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Monday 17 October 2011

Off the hook




The scene above is taken from the footpath around cwmoernant (little valley of the cold stream) reservoir, Carmarthen. I was taken with the scene when I took the dog around the other week and I thought I must paint that. The leaves were starting to turn and the sun was low and strong against the tree trunks, contre jour (literally against the day).
I painted this today although I will probably potch with it over the next couple of days.

There are 2 things that you should apparently do in life, not jump to conclusions and own up when you have erred.

Some time ago my daughter bought Alex a raft ride for her birthday. Now why I had to go I don’t know because it was her birthday but in any case Alex and I were going. We travelled to Northampton and arrived ready for our ordeal. There turned out to be a group of about six of us in this particular raft. We were by far the oldest. We had a briefing and the instructor showed us the course. I was pleasantly surprised as it looked quite gentle and went away to get kitted out in good spirits. When we were all ready we carried our raft to the start of the course.

The water was now a raging torrent, the sluices had not been open before. We were told not to hold on to anyone else or the side of the raft as you could pull someone in or tip over the raft.

We set off and negotiated the first part of the course well enough then we came to a very turbulent part and I lost my balance and inadvertently pushed my neighbour who disappeared into the torrent. We managed under the instructor’s guidance to get to the bank and recover the wet young man who was in something of a lather. Fortunately his friend was laughing so much he somehow thought he had pushed him and I was off the hook. With my now dripping fuming neighbour back next to me we continued our journey until we came to another set of rapids and a bend. I again lost my balance and held the rope on the side of the raft. The next thing was the raft came over the top of me and everyone in it and we all ended up under water. After much splashing and accusations we all got back in the raft and continued. My neighbour and his friend were still at odds and no one was sure who had turned the raft over.

Well I was man enough to own up, to Alex on the way home!
My neighbour shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions as to who pushed him in but I was glad he did.


By the way we havent been rafting again.

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