River Thames, from 452 bus on Chelsea Bridge, 13th October 2008

This yellow balloon was sitting high in the water, and remained pretty static on the surface on a pleasant autumn morning. The tide would have been racing in at this time, two hours after low water, but it didn't seem to move. I ruled out it being a ball as it wasn't quite round, although I did wonder if it could have been a buoy. But I cross this stretch of river every day and have never seen any buoys there, nor was it being obviously tugged as one would expect if it had been moored. Maybe London's ubiquitous westerlies were counteracting the tide and keeping it in place?

Whatever the case, it was dark when the same bus brought me southwards and home, and although I scrutinised the dark yet reflection-lit water for any sign of it, there was none. If it's there when I cross tomorrow morning, or I spy a host of bright buoys on every subsequent crossing, this entry will be short-lived. But it looked like a balloon to me.