Andrea had a new pair of riding boots that she needed to break-in; a nice walk in the Spring countryside should do that perfectly. The weather forecast was for sunny intervals with high clouds, but also with the risk of occasional cloudbursts, so she put her long waterproof Mackintosh riding coat over her fleece and jodhpurs. Across the fields and into the woods, she splashed in a small stream and stomped through a boggy area of reeds. Her coat kept her clean and dry, even as she lay back in the sunshine on the muddy ground. Being Andrea though, she was of course unable to resist sinking her knees and bum into the warm mud. With jodhpurs and coat covered in mud, she waded into the adjacent pond and rinsed off. Her new boots were completely full of pond water and Andrea realised that this was perfect for softening the leather, so she extended her walk to include the section down by the river. By the time she got there her jods were almost dry and her coat looked like she’d been caught in a rain shower. Only the squelches from her boots hinted at what had really happened a few minutes earlier. The river water was clear and reasonably warm as she waded deeper and deeper. She floated on her back and swam in the deep water with her unzipped coat billowing around her. Tired and happy she headed back to the car, soaking wet, squelching and dripping. “You did well to miss that downpour” she commented to the lone dog-walker she passed on the way back.