I went mudding on December 28 because it was a beautiful day and I knew I wouldn't get another chance for some time to come. It was a bit too cold to dive in, head first, or to get completely immersed, for that matter. So, I put on some jeans and boots, grabbed my video camera, and went out to shoot a video of me, slogging around in the swamp. I took my canoe and I paddled a short distance to a spot I wanted to explore. I wasn’t really sure what hazards I would face, while exploring the terrain for the first time. The weather was just warm enough that I was able to keep warm, even when my legs were mostly submerged in the cold ground. I never got in over my thighs, which was a little disappointing. I was prepared to go deeper, although cleanup would have been a chilling experience. As it turned out, the video went well and I was in no hurry to return home.

I held this blog entry until I had finished editing and uploading the video. I’ve added a 13 minute version to my clip store, and I created a short version from the out-takes for the web-site. The web version isn’t a teaser for the clips4sale version because the two don’t share any footage. When I setup the camera to record, I have video of me walking away and coming back. If I’m editing something to flow like a story, I can only use the coming or the going part, not both.

Swamping Out-takes free clip