Splash!

I tried to go for a walk beside the river today. To a certain extent I was successful; I was certainly successful in ascertaining that my new boots are well and truly waterproof. Not that I doubted them, but it's nice to have solid proof in the form of dry socks after a day when at times it wasn't quite clear what was river and what was path.

My journey began with the sight of three picnic benches, paddling gaily in the midst of an impromptu lake into which my chosen path descended. Later in the day I found myself walking along what had once been the grass verge dividing the river from the track beside it. Now submerged, all that was visible were some hardy tufts sticking up above the water level. I was able to balance on the verge most of the way along. The stickiest moment came when even this verge had sunk away, the entire track having become a puddle indistinguishable from the river, deep enough even on the path side for a branch to be floating in it. On the other side of the track was a miniscule line of grass, narrower than my feet, and considerably overhung by somebody's garden hedge. Being too stubborn to turn back (anyway I had come too far... and it would have been miserable to have to go along the A road instead...) I splashed across to the hedge and dug my hands in deep, leaning out backwards over the water. I held tight to the thickest branches I could find and shuffled my way along, hoping intently that whoever lived behind the hedge would not come outside to find me clinging there...