That night I went down to the river....

For the last few months, my biggest focus has been to fulfil my role as co-executor for my parents' estate. My 3 sisters and I have made numerous trips to Devon to empty the house and find as many good homes for as many of their possessions as possible. The task has seemed immense; both children during WW2, neither my mum nor my step dad threw anything away. From inherited pocket watches to a .22 starting pistol every room in their rambling devon cottage was crammed with stuff. But we did it and the house has been sold. But we were left with one thing we couldn't easily remove - a 400kg garden sculpture we gave mum for her birthday one year.

So my final trip to my parents old house was in a hired van to pick up this last memento. But, inspired by Alastair Humphreys idea of a microadventure I thought I would use the time to get in a quick wild swim and sleep under the stars.

So that's what I did. And it was fantastic. The weather was warm, the river and swim spot almost deserted and the stars shone bright. I even managed to spot a few shooting stars (which fill me with a childish joy every time I see them) and a Starlink satellite train. The icing on the cake was a truly breathtaking sunrise - an almost artificially pink sky above mist filled valleys.

As is my wont, I've tried to capture this in video. Apologies to the Boss for my butchering of one of the greatest songs ever written.

And after I packed up my bivvy bag and sleeping bag etc I was ready at 09.30 to get busy with the engine hoist and move an improbably heavy item. A macro task after a mini adventure. But the stone now sits in my garden. A suitable reminder of everything my mum believed in.