Ending Up In The River

~ beetleypete

The classic English Summer is upon us with a vengeance. Late on Thursday afternoon, it started to rain heavily. It continued to rain all night, and was still raining when I got up on Friday morning. Almost fifteen hours of relentless, stormy rain.

It finally stopped while I was having lunch on Friday, and I was quick to take the chance to get out with Ollie before it started again. It was too humid to wear waterproofs and boots, so I went out wearing shorts and lightweight trainers, carrying my umbrella. Sure enough, five minutes into the walk some gusty winds heralded the return of the rain, as it blew black clouds around Beetley like aircraft stacking in the sky waiting to land at an airport.

Up went the umbrella, and on we trudged.

Approaching the river bend and picnic area, I waited on the bank for Ollie. He usually goes down the slope into the river for a drink, but he was still a couple of hundred yards behind me, sniffing shrubs and grass. When he still hadn’t arrived, I turned again, to see where he was. That was a fateful turn, as I immediately slid down the rain-sodden muddy bank.

My umbrella flew into the river and I landed on my right side, with my right hand undermeath me. Both feet were in the water, over my ankles.

I managed to get up with some difficulty, to discover that my shorts and my right leg were covered in mud and gravel. Inspecting my hand, I found gravel embedded in the palm, and blood running down my arm from small cuts and abrasions near my wrist. As my shoes and feet were already soaked, I waded in and retrieved my umbrella, which had fortunately not floated away.

Ollie appeared moments later, giving me a quizzical look. I wandered off reluctantly, to continue the walk. As Ollie ran past, I shook my head at him.

“I’m seriously getting too old for this, boy”.

81 thoughts on “Ending Up In The River”

  3. Fortunately it went well. Admirable that you kept walking Ollie for so long afterwards.
    I have read all the comments and I can only agree: take good care of yourself.
    Best wishes, Irene

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  8. I once lost my umbrella in the Seine while trying to balance my way across a long plank from the riverbank to a foundered barge in a torrential rain late at night. I ended up at the bottom of the river. BUT, I didn’t get muddy or bleed!

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      1. I actually fell into the Seine, ended up at the bottom, and had to push my way up to the surface because I wore a heavy backpack. It was late at night, so the water was black. I had no way of knowing how murky the water was!

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  11. Uh-oh! Sorry to hear about your fall!
    Hope you’re feeling better!! Also, sorry to hear about your weather. We only finally got a little bit of rain here after 51 days straight without any and were happy to get it!

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      1. I only want the downpour for a day or two to catch up on all we missed here. After that it drives me crazy too! We had some welcomed showers over the weekend but it will trend up again to the upper 90’s by the end of the week. Seems to be only feast or famine! Hope a more normal summer returns for you soon. 🌞

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        1. According to the weather man, it will be sunny on Tuesday, with a high of 68F. My initial reaction was “Big deal!”. I don’t need it to be upper 90s, I just want it to stop raining. 🙂
          Best wishes, Pete.

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  16. Bless you, take care. My left foot slid in a mud pool after a downpour in the southern parts of Denmark about a week ago. I can still feel my body, and I had to change my clothes since both legs were smeared in mud and gravel (it happened in my friend´s driveway).

    But there is only one thing to do: get back on the feet and keep on trucking.

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  27. Mud can be treacherous, as I know all too well. I’m happy it wasn’t too serious, but it gives one pause. I’ve thought more than once that a rearview mirror would come handy during walks, especially in difficult terrain… Stay safe, Pete.

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    1. It was the place I know so well, and I was only standing still, Olga. But the ground was so slippery, I just had to make that small turn to start sliding.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  28. Luckily only a minor mishap, but these things do tend to remind us of our vulnerability [especially as we reach ‘a certain age’]; I ended up flat on the ground recently when I was trying to break up a wooden frame for firewood, but luckily [and slightly surprisingly, in retrospect!] I emerged unscathed and laughing idiotically! I did make a note to self to be more careful in future, but these notes always seem to get lost somewhere……. 😉 Cheers, Jon.

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        1. I have a selection of sticks, and my umbrella has a big spike at the end. But I had my umbrella up because of the heavy rain, so no chance of using it to dig into the riverbank. 🙂
          Best wishes, Pete.

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