wetter than rain

The morning had began hunting a young wood and successfully gathering a kilo of fare truffle some large others medium, size telling us how the land had become so dry at the crucial time when the truffle where growing . Rupert had planted this wood perhaps 20 years ago and after a couple years I had persuaded him to thin the trees to increase the light for the truffle and also accidentally improving the enviroment for the remaining trees to flourish in .My host's where determined to show me with great a new wood they had discovered , As soon as I heard the word ancient sort of knew It was going to be fruitless for me but the sheer excitement in Rupert's eyes made it impossible not to join in the sheer enthusiasm of exploring a new piece of woodland always like a arriving in a foreign land .We followed Rupert along the narrow trail with large oak trees hedged on one side facing the the meadow and to the other beech rising up the steep bank 
I had come on another mission to harvest truffle for the dealer and this diversion I new was taking me out of my way from the plan but there was something about Rupert’s travel the pathway and no doubt we where falling into a story outside of a more expected mortal walk and whatever I was missing out  on my a-planned truffle harvest this might be more important felt like walking into time . As I now get older I have to plan my day and time so it all is possible .
When we arrived or I felt we had gone far enough into this banked great wood with old coppiced beeches high on the bank and down below where the bank turns to clay and kisses  the meadow great oaks' before the rolling tall stalky grassed meadow with snake like cold stream deep and full swirling around trapped in its cliffy banks . That was where the path lay ; yes probally deer the odd keeper but no from many years ago a well trodden path to some great place or moon worship . Still Rupert wanted to keep ongoing and the rain thunder and lightning  drenched us there is only so long you can stand sheltering under those great barked trees where river foem between the branches leaves are forgorren and its not a shower to romantically shelter from but a river upon your head then the cold starats to set in  and you need snap out of the trance and get home . Even as I child it was alwys my toes inside welllington boats that woulf go numb. 
 Today that  was my car I did not realise how wet and cold I had managed to get until  I realised part of my left arm had gone to sleep . 
I striped off all the wet cloths beside the bales of  straw found some dry ones in my car ruck sacks  at last today I needed all those spares forever on the back seat never used 

After a lot of Tea onion and cheese and the car heater I was back outside of to wood we know had in the past given us many truffle there is something about being two expectant with the truffle and it just vanishes and sure enough I struggled to half fill my shoulder bag  I had come so far 5 hours sitting in a car. This was the start of a new project where the landowner does bot need to pay me and my wages are paid by the truffle dealer and also the profit from the sale of the truffle shared with the farmer .
I decided to walk across the turnips back to the wood we had all began in that morning when all three of us hunted 
A snipe took up and tobacco was so excited then A hare   The hunting wind and rain turned the field into sea with the great flat green water blue laden leaves dripping like honey  and took the puppy tobacco  back home to his  his true talent as a water  dog hunting water fowl on those massive inlad waterways where Bologna leads you to Ravenna  
The wood now ahead on the horizon that you could almost see the truffle sitting h in the high branches 
Once your in that perfume world dog and man seem to develop a unique sense of tracking but as I got closer I realised it was the wrong wood great for me to dig truffle but belonged to the neighbouring farmer I was tired and yes needed more truffle to pay for my day half of me could almost stretch to the very tree they would be under and if the keeper met originally  I could honestly said hand on heart I very sorry I have walked into the wrong wood Now I new it was not my hunting ground and I must return to the car strip of all the wet cloths again drive the truffle maybe 1.5 kilo to the dealer and then home I did feel a sense of failure but now home so glad the day worked as I did the magic of my walk following the farmer his wife behind and Valentino on the wooded path where I knew there would be no truffle but another fruit of great richness fell into our pockets