Sunflower fields and pheasant farms

Raining all night and still raining at 0900 this morning when we set off. No point in us both getting wet so I did a single handed day - even though it stopped raining at 1030! We stopped at 1200 as the lock showed two vertical red lights which means prolonged stoppage, but which changed to green as we started eating dinner. Didn't manage to get through until 1445, just after a barge came past and went straight through. The locks became manual after this and because the barge was very slow we only managed 17 miles and 15 locks for the day. Saw just 3 boats all day again. We've seen a lot of dead stuff in the water since entering the canals from a pair of stomachs complete with intestines from some large mammal, loads of fish, a few rabbits and a couple of goats, but after seeing all the rats yesterday it was strange to see about the same number of mice today - all within a couple of locks. Sunflower fields today making a change from the wheat or sweet corn that's been growing since Calais. The trees have also changed since this side of the tunnel - I think they're acacia? Moored with the wooden sticks knocked into the ground right next to a noisy duck & pheasant farm - hope they shut up when it gets dark. 0900 start again tomorrow.