My wellies have three little slits which must have been cut by sharp ice in some of the deep puddles in the fields, so I was reluctant to walk along this track.  During the last couple of days the snow has been melting and in places the roads are like streams with water spouting from the verges. Although the hard packed snow on the road outside is still very icy in spite of the steady thaw the country roads were fine. A couple of deer watched from the wood but were too fast for my camera and a poor badger seemed to have met its end.  Now I need to find some new boots but am very reluctant to buy them online without trying them on.