On the Llangollen Canal again

We reluctantly set off from Hack Green on Monday morning and made the poignant left turn up Hurleston onto the Llangollen, which signifies that our travels are almost over until after the holiday season in September/October.  Although it's nice to come home and see friends and family, we will miss the cruising.  However, the weather has been fantastic over the last week, and great for cruising. 

One of the canalside sculptures at Nantwich:

Bumped into Gary, the lock-keeper at Grindley Brook.  He was just visiting the locks, as he doesn't start the season until Monday 22nd,  thereafter the locks will be manned until the end of October.  Nice to catch up with him and glad he'll be back for another season.

This bridge just after Grindley Brook is going to need a bit of work:

We cheered up the further we went, as people we knew, both boaters and locals, shouted their hello's and we kept stopping the boat to chat.  Eventually got to Ellesmere & caught up with (Steam Boat) Bill in the White Hart.  En route, someone said the nicest thing "Ah, so glad your back we look forward to seeing you - now we know spring is here, as you bring it with you when you come back each year".

Picture below is of a carved owl on top of the post at bridge 44:  (the farm has homing pigeons i assume)

Wonderful to see the welcoming committee of geese at Chirk Bank.  It's a new flock, as a local resident took it upon himself to "dispense" of the last lot of geese last year, as he (allegedly) said "they were dangerous".  The locals of Chirk Bank were outraged, and shortly after, these new geese "appeared", though no one is claiming responsibility for their arrival!

View across the valley into Chirk, with Kronospan belching out the smoke.