Well no Whitby today. To wet. Little to see. So to Inshanghai Restaurant in Durham City  we trotted to from a wet Shincliffe. River Wear at dusk dark swirling rising rain swollen torrent. Birds singing though. Popped into Cathedral for that feeling of the spirit. Choir singing . Beautiful. Tummies also making noise . To Restaurant through dark woods we went . Tummies topped up. Even darker riverside walk to Prebend Bridge . Missed seeing International Space Station . Looking up not good idea when riverside walking in the dark. Laughter . But no splashes! Owls hooting we're tootling . Another wholesome night with the S-Ps.

Sunlit strewn winter sky drew me and the Goodwife Fiona to Saltholme RSPB . Grey fluff cloud on arrival. Rain threatening. Breezy cold wind sweeping across dozens of Shovellers on lake. Broad spade like beak for shovelling! Canada and Barnacle Geese flocked on meadows. Lapwings and Golden Plovers viewed through Wardens scope. Magic detail. Oil tanker creeping down Tees. Top deck floating across the ground. Eerie! Birdwatchers well wrapped  against stiffening wind. Pure White Little Egret airily moving from place to place feeding.  In its element. Saltholme salt-marsh magic again!

 Magical Durham River Wear walk with Fiona in fine fettle. Mysterious ripple in River. Not Little Grebe or Goosander. Ripple to big and in wrong place. Ripple appears again 10 m away in pile of logs. Either large salmon or otter. Suddenly head big tail and whiskers appear for two seconds to look at us. Otter. String of bubbles behind it as it dives. Magic. 14 years of walking that riverbank and first Otter. Spruced up excited walk after this. Do we ever stop chatting these days!? Warm day but wintry sky. Fiona ill yesterday with sinusitis but better today. Sign of general improving health. Fiona fine fettle female!

Teesside Saltholme RSPB sojourn today. Wildlife saltmarsh eye in industrial storm of machine making and chemical brews necessary for our lives. Fiona fine fettle lady by my side. First encounter with a Merlin hunting low and deadly. Wonderful. Next up and over  Redshanks and Pintails . Thousands of roosting Lapwings and Golden Plovers down from freezing hills for winter estuary life. Spooked by Merlin so rising up in bird clouds and then down to perching safety only to rise again . Merlin in sky. Foxes on ground!  Clouds crowding to grey on cold South East wind moving West threatening rain. Cumulus to Stratoculmulus to pannus confusion . No rain! Waxwings searched for.  Not found. No visit to Teesside yet according to local birdwatching old guy. Hull yes. Teesside no. Berries not good enough?! Miles trod and cold felt .Coffee and muffin feast at cafe. We experience a lot but make do with little. Parsimony favourite lifestyle flavoured with fun and love . Friends family  nature technology and love of God fulfill my life .

Gorgeous walk this afternoon under blue jet contrail filled sky of herringbone clouds. Durham Woods leafy golden decay beautiful. River Wear a brown mystery under winter low angled light. Rugby and lacrosse students full of expertise and energy indicating a hopeful future for all. Two Little Grebes ducking and diving for afternoon tea. Racing Mountain Bikers streaking around course set on cricket ground. Muddy amazing fun! Elvet Bridge full of people anticipating Luminaire light show. Prebend Bridge canyoned by orange and brown clothed trees. Lights for light show dappled through them. Framwellgate Bridge lit up and lovely in descending sun. Telephone box aquarium in Market Square illuminated and full of fish. Kiddie crowds surrounding. Biscuit break of happy views and increasing people smilingly anticipating Luminaire Light Show. Walk back to Shincliffe darkening clouds crossing sun revealing trees slumbering. Another beautiful afternoon foot fall with Fiona and Miles. Great feelings of love for family, life enhancing friends, cheerful Middle East and Far East old  friends and the world's peoples.

Autumnal Durham walk yesterday, autumnal York trek today .  Leafy light angled dappled patchy leaf colours everywhere. Delayed autumn excellent! City walls walked airily then Lendal Bridge traffic free . God bless York City Council. Pastys  perfect but lept on by pigeon before I finished. First-time mugged by pigeon for pasty. Revenge of the birds? Onto Bells for cappuccino coffee and romantic gazing with Fiona. Attempts at romance always lead to giggles!  Minster quiet. Sunlight streaming stained-glass dreaming Christian hope, God's hope, all of our hopes. Prayer chapel prayers for friends past and present. 80s girlfriend Toni Bunell and new husband Paul met in Minster Gardens. Hedgehogs just been fed. Go Hedgehog Lady Toni! Foss Islands road trek to Angie. Angie in and the sun shines brighter. Beautiful lady and life enhancing. Sent us off with Chilli Jam and more. I am unashamedly into cupboard love and the real thing ! Dark evening walk eventually crossing multicoloured lit  Millennium Bridge spanning gliding Ouse. Beautiful afternoon stroll.

Yorky Walky day .Around 7 miles. Low winter light showing Cathedral City at its best. People packed everywhere. Minster quiet. Prelude to illuminations evening. Candles in the aisles apparently! Prayers in prayer chapel for those here and those gone. Wandered over to university. Leafy trek very nice. Duckless lake had me wondering: "Where have they all gone!". Crispy duck crepe stall at Food Fair in Parliament Street had me wondering even more! Crash out on millennium Bridge. 20 mile an hour wind blowing up river and across my back cooled me down nicely. Rowntrees Park autumn multicoloured leaf heaven. Happy kids throwing themselves around skate park. Family thoughts and love for beloved wife very strong. Her love for me not strong enough to tear herself away from the garden today though! Great walk!