...into the ditch

It was raining by 4:00 p.m. yesterday but I had to take Callie out anyway. So about 5:00, off we went. I put on my waterproof gardening shoes and my fleece jacket with a rain parka over that. It was rain that was falling, but not a warm rain.

Can you see Callie running through the big puddle?
We walked down the hill out back, turning right at the rear gate toward the northside vineyard. and then we walked east along the first row of vines. Water was already standing in puddles along the rows. Maybe the ground was still frozen so that the rainwater couldn't soak in. There was still some ice and snow in very shaded spots.

We passed behind Monsieur Heim's house. He's the man who is 96 years old and whose wife died last summer — the one the neighbors used to call Le Parisien. Then we turned through some woods, heading along a path out toward the paved road.

January sunrise
At the end of the path through the woods, you come to a place where there's a kind of tractor crossing over the ditch that runs along the Rue de la Renaudière. It's kind of steep at that point. That's my excuse. Anyway, somehow my shoe slipped out from under me, and I went crashing down. I don't know if I slipped on ice or just on mud.

Callie must have wondered what I in the world was doing. When I landed, my hand was down in the ditch, right at the edge of the overpass, next to the culvert. At least I didn't fall squarely face-first. Callie laughed — I swear she did. And there I was, lying on the wet ground with my arm stuck down into the ditch as my only support. It was muddy at the bottom of the ditch, of course. It wasn't easy to get up. At first I thought I might have to call for help, Callie being useless in such situations.

At least only Callie saw me. I do have my dignity.

Red sky at morning...
I guess it served me right after my unkind remarks about the dog's feet slipping out from under her out in the snow on the gravel road the other day. I managed to hoist my weight up out of the ditch and off the wet ground. I was dirty, my pride was hurt, but otherwise I was uninjured. I trudged home, shoulders hunched over and one very muddy hand hanging loosely at my side.

Now here I am contemplating the next walk, as soon as the sun comes up. Wish me luck.