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!