Tales from the riverbank

I have had a truly marvellous day. Not that I’ve done very much, but when I consider everything I would be doing if I was back in London - all that Christmas rushing around, tinsel and tat nonsense, work lunches and do’s, last tubes home and packed pubs - and here I am sitting in the sunshine on a deserted riverbank writing and reading without a care in the world, I kind of feel like I made a good decision somewhere along the line. Maybe that’s just me. Well, welcome to my world!

So yeah, great weather again today – in fact even better than yesterday. Slept really well, healthy breakfast, writing…even taking my coffee out onto the terrace at elevenses it was that warm - the weather I mean, not the coffee which was hot, obviously. I put a leftover croissant on top of the toaster to freshen it up a bit and ended up incinerating it, sending smoke signals across Bergerac. When the sun disappeared over the rooftops I chased it down to the riverbank. I found a warm spot on the steps of the rowing club (it was closed before anybody even thinks about posting a smart-aleck comment) and sat and wrote for a couple of hours.

I decided to change position after a woman turned up with a push chair and decided the ideal spot to feed her screaming brat was slap-bang next to me – I mean really, I was the only person around and she must have passed several dozen benches, but no, she has to sit there. I found another good spot right down on the grassy bank next to a half sunk boat. I sat and read until the sun went down. It’s amazing what you see if you sit still for long enough. A beautiful kingfisher kept swooping down right in front of me, hooking small fish out of the river, the intense colours of its wings and breast feathers flashing in the sunlight. Then some enormous fish started leaping for flies. I kept hearing these loud plops, so finally I had the patience to watch the water surface until I saw three leapers one after another. Big buggers – looked a bit like salmon. I was watching fish when I became aware of something snuffling around my shoes. I glanced down and there was a beautiful fat water rat wandering along, happy as you like. He stretched and yawned and his little jet black eyes twinkled merrily as he went about his business, utterly oblivious to me. He eventually disappeared behind a tree root, probably to go for tea with Mole and Badger to discuss how to help Toad escape from prison.

I got a bit snap happy today as you can see, but it was all so picturesque.

Are you ready for Christmas yet? Pah!