Canal Capers

I have been on a canal holiday for the past few weeks and have had no internet access so this week it is a bumper blog.
The canal is very relaxing as you travel about 3 miles an hour. This gives you chance to enjoy nature and wildlife.

Narrowboats all vary in size and decoration. A non traditional narrowboat.

Whats it's all about 'Alfie?'

Locks can be single or double taking one or two boats. There is a different mechanism for opening the lock gates depending on the company that built the canal. The lock gates can be very heavy eg. 3016 kg. good for building up muscle power.

Some locks are manned by Canal and Rivers Trust volunteers

There are numerous bridges all different heights, very narrow and most on tight bends.

This bridge is untypically high

Branston tunnel.

Your have a searchlight on the front of the boat and not all tunnels are straight

Sometimes in the towns you see graffiti.

Here's looking at you

You pass many villages that you would not stop at or notice if you were travelling by car.

A quaint thatched cottage

Brinklow is very pretty with lovely timber buildings.

Very decorative

I also found Humpty Dumpty waiting outside the village hall.

Where are the king's horses and all the king's men?

There are some strange inhabitants.

Skulking around

Anyone fancy an ice cream?

One scoop or two?

There are interesting industrial building along the canals.

Look at the crane and the clock tower

A dutch barn.

Not double dutch

There are signposts at canal junctions.

The choice is yours

The towpath is always interesting.

A eclectic collection

That goes on and on

Not everybody has a conventional garden

Occasionally you see the darting bright colours of a kingfisher.
Long horned cows at Shugborough.

Moo

This Victorian grape storage bottle was used by putting the stalk of the vine inside the bottle to preserve the grapes. 

This was before we had fridges

I have made an Autumn wreath for the allotment shed.

Ivy, rosehips and achillea

I have been busy catching up on all my weeding and harvesting raspberries and damsons. 
The pumpkins are turning bright orange and the stalks have rotted on the plants so I have lifted them off  the ground to ripen.

Turn, turn, turn

A wonderful sunset from the canal boat.

Look at the colors reflected in the water

Tour Time

The Tour of Britain passed through Kirkoswald and Lazonby on Monday. DuoRecycleo has been admired in his roadside prime position. Cheerleaders have appeared in the Artful Garden. Their hats spell out 'Britain' but they keep turning their heads to see what is going on as they don't want to miss anything.

Did you see that?

The riders cycle very close together

There was a huge number of support vehicles and police escorts

I am still harvesting fruit and vegetables.

The pumpkins are huge and are now starting to turn orange. I look at them every time I visit the allotment and they are still growing!

Ginormous

The allotment group have made a pond on waste ground. This has become well established and is a lovely place to sit down and watch the dragonflies and other pond life.

Beautiful and tranquil

I visited Dalemain just outside Penrith where there are some lovely gardens.
The herbaceous border.

The house is built from pink sandstone

The Chinese lanterns are turning orange.

Orange shaped balls hiding in the foliage

I think this is a cobaea.

It looks as if it has been painted

This plant is a vibrant orange.

Glowing blooms

Plums a Plenty

It has been a warm week so I have been busy in the gardens keeping on top of the weeding and also harvesting. The runner beans are plentiful and we have now eaten the last of our first crop of peas.

A trio of beans, runner, broad and french

This is the best cabbage I have grown so far.

What a whoppa and not a slug in sight

The Victoria plums are now ripe and taste delicious and the damsons will soon be ripe. The raspberries are just starting to come. I feast on the fruit when I'm gardening.

Delicious

Bring me sunshine

The sunflowers that have survived are now in full bloom.

Put on a happy face

Berries are appearing on many plants as we enter autumn. 
Hawthorn berries.

Red buttons

Rowan berries.

Bunches of berries

Wild honeysuckle.

A lovely perfume

There is still some colour in the herbaceous border in the Artful Garden.

Purples and yellows

We found this bird's nest when pruning the beech hedge.

It contained a tiny broken egg

I have had several trips to Alston this week. The  purple heather still floods the hillsides.

Bonny purple heather

Two views of Hartside.

Contours and shapes in autumnal colours

Cracks and crevices

When the sheep are on the move everything stops.

A rural scene

Kirkoswald Castle ruin is a field away from the Artful Garden.

The stories it could tell

DuoRecycleo has now moved out of the Artful Garden to a prime spot on the roadside. He is now ready for the Tour of Britain as it passes though Kirkoswald on Monday 5 September.

Move over Bradley

Whats your number?