#353

 A Birthday Gift For Ian

Curly Myrtle and Gun Metal Fountain Pen

Curly Tasmanian Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii)

Myrtle is a large, spreading evergreen tree up to 40 m tall with a stem diameter between 150 and 250 cm in favourable environments, but is often a dense understorey shrub 6–18 m high in wet eucalypt forest and at higher altitudes. The trunk is slightly buttressed, fluted and often swollen at the base, with adventitious shoots. The outer bark is brown or deep red to pink, scaly and slightly fibrous and remains attached to the tree for life.

It is an excellent cabinetry timber which is hard with strong, tough, close grain. It is a soft pink, often figured and can be polished to a fine sheen. Used for flooring, joinery, cogs of wheels, and furniture. 

We had a lovely evening in the New Inn (and later back on the boat) at the top of Buckby Locks with friends but the next day the Buckby flight beckoned. The flight (properly called the Whilton Lock Flight) is not that long being only seven in number and they are well spaced out through pretty countryside, but a few of them are really tough. Big heavy balance beams on sticking gates can make the going very tough.

It didn't take long to get through them and we had timed our run to coincide with boaters leaving the visitor moorings at the bottom. There is only a few hundred yards of suitable mooring before you are well and truly sandwiched between the railway the other side of Whilton Marina and the busy M1.

We had a relaxing couple of days catching up on chores, bumping into boaters (not literally) that we hadn't seen for ages and even managed a stroll around the marina to see what boats were on offer for sale. Back on the boat it was time to take advantage of the lovely sunshine charging the batteries via the solar array and get some turning done.

Pen #353  was turned on the 31st July at the bottom of Whilton Locks.