On Saturday both Miles and Fo had recovered from the illnesses of the week and because it was Miles' birthday weekend as we call it we had a nice 90 minute walk around Richmond in some pretty dismal weather redeemed only by the excellent company and the good laughs. Oh, the other bit of redemption was seeing my great Richmond friend Andy Lovell who I have known for nearly 40 years and the only reason that I don't see Andy often is he is a professional saxophone player working the cruise boats and pantomimes a job he has done since leaving music college in 1977. He is a really nice man , always my friend , absolutely brilliant parents and typical of what I call "Old Richmond" fair , wise , smart and downright canny in how he lives his life and treats others . It took me a while but I've become more like him over the years ! He is always pleased to see me and Fo and particularly the lads. I see his parents as well sometimes when we are walking and they are great people . After the walk we picked my Mum up and went off to Durham to munch our way through a Chinese Buffet at the Inshanghhai Restaurant and the lads really enjoyed themselves as did my Mum . After dropping Mum off the evening was rounded off with a two episodes of the New Shakespeare : Star Trek!

Today When I rousted Miles at 8am he didn't want to go skateboarding because he stayed up to late last night but 20 minutes later he had got himself up and was raring to go. Good doggy! He ripped more than Schwarzenegger on steroids at Rkade skatepark and I had a excitingly insightful read of my geology book as well . When we got back home it was straight out with the other two of my family for a 2 hour walk around a gloomy , cloudy Durham where it looked like the birds had stayed at home as well. Still, whilst approaching Framwellgate Bridge there was a fine mini flock of Long Tailed Tits high up in the bare beech trees and that was well worth getting out for a walk . Its always worth it there is always something interesting . We also noticed that a small landslip had been further eroded by the recent River flooding and it will be good looking at the progress of the erosion over the years. Tree are being stipped out now as well and some of them seem to be dumped on the weirs lower down. When we got home I knocked up the current family favorite of lamb meat balls tomato sauce spaghetti and garlic bread and there was impatient riling and dubious comments because I was taking care in how I served the food out as I always do . Hungry family members can be so undignified sometimes and I had to threaten them with phone calls to Daddyline and Husbandline as well as Witheredhandline if they didn't shut up. Umm withered hands seem to be getting some mentions in my musings this weekend . Well I love the old claw but when the medics give me a robotic hand eventually so I can play Chopin sonatas on a tuba underwater I will not miss the the little chappies absence! A good weekend but my ribs are hurting a bit with some of the over the top laughing . Oh well plenty of time to iron them out with loads of walking this week come rain or shine !