Today we woke to heavy rain showers which continued throughout the morning as we journeyed northwards. We picked up water at Leighton Buzzard and joined the Viking hire boat Hild and Leighton Lock. We got to the Three Locks at Soulbury and met a Wyvern Shipping hire boat whose crew of two were so concerned about the locks there were waiting for help. Hild, with a larger crew, offered to join them and asked us to go first. We went down the flight alone, but with assistance.
At Stoke Hammond we met a very bold heron hiding behind the open lock gate stalking its prey. It continued stalking just outside the lock gates as we operated the lock.
Heron stalking its prey at Stoke Hammond Lock
Dutch barge De Witte Seep and garden
The trip through Milton Keynes was uneventful and we moored up just after 5 o'clock, joining a group of other boats who appear to enjoy this rural location. NB Hild passed just after we had moored up. They were on their way back to Rugby so presumably they have some miles to cover.
