A Slog Through the Muck to the Dog & Duck

The weather here is so changeable. On Friday morning, we woke to sunshine (it gets light around 6:00 AM) and went into Henley for a workout at the gym. Our muscles seem to be getting accustomed to the new regimen. Upon returning home, we decided to walk to a new pub--but the weather decided otherwise. First we saw very dark clouds, then thunder and lightning. That was followed by hail, then rain, then hail mixed with rain. Finally, after a few minutes of that, the sun returned and alternated with overcast the rest of the day. At first, we thought the walk would be canceled, but we decided to try it anyway. The path to the pub is through woods the entire way. At this time of year, everything is still brown and barren, but we can see the buds coming out and these woods will be spectacular in another month. The path was muddy, and rutted since we had been preceded by horses, hikers and cyclists. After slogging along for about a mile, we arrived at The Dog & Duck. This pub is obviously very old, consisting of a bar and several dining rooms, all with very low ceilings. The ambiance was nice and cozy and the food was good. We need to be careful of these pub lunches or our weight will get out of hand. The walk home was another slog through the mud and we only made one wrong turn. We did see a small herd of deer running through the woods. We didn't get a good look at them, but they seemed to be gray with black and white tails.