With a north-easterly wind blowing some remaining winter breeze pushing along the winter white puffy clouds, myself and the family had a nice walk around the languid and quiet Durham City which for the next two weeks has no students. We saw very few birds because of the breeding season so we had several stops sniffing at blossom to see what they smelt like. There was a lot of humour amongst us today not least because Fiona is feeling a lot better and it was good to see that healthy glow back in her face at the end of the walk rather than the very drained look she has had for the last several months.

I sit here writing this, or should I say speaking it in with my voice recognition, having just listened to "Songs of Leonard Cohen" cuddled up with my lovely wife, the lads are playing games on their computers and the meatballs, tomato sauce and pasta conchos are progressing to that eventual deliciousness which I manage to squeeze out of them on a weekly basis. I have spent the last 30 years of my life trying to improve my brain and my wisdom and the two best products of that have been becoming a good cook but best of all a wise and loving husband and father.

A smashing day and really nice to have my beloved wife on the footpath back to good health. Pretty soon we will be treading many footpaths!