Yesterday, I dragged Ade away from the kitchen garden for a break. He’s been working so hard recently, and as he said in his last blog post, August is about taking the foot off the accelerator. The vegetables are doing their thing, the harvests are delicious and plentiful, and for the first time EVER I don’t seem to be encumbered by the usual summer gluts. (Hmm… maybe I’ve just tempted fate!) Everything seems to be ticking over nicely, so I thought Ade could do with a bit of fun at the river.

But it transpired that my idea of fun at the river is quite different to Ade’s.

Not long after we moved here, I was so excited to learn that we live close to some of the country’s most beautiful wild swimming spots, so early yesterday morning, we jumped in the car and set off to find them. We soon found an idyllic spot to rest on the riverbank. It was quiet, unspoilt, the water was crystal clear and the surrounding landscape simply beautiful.

I jumped in. We haven’t had the warmest weather recently, so it was quite bracing! But I soon acclimatised and loved the sensation of being in the river and watching small fish dart around my ankles while damselflies skimmed across the water’s surface.

Ade required a little more coaxing to get into the water. ‘I prefer canoeing!’ he grumbled as he reluctantly took off his shoes.

He eventually braved the waters, while some nearby cows looked on, indifferently; they’d seen it all before, of course. After our swim, we settled back on the riverbank to dry off in the sunshine and warm up with some hot tea!

Living the good life, for me, isn’t just about trying to live as self-sufficiently as possible. It’s about exploring the countryside around us and seizing any opportunity to connect with the landscape. Although we moved here nearly three years ago, there is still so much countryside for us to discover. What with work, time spent doing up the house and the garden, and the restrictions of lockdown, we really haven’t had that much chance to explore, but we will. And we’ll definitely be heading back to the river sometime soon. (Although next time, apparently, we’re taking a canoe.)

Have a great week!