canal is very narrow and winding and reminds one of a pretty river navigation rather than being man made. This was emphasised by the new Mallard chicks which were probably no more than a couple of days old and the very young Signets.

* New Mallard Chicks

* Young Signets

After seeing all the new chicks on the canal in March and April it seemed strange to see the process being repeated again now.

* Welford Junction

At Welford Junction we came across a few boats moored up and then turned into the narrow entrance to the arm. The Arm was built to link the canal with the Welford and Sulby reservoirs in 1814 and is a narrow winding stretch of water with just one lock (unusually it only has one paddle on the high water side). Navigation ends rather abruptly with the services unit.

* End of Welford Arm

We turned the boat and moored up on the visitor moorings opposite a small marina and headed through the Pocket Park and past the Postman Pat wood carving to the local shop for a paper and a few provisions.

* Pocket Park

* Postman Pat Wood Carving

On the way back to the boat June was chatting to a lady about her lovely Hollyhock display in her garden and the she offered to save June some seeds in the Autumn.

After lunch we headed back up the arm to the junction and reversed back towards Crick so that we would be facing the right way for the morning and moored up for the night.

June had walked Phoenix back up the arm to the lock and she lay quietly by the side of the lock gate waiting for June to finish before coming back on board. What a difference to Tucker.

* Phoenix waiting for Mom