This shot shows the far bank in a bit more detail. There are successive layers of mud in the bank, both in the lower portion and the grassy upper area. I had an idea how the thing would look when the tide came in, and took this as a 'before'. Incidentally, I should note that this stuff interests me. I took a lot of geomorphology (the study of changes to the Earth's surface) in University, which meant slogging around in muddy areas. Before that, I'd spent endless hours in sandboxes at various gliding clubs playing with water from a hose, watching the way the river would take shape. I've always been the sort to dig trenches if I come across a stream crossing a beach, too.