Ratty

As soon as I saw this water vole’s little face the world of The Wind In The Willows came flooding back. I loved Mole, Ratty, Mr Toad and Badger. At senior school I was in a production of Toad Of Toad Hall, playing the part of a ferret. I remember being mortified when the photographs were displayed as my developing breasts could be seen, hitched very high, under my grey blanket costume.

I’m with Ratty, we have done a lot of sailing as a family. “`Nice? It's the ONLY thing,' said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----'
`Look ahead, Rat!' cried the Mole suddenly.
It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in the air.
`--about in boats--or WITH boats,' the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. `In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not.“

I’ve got a fair bit in common with Mr. Toad too. “When I'm messing around in cars, the world is apple pie. When I'm messing around in cars, I'm quite another guy. When I'm messing around in cars, when I'm messing around in cars, I'm in the stars when I'm messing around... around in caaaaaars! Ho-ho, let's go!”

The water vole is the UK’s fastest declining mammal so it was lovely to see one at Rye Meads RSPB reserve this afternoon.