A very wet walk

Today it’s cold, wet and windy. As I look out of the window, before we leave for our walk, I feel myself shudder. I choose to adopt a positive attitude, it’s the perfect day to test out my new waterproof trousers.

We walk: it’s one of those days when you have to pull your hat right down over your ears or it will get blown away. I lean into the wind.

All summer long I’ve been gently throwing the ball into dykes and the river trying to encourage Moss to swim. She’s been both tentative and sometimes quite enthusiastic about the water, but she’s not yet swum. I’ve always felt sure that she will swim when she’s ready.

Today, with the lashing rain and buffeting wind, she’s ready! She leaps in and actually swims. Why, I have absolutely no idea. She swims from one side of the dyke to the other, and then back again. It’s as though she is trying to prove it to herself. I stand watching her with my back to the wind, I’m dumbfounded.

When we return to the cosiness of the kitchen I toss a towel over Moss and rub her down. She then roars around the kitchen and joyfully throws herself onto the door mat. She’s a happy dog. Then I strip off, beneath my new waterproof trousers I’m tinder dry.

Result - we’re both happy.