The forecast today was for eight hours of cloud-free sunshine, which indeed is what happened. Initially, it was quite cold and the centreline ropes were quite solid so there must have been just about a frost over night. However, the sun warmed up the atmosphere quickly and we did not to wrap up extra until we moored.
We continued down familiar territory with not many boats on the move although as we approached Hemel a hire boat passed at Fishery Lock and at the next there were two boats ready to come up including the fuel boat we have used before. He even recognised us as from Packet Boat!
OK, so the heron might not actually be called Jack, but it looks nice!
At Winkwell a tree had fallen across part of the lock but at least the other side was clear (sorry about the poor photo)
The boat which is sunken on the lock landing below the next lock is still there - it seems that no-one can do anything about this unsightly obstruction.
This sadly deceased 'Christmas' tree has been put to good use - the TV aerial seems to belong to a hut or summer house just through the hedge.
Approaching Hemel. four trees had fallen but fortunately away from the canal - otherwise they would have created a formidable obstruction.
At least these impressive trees survived the storm - according to today's newspaper report, the number of mature trees blown down in this storm is a small fraction of those lost in the Great Storm of 1987. Most of those we have seen fallen along the canal have been quite immature.
The reason for including this picture is that in the last two years when we have come this way at much the same time of the season, we have taken a splendid picture of this tree in its glorious colours. As we approached, all of the trees were still very green and we wondered what this one might be like as there have been reports that autumn is two weeks later this year. However, it has changed colour, unlike most of the others around.
Judging by the number of almost undisturbed con trails, the upper atmosphere must have very little wind today.
At Apsley, whilst we stopped to fill up the water tank and use the sani station, Alice and Christine walked to the nearby Sainsburys supermarket for a new book to read. Although there was not much choice, she did find one about how to tame a dragon - despite having 398 pages, by the time we moored at tea time, it had been read from cover to cover, with just the barest pause for lunch!
At Nash Mills the development has moved to the waterside - Lock Apartments - presumably the final stage.
At Horton Bridge the reported three conifer trees across the canal had been cleared and we hardly noticed where they had been - alongside the Circus Vegas, and American Circus it proudly proclaims - had arrived in town.
We arrived at Lady Capel's Lock earlier than expected but the planned mooring did not look very promising for a TV signal so we opted to continue a little further in the hope of something better. Just around the corner we were frantically waved to a halt by a gang removing one of the fallen trees - they had a rope across the water and did not want our prop to foul it. We had a few minutes wait as they tried unsuccessfully to pull a trunk out of the water.
With no lifting gear and only a motorised chipper to pull with, it was never going to be easy, even with two of them getting into the water to help. Eventually it came alongside the canal edge and we were weaved passed and as we left them they were sawing pieces off the trunk in order to make it easier to lift out!
There was no suitable mooring before we reached the two Cassiobury Locks so we worked through those but even below we had a problem as there was little depth to water beside the towpath. We eventually came alongside behind a number of boats that look as they they are here long term (and hard against the riling) but we could still only pull one end into the side. But will we have a signal after all that effort?
8.5 miles - 19 locks
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