Judge's Score: 8.5 out of 10

British early winters may not be as cold or snowy but they can sure be muddy.  The frequent rains (substitute the word daily) saturate the soil and create conditions for mud wrestling, if one is so inclined.  Wellies are advisable for any walking where you will be leaving concrete or macadam surfaces.

Today Mike and I walked about a mile to a Tesco Supermarket to do our holiday shopping for goodies: both edible and drinkable.  We ended up filling two carts since we also shopped for replacements of items destroyed in our recent explosion.

Being relatively bright individuals, we decided not to trudge it all back to the boat.  Even with our push cart we would have both been lugging bags.  It didn't sound like fun.  So, we called a cab.  Because so many Britishers do not own cars, this is not an uncommon practice here.

Ten pounds sterling poorer, we and out bundles were dropped at the gate that led down to the canal path and from there to our boat.  Again, being smart cookies, we decided to have Mike go get the boat and bring it to the purchases instead of the other way around.

My job was to babysit our treasures and then hold the boat against the side of the canal once Mike returned and was loading the bags.  The babysitting I accomplished. The holding of the boat, not so much.

Here is where we get back to the mud.  I got the rope from Mike and was walking down the side of the boat to the middle so that I could pull it into shore and hold it there, and that is when it happened.
I hit a very slippery patch, my feet started to slide, my arms looked like inefficient windmills as I tried to regain my balance.  It was not to be.  I landed flat on my back in the mud, but still holding the rope.

My dad used to say I was so graceful that I could trip over the pattern in linoleum.  Ergo, I have had plenty of practice falling.  Hence, Mike gave me an 8.5 out of 10.  He said if I had added a complete turn I could have gotten the 10.  Oh well.

Aside from thoroughly muddy garments I shall probably also have a nice bruise where I landed, although I will never see it.  Another bit of comic relief I have added to the world. :)