Warming weather.

Well this is more like it! How long do you think it will be that you were the first person saying it is too hot, or close or something. We are never happy with our weather really. I love the variety myself and would be pretty fed up if there was set season and it was too hot/cold, wet or dry etc for a long period and then just swapped with another excess. Give me British weather any time.

We heard our first definite cuckoo this morning. I may have heard one at the Kingsbury Water Park the other side of Birmingham but it was a long way off and could have been a wood pigeon.

Another heron picture. This one is under a bridge and it didn't want to move. When it did move it did fly astern of us rather than the usual of flying ahead, settling and then having to fly off again when we arrived again.

We didn't see many boats moving today. The canal seems to be quite shallow and mainly in shallow cuttings with trees that cut of much of the views. However in the daplled sunshine it was a very pleasant trip to Hockley Heath. We moored up to make a visit to find a post box and to do a little shopping to see us out the next few days.

Once loaded up we set off again to the top of the Lapworth Locks. The little arm with the Wharf Tavern was built as a a coal wharf.

Helen had to put in a little more effort than her first bridge as she had to wind a handle! It was soon up and down with no traffic held up as no walkers were passing.

This mum only had one duckling. I wondered whether that was the reason she had it sitting on a plank and didn't budge even as we passed. Maybe the pike are active on this stretch of canal.

We arrived at lock No.2 and the start of the flight down towards Kingswood Junction. It is numbered No.2 as the stop lock at Kings Norton is numbered No.1. The paddle gear seems to be a little stiff, but it maybe that I have to toughen up a bit.

The gorse is still, out and Helen seems to be enjoying the summery weather and sliding the boat into the locks.

We met a boat coming up at No.5 so making it easy to leave the gates open and Helen do the mid pound shuffle to get in to our last lock of the day. The pound between Lock 5 and 6 is a long one so we thought we would stop here for the night as there is less chance of it draining over night and tipping us out of bed. Mind you there is plenty of water going over the bye washes. After a few maintenance jobs we went for a walk down the locks to find the Briar Cottage Canal Shop to find an ice cream as the weather was so nice.