Glorious May day. Swallows wheeling. Cow parsley lacing the coastal path. Shades of green everywhere.

Important guest joining for the walk. Off to a good start. Engaging, strategic conversation. Then…disaster struck. The path ended in front of a minor rivulet. We scrambled down. Started crossing. Too late, we realized, the mud was deep. The kind of deep where you put your foot down, and your shoe stays buried 6 inches down, while your foot comes out. The kind of deep where you need to keep moving, but wonder whether it will be even softer ahead.

Reached the other bank, both of us a very different colour from 20 minutes earlier. Only to find another creek needed crossing. And so on. Eventually we escaped. My guest took it all in astonishingly good humour. A cup of tea restored our strength, and the walk and chat continued as before. All ended well.

Minor mishaps don’t end good relationships. And can make the experience more memorable…