Canal wildlife

Yesterday I wrote about the man made aspect of the canals, today we switch to wildlife.  Many animals have made the canal and the surrounding areas their homes and June is a lovely time to see all the wildlife, with lots of young about.

Ducks chase boats for bread, even follow you into a lock.

Canadian Geese with their young.

Their are also the rarer sights.

Mandarin duck

The birds love boaters and except them into their life.

Although some of the animals themselves do not get along quite as well. The film is us feeding the ducks and a moorhen decides to join in.  

Canals

Having just spent a week on a narrow boat on the Grand Union Canal it has got me thinking.  Canals were built for industry and the transportation of goods, they show mans engineering skills to over come problems.  Before engines horse power was all you had and one horse could pull up to fifty tonnes on the canal much more than on road.  The engineering achievements are everywhere along the canals, the bridges

from heavy duty metal work





beautiful stone work




to just practical.

The locks are a thing of pure genius, then there are tunnels and aqueducts.


Stoke Bruerne top lock



South end of the blisworth tunnel

It is just amazing the amount of work that went in to the building of the canals, and how under rated they are.  We  travelled for two days each way and we passed seven locks, countless bridges, two swing bridges (one now out of use) and travelled over two aqueducts.  We made it the bottom of the seven locks at Stoke Bruerne, and from there walked to the south end of the Blisworth Tunnel.  Everything man made or dug in a time before heavy machinery

College

I have just returned from a week in Yorkshire, where I have been attending college.  I have had a busy, but fun week.  As well as training different dogs we got to model various harness and head collars on them.  Which was handy as some I didn't have a clue how they fitted on the dog!  Learnt more about canine first aid and about observing animals and recording data. 

One of the best bits though was getting to meet follow students, when doing a mainly online course it is nice to put faces to names and just chat.  I know I have made some good friends. 

Not taking a dog with me was slightly odd, I had more time in the morning and didn't have to do a last thing at night pee walk, but next time I go I am planning to book a kennel and take Racer and new baby welsh (still no name).

The year does seem to have come and flown by, this time last year I was wondering whether it was the right thing or not to go to college, a degree takes up a lot of time.  Now I'm pleased I did, even with it taking up a lot of time.  With 52 hours experience to fit in before September, an assignment due next week and 5 hours of watching and recording dogs to do even though the lessons maybe over til September the work isn't.

Although now my practical is over I can start training Racer different things again, I already have a plan.