Hail to the Hive!

We have a long journey to undertake, well long by canal standards as it's not exactly the Fast and the Furious traveling by Narrowboat. An old friend is getting married in Leicestershire so we need to move badger the narrowboat 164 miles at very slow average speed of under 3mph and negotiate through 168 canal locks. It's a good job we have plenty of time and it looks like a glorious morning to set off.

This first week of the journey will see us from Chirk on the English - Welsh border all the way to Stone in Staffordshire. This means we will travel through 5 different canals. The Llangollen, The Shropshire Union, The Middlewich arm of the Shropshire union, the tiny Caldon canal and onto the Trent and Mersey Canal. That's a lot of chug chug chugging for little old badger.

Coffee and breakfast before untying the ropes and then setting off.

I don't keep to a rigid plan as I like to leave a bit of room for staying in some pretty spots as it makes the evenings and early mornings a little bit special.

It's also a good workout for @millycf1976 as if it's not locks to crank full or empty of water it's these lift bridges which there are lots of on the Llangolen canal.

Weird how I don't remember this from the way in all those weeks ago. Everything is different when approaching from another direction.

Here's little badger under a road bridge, the sound of cars whizzing across above me as the chug of badgers 2 cylinder diesel echoes underneath.

and then through into more countryside leaving the sound of roads and traffic behind us.

along the route we must plan for waste discposal and freshwater refils. @millycf1976 is working on her #hive community as Badger is gulping in water in a thirsty fashion.

With the weather being surprisingly warm and sunny for this time of year I am making use of it to cruise for longer days. It's not a chore as it is so pleasant but after about 3pm if I do see a nice spot i will stop and enjoy the afternoon sun with a beer and take in the surroundings.

This is a tempting little spot but it's too early in the day but this is exactly the kind of green secluded countryside spot I like to find to moor up the boat and claim as home for a day or 2.

More locks, 2 side by side so @millycf1976 will go up and see which one has less water in as we are climbing at the moment as we came down, down down as we left the Llangollen and now are going steadily up, up, up with each lock we do.

So much space in little old England. It's not what we are led to believe when we talk of overcrowding etc.

Ahh badgers thirsty again.

More locks, more cranking for @millycf1976 . She doesn't need gym membership that's for sure.

and the weather continues to deliver and my mind is filled with thoughts of the summer to come and the BBQs and beers with friends by the canalside. I am imagining the gatherings already and smiling with anticipation.

Imagine these spots, BBQ, beer, friends.

I've only passed 3 boats on this section so far in a day, it feels like it's our own personal canal. Just us, the boat and the slow chug chug chugging sound of badgers diesel engine, thumping along through the fields, under bridges and through the locks.

Ok now this looks like a nice spot. We are close enough to Stone, maybe another days traveling but I am not passing up this beautiful location. The perfect spot for.....

A lovely sundowner!