Life's a Bitch by Stitch

  We're back in Flint.  We were dropped near the castle on a Sunday morning and set off west passing a few other dogs and owners.  This guy was sat looking up the estuary completely ignoring me. Further on I saw a rabbit cross the path but I was on my lead so couldn't get it.  I bravely ignored the gunfire as we passed the Clay Pigeon shoot.  On we walked, the water on my right and land to the left (apart from where we missed the path and had to retrace our steps.) There were lots of exciting smells and a few of these beacons. After we'd walked about six miles he joined us.  We headed along a high bank with cattle on one side and the sea on the other.  In the distance we could see a ship and that was the end of the walk.  It was only nine miles and there was a cafe at the end with free biscuits and their leftovers.  A perfect walk!

  We're off on a new adventure, she tells me.   We're dropped off in the middle of Chester and head towards the River Dee to walk to Flint.  Only 13 miles!   This is the start of the Wales Coast Path that she intends to follow though, as it's 870 miles long, I'm not sure either of us will be able to make it.  He's in charge of transport: dropping us off at the start then meeting us on his bike to make sure we're safe. It's a long tarmac path but there are interesting smells on either side and we pass a few other dogs, some walkers and cyclists.  The start of the Wales Coast Path is obvious - even to a dog! We must have walked for over five miles before we leave the path to cross the big blue bridge at Queensferry and, for a short distance, we follow grass paths to the Hawarden bridge. We still couldn't see the sea but the estuary was wider. Then we're back on tarmac all the way to Connah's Quay where he meets us for lunch and I get two sausages a...

  Creativity and Nature Join  me at Ty’r Felin on 28 th June for a day exploring creativity and nature. Your facilitator Helen Papworth I am a retired educator and writer/illustrator who is currently studying for a Permaculture Diploma. After a career spent teaching and managing, I moved to Ethiopia as a VSO volunteer in 2004 then retrained as an illustrator for children’s publishing. I gained my PhD on the subject of Ethiopian Children’s Illustrated Literature and continue to illustrate books for Ethiopian publishers. I also now train artists in Ethiopia to illustrate children’s books . I live at Ty’r Felin where I practice permaculture ethics, principles and techniques in my home and on the land where I have developed a Forest Garden. Your venue Ty’r Felin, Cwm Road, Trelawnyd, Flintshire, LL18 6EF  GR SJ 08815  79158 Ty’r Felin is a mill cottage with a converted mill which is now a studio, and stables, one of which serves as a print r...

  Here's me and Her on our July trip to Manchester.  I had to make it clear to her that she wasn't welcome on my lookout post.  Of course, any seat is mine.  He's okay with that.  She isn't! After negotiating the Middlewich Arm and going through the locks at Middlewich (including the notorious Big Lock - see my earlier blog) we headed north along the Trent and Mersey Canal towards the Bridgwater Canal.   We stopped for lunch at Bramble Cutting and passed the lakes where the heron ignored us.   Then, we went through a winding dark tunnel to emerge in an idyllic spot where kingfishers flashed past then posed in the trees (sadly no zoom lens so no proof). The next day, aften anothe dark crooked tunnel,  we went past a dry dock that looked like a railway awning and then into a big tunnel nearly a mile long. We were now on the Bridgewater Canal and our next stop was Lymm.   This canal proved to be very attractive with lots of wild f...

 Trains and boats and cars .... another adventure Goodbye Beeston Castle - Hello new adventures We've moved Knot a Yot (our canal boat) to Venetian Marina on the Middlewich Arm.  That means we can do the Cheshire Ring (they said).  That proved too big a challenge (locks out of action) but we did manage to explore bits of the Trent and Mersey and Macclesfield Canals in all kinds of weather. Our trip, the Cheshire Arc, started in the rain and the cold in early May.  It was so miserable there were no photos of the first leg finishing in Middlewich where he lit a fire and we found a great fish and chip shop and a friendly pub (with dog biscuits) both a short walk from the moorings.  The next day was drier but cold though the sun did appear as we went up the canal and its many locks towards the place where the M6 crosses.  Just out of earshot of the traffic, we stopped for the night surrounded by fields.   May's a great month to travel with all the wil...

I’m sat here in the back of the boat dog watching.  The little yappy ones I don’t bother with.  Those my size like the spaniels and collies are more interesting.  Occasionally I see another beagle, good looking like me, but, if I see something large like a German Shepherd or a Labrador I’ll really bark.  That’s when I get shouted at. They brought the boat round from Tattenhall Marina on Friday, stopping at the top of Beeston Iron Lock on the first night.  On Saturday we entered the Llangollen canal so I got lots of interesting walks along the towpath.  It rained on Sunday but we had lunch in a pub in Wrenbury and I got the scraps. By Monday night we’d reached the top of the staircase locks in Grindley Brook (thanks to the helpful volunteers) but had to go home on Tuesday for appointments.   As they’re having a new shower fitted, we came back here to Whitchurch that same day and spent yesterday at Cholmondley Castle Gardens where there were loads o...

 Well, we're back home after another little adventure on the Shropshire Union.  I say 'little' but, for me, it was a huge adventure that I'd rather not repeat. We set off on a damp Sunday morning heading for Beeston.  He wasn't sure how far we'd get as he's now struggling with Polymialgia and walks were going to be limited as he needed all his energy for doing the locks (although she did help and she did take me for walks). By three in the afternoon, we'd done all six locks and the weather was dry.  We'd even seen a bit of sunshine.  We moored up somewhere familiar between Bunbury Locks and Calveley, right next to a public footpath.  They were planning a walk but I managed to escape and set off at my own pace, on the scent of pheasants.   I could hear them calling me but the urge to catch one of those damned birds was too strong.  They hid in hedges and flew across fields.  I chased them.  I have to say, after a while I no longer he...