This afternoon I set out for a walk along the Thames Path, which — as you might guess – goes along the Thames River. The trail that leads there passes through a rather nice meadow (“Port Meadow”) just north of the Oxford train station:

You’ll have to pardon this photographer for favouring that distant horizon. It certainly does make a nice alternative to the usual view of late:

Anyhow, I picked up the trail just downstream of Bossoms Boatyard and the Medley Sailing Club. Not much activity there today, though I did notice some stirrings in the odd houseboat moored at the bank. There are many such boats along the river, and they seem to fall into two categories: you’ll see retirees quietly motoring down the river in their polished up vessels with cheerful (and forgettable) names, and you’ll see nondescript boats, more tarp than chrome, hunkered down along the bank.

The latter class may sport some flowerpots on the roof, and maybe a little pile of firewood (gathered from the nearby woods) stacked conveniently nearby. Or even a cow grazing in the field adjacent (see above, look closely). I guess the climate and facilities are such here that you could make a good go of living aboard year-round. Such an endeavour might be a little more difficult at home in Ottawa.

Pretty idyllic, I’d say! Further along I noticed this fellow (Grey Heron), just downstream of the Botley Road Bridge:

He caught up with me downstream, past the Osney Lock, on his way to a grassier hunting ground. I ended up leapfrogging with the green boat shown in the photo above (from the bridge) as well — I passed them as they were lock-bound, but they zipped by again just as I was heading north, into town again, and then on to home.