Alarm call at 4 am...

We set off early and headed past the Plum Pudding Pub (which we keep meaning to stop at) and an enormous mobile home park on our way to Rugeley.

 

We stopped at Tesco's for a few essentials where we saw the sparrows enjoying a dust bath on the tow path.

Over the Brindley Brook  Aquaduct.

 

Greg liked the look of this barn near the lock.

Signs on the side of the lock cottage.

Interesting Fungi on top of the tree stump. We tried for ages to get a picture of a very noisy woodpecker but he was very well hidden.

Shugbourgh Hall.....The floating market is held here Easter weekend...last year it was flooded and didn't do very well...this year the weather is supposed to be lovely so it should do well.

The junction where we turn onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and under a very elegant bridge.

 

Anglo Welsh hire out narrow boats from here so it can be really busy at times...luckily it wasn't too bad today.

At first I thought this was a young fox walking along the edge of the boat..it wasn't until we'd gone past that I realised it was a cat!

Tixall Stables.

Tixall Gatehouse.

Tixall Wide looks more like a lake..it was said to have been built in order not to compromise the view from Tixall House(which is no more).

We sat outside for ages last night as it was quite warm talking to people who were walking by. Molly had a great time making new friends.

The sun reflecting on the water.

This morning at 4.30 the geese started honking which woke Molly up who thought it was great to race up and down the boat trying to chase them...first cup of coffee at 6.15...it feels like a work day!!

Look what the geese left this morning..

First lock of the day...

Greg didn't realise what the bridge was called until I started laughing.." Old Hill Bridge.. how true"

Bee hives at the bottom of the garden.

The countryside was gorgeous. The only thing that spoilt it was the train line running alongside the canal.

Holly here's one for you...He just stood there until our boat had gone past without moving.

This duck had made himself right at home on top of someone's boat.

Acton Trussell church.

And then we stopped.....Greg wanted to know why a light was flashing( I hadn't even seen it!) and when he checked the fan belt had broken...luckily we had a spare.

I'm glad were not sitting on the M6 in all that traffic..

Last lock of the day at Gailey Wharf.

On past the chemical works and we found a nice spot to moor up for the night. Molly is shattered so hopefully she will sleep well tonight.

Happy days.