water in my wellies

I was well known for my walks - I would set off following a well-defined footpath and suddenly without warning it disappeared. Many a time my daughter and I scarmbled down almost sheer drops or battled chest-high bracken or thistles! This time, however, it was Dave ... We had 2 dogs with us and his son, Jack. The hills and valleys around our farm are covered by conduits. Amazing Victorian Engineers connected all the reservoirs and they follow the contours of the hills and provide brilliant (unofficial) footpaths. Every now and then they cross roads, including an impressive Roman Road and every now and then they have home-made ramps so that any sheep that have fallen in can climb out.

We got stopped by had a very impressive iron gate to stop the sheep going in - but it stopped us in our tracks! We had to clamber down the 5' slippy,steep side, negotiate the 12'' of sludgey water and figure out a way of getting out the other side. The two dogs decided to swim for it over the reservoir corner. Jack was hoisted up but Dave and me had very wet feet!

Fantastic sunny day though so they dried eventually. Not so when Dave asked me to 'check the cut-off switch under the kitchen sink' (which he had just mended but not fastened onto the tap). I got a blast of very cold water and didn't have time to change ... hmmmm ... very funny Dave !!!! He is still telling everyone how I was daft enough to check it :)