All change on our plans

Well, real life has caught up with us a bit over the past few weeks. Family and close friends know that my beloved Ray has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, I strongly suspected that was going to be the diagnosis so my thoughts have been with him and his health not with blogging. The prognosis seems positive but he has both surgery and chemotherapy to face over the next few months. this also means that we won't be moving very far as we have to remain within reach of Sandwell Hospital.

Anyway ,to update you on our travels. We headed back through Kidderminster where we stopped for one night and topped up on groceries then we continued to retrace our steps to Wolverley Court Lock where we picked plums and made plum wine, then back towards Stourbridge but without the diversion into the town this time.

Then it was back up the Stourbridge and Dudley Locks and the concrete jungle of Merry Hill, ever onwards to Windmill End were we met fellow traders Justina and Mark. After a pause to pick blackberries and rowan berries it was back into Birmingham, where the blackberries became jam and the rowan began their transformation into wine.

Once we were there I attended the National User Forum of the Trust and Ray at last went to the doctors as I have been telling him to do for ages. Luckily we have had the launching of the Association of Continuous Cruisers  and the Floating Market to distract us.

The weekend of the market was fabulous, the weather was kind and we all made some good sales. It was good for cyber friends to become real friends and we are all keen to do it again next year. This week everyone else made their way in various directions towards where they intend to spend the winter. If our plans hadn't changed we too would be on our way towards Leeds.

We have spoken to various people at the Trust and they have been very understanding, we have basically been given permission to overstay although as soon as we have a reasonable gap between hospital appointments I hope to go for a little cruise, staying in one place doesn't suit me.

During September we travelled 28.3 miles, 39 locks and 4 tunnels

This year we have travelled 421.9 miles, 420 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 20 tunnels

In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks,  55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels

In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels

During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels

Since Ray retired we have travelled 2500.5miles, 2181 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 91 tunnels