Life on the Water

A couple of days ago I thought I'd have a walk by the Grand Union Canal in the middle of Milton Keynes, and so turned off the road into a quiet residential area, but got totally lost looking for the canal. I finally ended up on an allotment, where I saw these amazing artichokes growing, but I couldn't get to the canal from there.


After much to-ing and fro-ing I parked in a layby next to Tinkers Bridge, and found a stairway down to the canal. As I came under the bridge, this is what I saw:

Breathtaking! I carried on and found that this was quite a popular spot, since there was a pub and a whole line of narrowboats tied up and enjoying a relaxing evening.

Three Locks

On Sunday we went to the Three Locks Pub in Stoke Hammond. The food was very run of the mill, but it was the location we were there for. It's a series of three locks which take the canal traffic up or down hill, depending on the direction they're going. The water level inside the locks is raised or lowered to the same level as the section of canal being exited, the gates are opened, the boat moves into the lock, and the gates are closed again. Then the water level is then raised or lowered to the same level as the section of canal being entered, gates are opened, boat moves out of lock etc. etc. etc.

This picture was taken from the middle of the gate of the first lock, looking downhill to the other two locks.

This is the second lock.
Looking at the third and lowest lock, from within the area of the second lock.
This last picture was taken from the open area outside the pub which is alongside the third lock. You can see wild flowers growing at the top of the gate, and some canal boats pulled up at the bank, with people sitting and eating lunch on the towpath.

This is a gorgeous area, and life on and around the canal is slow and relatively calm. I wouldn't like to fall in the water, though. It looks a bit murky.

Missed the photo challenge

Things have been a bit hectic around here, and although I had every intention of joining in with the latest photo challenge yesterday, I somehow didn't quite manage it. Instead I thought I'd post some pictures of flowers which I took a couple of weeks ago.

I discovered that my hanging basket which I bought ready-planted, had some strawberries growing among the flowers.

A rose in my front yard just after I watered it.

A pink flower in a bouquet that my son gave me.

I hope to be able to start posting regularly again very soon. I'll try and visit a few of the posts for the Brenda Photo Challenge before going to bed tonight.