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Although we haven't been on any more long adventures on Uppie, we bears did have a day out when it was sunny a couple of weekends ago.

It was a very still day, so we quickly put our life jackets on and scrambled up onto the roof for a good view.  We were just going a little way up the Macclesfield Canal, so Grizzly and Polar could get the fuel tank topped up before the winter and, hopefully, get a new front fender for Uppie from the boatyard at Scholar Green.

There is only one little lock along this route at a pretty place called Hall Green, where there are a couple of lovely little cottages, but it used to be quite hard to operate.  Grizzly (who used to have more trouble than Polar with it,because he is smaller) was especially pleased to find that, while Uppie was down on the Weaver, the Canal and River Trust had fitted new gates.

'That's much better!' he said, when he got back onto the boat.

This part of the canal is quite shady as it runs through a cutting.  We bears like looking at the pretty gardens beside the water, but we had to duck and put our paws over our heads when we went under one of the willow trees.  

Then we were out into the open countryside again, looking out for interesting things and boats with funny names - like this one.

We even saw a big bear looking out at the canal, who waved to us - and we waved back.

'I bet he would like to be a boat bear!' said Hanley.

'We are very lucky bears, aren't we?' said Endon.

One of the nice things about boating at this time of year is seeing the pretty autumn leaves, although Polar says they can slow the boat down because they can stick to the sides of the boat and get around the propeller.

Grizzly turned the boat around at Ramsdell Hall and we moored for lunch nearby, before heading a little way back to the boatyard and marina where we would get our supplies.

Someone was operating a little model boat.

'That reminds me of The Danny,' said Hanley, remembering the lovely Daniel Adamson steam boat we had seen on the River Weaver.

Polar and Grizzly went to organise the fuel and fender.  We stayed on the roof, hoping that the dark skies weren't going to mean rain before we got home.

Then Grizzly came over from the little shop with a present for us - a little pot of chocolate mint ice-cream!

'We really are lucky little bears!' I said.

Once Uppie's new fender had been fitted, it was time to set off for home, back through the countryside and the cutting to the little lock.  It was starting to get a little bit cooler now, but we decided we still liked being on the roof.

Polar steered us home from the lock.  She was quite shocked when we got back to Hardingswood Junction, as she realised that the new supermarket being built nearby was very big and was going to look very ugly from the canal.

'Booo!' cried Hanley Bear.  'I liked Hardingswood Junction, because it looked just like it did a hundred years ago - and now it won't!'

He was still doing a very hard stare when we got back inside Uppie - Polar had lifted us down off the roof as she wanted to see if she could turn Uppie in the canal right opposite our mooring (and she can!).

'Maybe we can help Polar and Grizzly write to the Council and to Lidl's, and get some nice trees planted along the fence to screen it from the junction?' I said to the other bears, who agreed that we should do something.  

Then it was time to take off our life-jackets ready to go home.  We hope to have another Uppie adventure soon, so I'll tell you all about it when we do.