We have regularly driven past a gate leading into a riverside area full of trees, one of the public open spaces found in or near to housing developments, a requirement of the planning permission. Today, since we were passing the gate on the way back from a physiotherapy appointment (for Lesia, not either of us – we would just take a couple of ibuprofen for a bad back, but one’s pooch deserves more) we explored this patch of green, with the hope of autumn colours in the low evening sun. We were disappointed – the shrubs and trees seemed to be of a variety that don’t bother with brash colours before quietly falling to the ground, although were still quite vibrant with the help of a bit of back lighting. The area wasn’t very big either, but both dogs found the riverbank. Lesia turned a deaf ear and kept plodding resolutely towards the water before I threw my arms around her neck to stop her in her tracks. Cold water and bad backs don’t mix.
