Grahame’s Dream Days are more evidence of his affinity for boats and picnics.
Before Ratty’s picnic in Wind in the Willows, Grahame relates a pleasant dream about boating on a river in an Arcadian world. “I just go. But generally, it begins by–well, you’re going up a broad, clear river in a sort of a boat. You’re not rowing or anything–you’re just moving along. And there’s beautiful grass meadows on both sides, and the river is very full, quite up to the level of the grass. And you glide along by the edge. And the people are haymaking there, and playing games, and walking about; and they shout to you, and you shout back to them, and they bring you things to eat out of their baskets, and let you drink out of their bottles.”
See Grahame, Kenneth. “Mutabile Semper.” In Dream Days. London, 1898.