Addlington

Why is it that you look out of the window and it is not raining, so you get dressed, pull the pins, start up the engine and just as you leave the bank the rain starts? It happens every time. Mind you, the bit about it not being raining is very rare these days.

We set off this morning in light drizzle and began the 7 locks at Johnson's Hillocks (and how did it get that name?), which turned into a downpour. The locks were either leaking full or leaking empty and the wooden walkways were very slippery, though a BW guy did open one gate for us on the way.

After a pumpout and cheapish diesel at L&L outside Adlington we then we moored up opposite the White Bear Marina.

I decided we would try and take a bus into Bolton as it was raining, but we couldn't find one that wasn't going to Chorley and that was every 2 hours. So we gave up and shopped in the local Co-Op which was apparently awaiting a delivery of practically everything. Back on the boat I thought I heard a train and later David discovered there was a station and you could get to Bolton in 16 minutes!! Too late by then though.

We have had rain every day since I can't remember when and living on a boat really does seem to be a good idea, but it is getting a bit tedious and a bit of sunshine wouldn't go amiss.

Here is a card to make you feel warm (well inside anyway). Free backing paper from a magazine, two of my new stamps, embossed and painted, some yellow paper cut with wavy scissors and yellow ribbon all mounted onto a turquoise card.

I am still going through all those Stamping Up blogs from America and all my cards seem to be so plain compared to theirs - they all seem a work of art and though they say less is more, they seem to be able to put everything thing on one card and it still looks fab. I'm getting quite despondent and want to pull all mine to bits and add brads, ribbon, flowers, papers etc. I know I leave most of mine with an empty bit so that a sentiment or name can be added, but they still seem a bit bare.