I awoke with no unusual aches and pains following my boat washing and polishing, much to my surprise! We were off by 0930 and the sun was gleaming through the high cloud making it quite warm.
This was our overnight mooring a little before Bridge 26. Plenty of sun until tea time at this time of year. We stopped at Yelvertoft Wharf to take on water to replace that used for washing the boat yesterday. I also dashed into the village to get a paper.
I really enjoy travelling on this length of canal, between Foxton and Crick. The canal winds about, has plenty of mooring places and has some lovely views too. It doesn't pass through any big towns, or even villages but is a delight to pass along.
These living tree mileposts are not easy to spot as the plaques do not have the wording painted white so that you can easily spot it. Often the trees are almost part of the hedge so again do not stand out. They were plented by the Old Unuion Canals Society that look after the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal, plus the arms. This one really stood out due to the really vivid leaves. I was puzzled by the fact that they are not really close to the Grand Junction Canal Co mile posts that give distance to Leicester. Does this mean that they measure from a different point.
There are some lovely places as you pass through the rolling countryside of Northamptonshire. Leicestershire the other side of the Welford Arm.
The flag iris is just starting to come out along the canal. It is native in Europe and Asia and even North Africa. It is thought that the flower, that comes between May and August, was the 'inspiration' for the Fleur de Lis that is heraldry, the French Royal family, and the Scout organisation.
To add to the yellow hue of the canal at this time was a field full of buttercups. It seems that there may be up to 600 in the genus Ranunculus, including celandine and spearworts. I had no idea that the flowers are poisonous to humans and cattle until dried when it is inert. Do people still hold the flowers under somebodies chin and if there is a yellow reflection recite 'you like butter'! Does anybody not like butter. Oh, on newly baked bread! Stop it I'm just teasing myself now.
This looks like a water meadow on a river with the reeds and the field coming down to the waters edge.
Crack's Hill shows that we are arriving at Crick. The hill was created in the last Ice Age. The debris caused by the glacier beneath the ice sheet was left when it melted. Pearson's says that it is a moraine but I think that it looks more like a drumlin that formed under the ice rather than at the edge of the ice. The boat that was marooned in the field for ages seems to have started to be cut up as the house is now in two parts on a trailer. This was the first stretch of water we sailed on 'Holderness', as yet un-named as we had a 'test drive' from ABNB before purchasing it. It was also the scene of me rescuing a sheep from the ice on the off side near Bridge 14 when we were out and about checking out boats.
We moored up about 1200 and it then a little later light rain started to fall on and off. Great timing. A little later we walked to the garden centre by the entrance to Crick Marina to buy some plants. It is quite small and it was busy, manic even as people didn't seem to be browsing but rushing round grabbing stuff. Planting up will be another little job for Helen and I soon.
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