Log? More like a tree trunk!

Shortly after we set off from Gnosall this morning a man on the towpath warned us about an obstruction in the water. Some kids, he said, had pushed in a large log. This was what I call potential logs, in that it had not yet been cut up. The piece of tree - thankfully trimmed of all sticking out bits - was about 15 feet long and stretched almost from the moored boats on one side of the canal to the other.

We carefully nudged it out of the way, conveniently into a space between moored boats. Not, unfortunately, to the offside where our towpath walker was hoping to pull it into his garden. At High Onn (I think) we passed a boat with a device to catch and dispel the tar dribbling down the chimney.

A tray fixed around the base of the chimney collects the tar and feeds it into a hose pipe from where it drips into the canal. I think I have seen this arrangement before - or was it this same boat some time ago?

At Wheaton Aston we pulled in to stop for lunch just as Brian and Diana were winding in order to present the correct side of the boat to the pumpout. After the operation was complete Brian winded again to continue their journey north.

It was good to chat, albeit briefly.

The last of my photos today is of a peaceful scene south of Avenue Bridge.

We have stopped for the night at Autherley Junction ready for the Wolverhampton 21 tomorrow, and then on to Brum via the Old Main Line. That's the plan.