Swim

Did not have to be Sherlock Holmes tonight to realise that there had been some fun and games at the Shed without me!

I walked in after a hot old day in London, to find two little sets of wet swimmies lying on the living room floor...aha I thought, Jeffers' little river plan has come into action and sure enough cuddled up in bed were two rather excited little boys. You will have to forgive me if this is wrong in translation, but I have heard of the adventure second hand...(shame)

Having come home from school the River Mole took over. Jeff and the lads wandered down to the river bank in fetching swimming trunks and took the plunge. When Jeff had to jump in after the Henry about 4 months ago the river was freezing and right up to his chest. Tonight apparently it was cool and now only as high as the top of Alf's tum. They tried to walk around the bend but came across a very muddy riverbed and a slight sinking feeling. Once they moved back on to the straight bit the floor is gravelly and hard under foot. Alf walked through the water to the opposite riverbank and climbed out to run around on the field facing us which he delights in the fact is 'public' and, therefore, he can charge around at will.

They were beyond excitement. I think I am going to have to warm up to joining in as I am still not quite there on 'swimming with the fishes'.

I learnt something yesterday that has quite caught my imagination. Desire lines.

A definition for you:

Desire lines (or natural desire lines, as they're also called) are those well-worn ribbons of dirt that you see cutting across a patch of grass, often with nearby sidewalks — particularly those that offer a less direct route — ignored. In winter, desire lines appear spontaneously as tramped down paths in the snow. I love that these paths are never perfectly straight. Instead, like a river, they meander this way and that, as if to prove that desire itself isn't linear and (literally, in this case) straightforward.

We have created our own set of desire lines in the garden and the most marked one is the one that leads straight to the woods and river and then across the top of the river bank and through the bluebells. It is wonderful how your feet show your true feelings about a place! (goodness me that was deep - maybe I am a bit tired!)

Amazingly the big digger boys may be here tomorrow...it has not rained and the weather forecast is good so everything crossed work on the earth may begin this week - mud here we come. Interestingly the onset of big big machines and diggers seems to have caught the interest of every man I have told. Must be something to do with men and machines or even boys with their toys. I do hope they come as I can't wait to see what the land looks like completely clear and flat.

Oh, by the way, I may have changed my mind a bit about wild garlic - my god - in the heat it hums! Maybe we shall have just a small area from now on - I can feel a bit of ultra gardening coming on.

All happy and hopeful.