This morning, sorely in need of both a few groceries and some excercise, I took a short wander up the canal to Brownhills to visit our retail overlords. Today was a cold, bright morning: good walking weather, as I didn’t have to carry my coat all the way. Joining the canal at Black Cock Bridge, it was evident the canal was mostly frozen over, now the weather has turned to something more usual for January. This was proving fustrating for some of the resident swans, having to ice-beak their way:

As I returned back over the Pier St bridge, a narrowboat came towards me: they usually move faster than I generally walk, but this too was struggling against the ice.

The owners said they were heading to Aldridge to turn round- no further because of the cold, but may have changed their mind, because by the time I got past Catshill Junction, they were out of sight. Nice to see anyway, and I got my exercise and my shopping without having to de-ice the car. On my return journey, the swans were swimming freely, and I was carrying my coat, due to the bright sunshine.