PeterP

Ooh, what’s the story with Agnes I wonder 🧐 😀

😃

I can almost hear it 😆

🌵🐸🏜️

😁

🤣 I nearly put this myself!

A grey heron stands in a field of dried grasses, its mouth wide open as though shouting at someone of something. What might it be saying? ….

Caption competition! Tell me what this grey heron is saying. No politics, abuse, swearing or offensive comments please 🙏
#Birds #UKbirds #Wildlife #UKwildlife #Nature #Photography

We had to cancel our boat build because of COVID (sorry @ortomarine.bsky.social 😔) . This one was ready made for Crick show (cancelled) and was 90% the same spec as our build so we bought it instead.

We did. We knew it was going to be Heart of Oak before we launched, but covid put paid to our sign-writing for a few months. Champagne on the bow at launch was our only tradition, but more in the glasses! 😁

Five years ago yesterday, we launched narrowboat unnamed! Five years later after almost 2000 miles, as many locks and only one breakdown, one of us is a ‘real boater’ (splash!) and NB Heart of Oak is still keeping us safe and warm, often in the middle of nowhere 😁
#UKcanals #Narrowboats

A picture of the canal basin at Stourport, UK. The water is a vicious green, covered by large patches of duckweed. You can see an old wharf building, now a chandlers, in the foreground and some moored boats in the background. The summer sky is cloudy with patches of blue.

🎶Sweet dreams are made of green 🎶
CRT have put a lot of effort into clearing the Stourport duckweed, but I like the look of green canals; it brings some colour to an otherwise grey July 😁

I know it can be bad for other aquatic plant life, but imagine how big the ducks will be next year!
#UKcanals

Six fluffy, grey mute swan cygnets on the Shropshire Union canal. Some have their heads tucked in sleeping and the one in the centre has its head at a quizzical angle as if to ask what I’m doing with that camera!

Whichever way you look at it, this world can be a crazy place! Hopefully not for these fluffies though 😁
#UKcanals #Birds #Swans #Cyngets #Wildlife #Nature

Certainly feels like more than last year in our cruising area, but could just be relative perception. Aside from the closures, we’ve had to coast past more than a few that are partially blocking one side of the canal.

For those not aware, there has been a high incidence of fallen trees along the canals this year, including one that fell onto a moving narrowboat! Here’s one we got stuck behind for 24Hrs a couple of weeks ago. Hats off to Canal & River Trust and contractors who made it passable in those 24Hrs 👍

Bingo! 😂

A canal runs through an avenue of green trees in full, vibrant summer colours. A grass towpath runs alongside the canal and a single narrowboat is moored towards the far end of the picture. The canal water is dotted with patches of green duckweed and reflecting the many trees.

We’ve discovered some “pure green” 😁
Not sure I’d moor so close to so many large trees in the current climate though 🤔
Staffs & Worcs canal.
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Nature

We’ve seen quite a few diddy ducks in the last couple of weeks; second broods I assume 🐥

A little, but still functional, although we’re staying put in the middle of the countryside today 🌳 🌲

Afraid not, but I’d be interested to know if you get one as I’ve been thinking of the same.

Three yellow, fluffy goslings on the canal, one is looking straight at the camera with the cutest face you can imagine.

Thank you for all the likes and well wishes for Mrs P, we love you all. We also have 2 new cruising songs: Everybody Hurts (R.E.M) and Going Under (Evanescence) 🤣
@nbheartofoak.bsky.social
#UKcanals #Narrowboats

A little achey today, but otherwise good thanks 🙏

She is, thank you; and a badass too!

Narrowboat Heart of Oak, moored up with another narrowboat behind on a summer's evening in Worcestershire. The sky is blue and the trees are vivid green. The canal is still and calm, reflecting the trees.

After a day of drama where Mrs P slipped at a lock landing, chipping a tooth and falling into the canal (but never letting go of the windlass!), we moored up in sunny Worcestershire for a well earned G&T; maybe even a G&G!!
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Photography

A grey heron jumping into a canal, just as its feet break the water. The canal is green with duckweed on the surface and you wonder if the heron can even see the fish below that it no doubt wants for lunch 😁

Heron on a somewhat green Staffs & Worcs canal!
#UKcanals #UKwildlife #Wildlife #Nature

Macclesfield?
📷: @nbheartofoak.bsky.social

Thanks 🙏

A view of the canal looking towards the bottom gates of a narrow lock. A narrow boat is getting ready to enter the lock, under the brick bridge that covers the entrance. The summer sun is shining and the trees and foliage are in full bloom. A white cottage sits next to the lock.

Colwich lock on the Trent & Mersey canal. The adjacent cottage has a lovely garden 🪴
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Photography

The picture shows the lower entrance to a canal lock, the lock gates are closed. On the left sits a large lock cottage. The lock is surrounded by grass and trees and the sky is blue, with some fluffy white clouds. The summer sun is shining and everything is bright and vivid.

Deptmore Lock on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal. Idyllic 😎
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Photography

The sound of 4:30am - at least it was where we awoke 😁
Volume +++
#Nature #Wildlife #UKwildlife #DawnChorus #Birdsong #Birds

A single stem of birds for trefoil sits in the soft green surroundings of meadow grasses, it’s yellow flowers bright in the summer sun.

A small red and black pupa of a harlequin ladybird sits nestled in the centre of a large nettle leaf. The leaf is discoloured in patches showing some yellow and brown against the faded green.

Another couple of snaps from yesterday’s canal-side walk; birds foot trefoil and a harlequin ladybird pupa on a nettle leaf. It was tricky shooting close-up in the wind but I find that using a high frame rate often gets at least one in decent focus.
#Nature #Wildlife #UKwildlife #Macro