Congerstone's sheep are very inquisitive!

Today – Fairfield Bridge (46) to Congerstone, Ashby Canal, 1.25 miles 0 locks
Weekend – Moored Fairfield Bridge

I have no British Waterways Licence.. Tut-tut.  Well it’s not my fault, my forms and payment went in at the end of last year, and here we are the second week of January and no sign of my licence yet, nor any sign in my bank account that BW have taken the money for it!  I noticed today a narrowboat moored a little further away at Shackerstone with a lovely new Gold Licence Disc expiry date of 12/06, green it is instead of the burgundy that they usually are.. Hey I want one of those green ones!!

Ah well, I suppose I will have to explain to any BW Lengthsman checking licences that BW seems not to want my money for this year..  Trouble is I wonder if I will be banded as a non licence payer… “Ah there is that No Problem, no up to date licence.. bloomin' licence dodgers” I might put a big sign in the window “Please, please British Waterways take my money!!”

Some 16 or so miles walked the last three days, although it has been heavy going across some of the fields that are seeded, it has been enjoyable, although one walk was rather difficult as quite a lot of the normal footpaths on the maps had been altered and diverted.. I am very glad of my hand held gps.. without it I am sure at one point I would have gone totally in the wrong direction.

Lucy always stays to very close heal when told, and this she has to do in any field with any sort of farm animals in them…  even llamas nr Market Bosworth have her respect…

But one absolutely delightful moment was across a field full of sheep.. The sheep were not doing as they should on seeing a collie dog.. hey they should be in the corner of the field I thought, but no, they were too interested in this particular collie.. in fact they had a real close look at her..

I guess these sheep have never been shepherded by a collie before.. or maybe they wanted to play!  Lucy here quite unfazed by all the attention given to her.  She is a sheer delight to take walking, never getting into any trouble with me, and giving me such wonderful company.

Wildlife on the canal has been in abundance at this end of the Ashby, not seen much of it of late, but around here there are several very noisy herons, maybe fighting over territory.. coots and moorhens as well as the sound of owls in the evening.  This part of the canal is very remote, I am enjoying it more now.