But seriously.

A warning about carbon monoxide:-
Our normal routine after raking the stove out is to empty the ash pan into a galvanised bucket that spends its life in the front well under the cratch cover. When cooled the ash is disposed of in a proper manner. Yesterday evening our carbon monoxide alarm suddenly shattered the peace. The only source could be the stove so I made a careful examination of every part, door seals were ok, no cracks in the flue pipe, I even shoved my patent chimney scraper down the pipe to make sure it wasn't obstructed, all seemed fine but still the CO level in the cabin was way up. I decided that the fire would have to go, shovel the hot coals out into the bucket and dump them in the cut was plan A. When I picked the bucket up I realised it was somewhat warm, bells started ringing in what passes for my brain and I promptly poured the ash into the water, not something I would normally do but this seemed a bit urgent, in the middle of the ash was a lovely little layer of burning. What must of happened was that as I raked the stove some unburnt coal dust had also gone into the ash pan and continued to smolder, no outward sign of combustion just an insidious release of CO. The level soon returned to normal and all was well. Without the alarm it could have been a whole different story, so watch your hot ash and get an alarm!!!

Yesterday I took a few hours off from my busy schedule and gave my new(ish) pole a gallop. A round two dozen roach and rudd, all taken on bread. That's not the biggest one, Jill has just said I mustn't lie so that was about the biggest. It was still a pleasant few hours.
Today we set off along the unrestored section for a nose at what is going on. This is the end of the navigable section,

it is in water for several hundred yards beyond the bridge but is not yet open to boats. There is even a lift bridge over it

and the people in this water side house really deserve an award for optimism,

they have a mooring, all set for when the boats are allowed through. The watered section ends here, at bridge 83. By bridge 84 the restorers have been busy, using a waterproof membrane

that is reinforced and held down by concrete blocks.

At Crickheath there is a fine length of rebuilt wharf wall. From here on very little, apart from tree and scrub clearance, has been done and the canal bed is dry.

Just before you get to Pant there is what I presume will one day be the winding hole,

This is bridge 88,

the small arch to the right used to have an industrial tramway running through it, it brought the limestone down from the quarries to the lime kilns at Pant. Just beyond here the restoration peters out

and it's a bit overgrown so we turned back and headed home. Three years ago, when we were last here, it was like this all the way from bridge 84 so they're getting on with the restoration, but I have a feeling that it won't be open in time for Armadillo to make the trip, at least not under the current management.

Then I started playing with the camera, ladybirds just coming out of hibernation and at last

a decent clump of primroses and

violets. I had the DSLR camera today, it does give a better photo' than the compact.

Watch this space...............