A quick update….

It was a lovely morning so we decided to make our way to Shardlow in the hope of finding a mooring, and to be close to Sawley Flood lock for when it opens.  We had a nasty moment when we met another boat (I think the boat name was nb Sapphire) who is also bound for Pillings Lock Marina.  They were going the opposite way, searching for a mooring where they could leave their boat for a week as BW had told them that the stoppage would be on for a further week!!  When I had scraped Rog off the ceiling, I phoned Dave, the Sawley Locky, who told me that it was a load of rubbish, and BW didn’t know what they were talking about!!  The lock would be open to boats this afternoon, and the Trent was down!  I leapt off the boat and ran (well, almost ran – I don’t do running!) back down the towpath and caught them up and gave them the good news, and Dave’s phone number.  They immediately turned around and headed back through Shardlow.  They also took our phone number and promised to call us and let us know how things stood when they got there, which they have just done.  Hoorahhh – it’s all systems go!!!  Although the work hasn’t finished, they are letting boats through as they turn up.  Another instance of BW not knowing their arse from their elbow!!!  We are nice and cosy in the boat now, all snuggled up for the rest of the day, so we will continue through the flood lock tomorrow – keep you fingers crossed, everybody, that nobody does a rain-dance tonight and brings the river levels up again!

I took Cassie’s bandage off today, as she seemed to be limping a bit worse and I wanted to see if there was any infection in her foot.  It looks fine to me.  There is still a little bit of claw left, so she must have split it rather than pulled it completely out, and it’s been chopped off right near where it enters her paw.  I think the bandage must have been pressing on the raw end of her claw, because the limp has completely disappeared now.  I’m sure it will heal quickly now the air can get too it.  Not sure whether it will grow again – we shall have to wait and see.