High light of the day!

[Morticiah]

I've had an awesome day. I've had swans sedately swimming by, noisy ducks flapping around, a toad on the towpath, a fisher person catching a fish right next to my boat, a picnic as the sun went down but the highlight has to be

 

the cyclist who nearly fell off as he tried to get around some Ramblers! He nearly went SPLOSH!

I was vaguely disappointed when he didn't. The excitment was ... thrilling!!!

I'm moored opposite a bike gate thingie so my new hobby is watching the cyclists trying to get through it.

 

Small things make me happy!

[John V]

[peterboat]

[Alan Saunders]

Thank you, Morticah for that nice daydream. Maybe one day we will see some photographs of an errant cyclist floundering in the cut. Possibly after the angry ramblers chucked both him and his bike in! I have often felt the urge to nudge an inconsiderate cyclist into the water.

 

OTOH, some 'ramblers' can be particularly obstructive. I have been known to cycle, slowly, on a public footpath and been obstructed by a middle-aged group who simply enjoy enforcing the 'law'. Apparently, tinging a bell is considered 'offensive' so I usually say "Excuse me, could you please let me by", even when I am walking it is often difficult to pass groups of slow amblers.

 

When I am walking the towpath, especially when dragging a heavy sack-truck, I always make way for approaching cyclists - choosing a haven furthest from the water. When cyclists approach from behind me I rarely hear them and they seem reluctant to warn of their approach (see above). All my recent encounters with cyclists on the towpath have resulted in a nod or a verbal thank you.

 

Worse, I used to live in a cottage approached from either direction by an unmade, private track over which I had vehicular access. It was also a public footpath. On one occasion a large, family party forced me to follow them for half a mile at 2mph. The track is generally ~3M wide and bounded by barbed wire fences. There were three wide verges where they could have safely stood aside and allowed me to pass. Eventually they, adults and children, stupidly arranged themselves on both sides of the track and I carefully passed them without increasing my speed.

 

Shortly after arriving home I answered the door only to be physically assaulted (grasped by the chin) by the 'leader' of the group accusing me of endangering his children! I called for my brother to assist me and the 'rambler' left tout-suite!. To this day I wish I had called the Police - the 'distinctive appearance' of the vicious rambler on foot in a remote area meant he could easily have been apprehended.

 

There are two sides to every story, maybe even mine!

 

Alan

[Phil Ambrose]

While he was busy grasping your chin you should have brought your knee up sharply,

Phil

[Graham Davis]

Thank you, Morticah for that nice daydream. Maybe one day we will see some photographs of an errant cyclist floundering in the cut. Possibly after the angry ramblers chucked both him and his bike in! I have often felt the urge to nudge an inconsiderate cyclist into the water.

 

OTOH, some 'ramblers' can be particularly obstructive. I have been known to cycle, slowly, on a public footpath and been obstructed by a middle-aged group who simply enjoy enforcing the 'law'. Apparently, tinging a bell is considered 'offensive' so I usually say "Excuse me, could you please let me by", even when I am walking it is often difficult to pass groups of slow amblers.

 

When I am walking the towpath, especially when dragging a heavy sack-truck, I always make way for approaching cyclists - choosing a haven furthest from the water. When cyclists approach from behind me I rarely hear them and they seem reluctant to warn of their approach (see above). All my recent encounters with cyclists on the towpath have resulted in a nod or a verbal thank you.

 

Worse, I used to live in a cottage approached from either direction by an unmade, private track over which I had vehicular access. It was also a public footpath. On one occasion a large, family party forced me to follow them for half a mile at 2mph. The track is generally ~3M wide and bounded by barbed wire fences. There were three wide verges where they could have safely stood aside and allowed me to pass. Eventually they, adults and children, stupidly arranged themselves on both sides of the track and I carefully passed them without increasing my speed.

 

Shortly after arriving home I answered the door only to be physically assaulted (grasped by the chin) by the 'leader' of the group accusing me of endangering his children! I called for my brother to assist me and the 'rambler' left tout-suite!. To this day I wish I had called the Police - the 'distinctive appearance' of the vicious rambler on foot in a remote area meant he could easily have been apprehended.

 

There are two sides to every story, maybe even mine!

 

Alan

 

To be pedantic, it is illegal to ride a cycle on a Public Footpath, or even to push it along one.

[Tom and Bex]

I saw I cyclist plunge gracefully into the cut near the lift bridge at Hockley Heath. He was so interested in watching the bridge operation (he said he had never seen it opened before) that he forgot to watch where he was going!

 

I offered him a towel to help dry off but I think he was embarrassed so just wanted to keep going and get away as though nothing had happened!

 

Tom

[patty-ann]

What a lovely first day...can one ask about the unpacking?...how much designated to return to store and from then on car boot and charity shop!

I like watching wildlife. my normal mooring on my oh so brief jaunts out(still renovating decrepit cottage) is opposite little sis where there are ducks aplenty, moorhens, few swans and field of young beef cattle with attitude..love watching "the boys" as she calls them....no footpaths or ramblers there!

[Morticiah]

What a lovely first day...can one ask about the unpacking?...how much designated to return to store and from then on car boot and charity shop!

I like watching wildlife. my normal mooring on my oh so brief jaunts out(still renovating decrepit cottage) is opposite little sis where there are ducks aplenty, moorhens, few swans and field of young beef cattle with attitude..love watching "the boys" as she calls them....no footpaths or ramblers there!

 

The unpacking went really well - there is so much storage in my new home. I had a break from 'chores' to have a glass of wine and a picnic whilst watching the sun go down. There are a few things that I really do need from the Lock up, but not a lot! The rest shall be re-distributed ASAP as I don't really want to pay monthly fees for storing 'stuff'.

 

Am cooking brekkie and watching the ducks at the moment! what more could I want?

[peterboat]

Not much in my case I love the feeling of being on holiday which the boat provides I just recently sold my business and taken early retirement so now I have lots of opportunities to daydream what a great life we have chosen

[patty-ann]

 

The unpacking went really well - there is so much storage in my new home. I had a break from 'chores' to have a glass of wine and a picnic whilst watching the sun go down. There are a few things that I really do need from the Lock up, but not a lot! The rest shall be re-distributed ASAP as I don't really want to pay monthly fees for storing 'stuff'.

 

Am cooking brekkie and watching the ducks at the moment! what more could I want?

Sounds great. My son arrived unexpectedly and dragged me over cliff tops down to wave swept beach..i feel content. Tis next best thing to boat