I had a wonderful day yesterday walking around Whitby Beach and Town with Fiona. First up was a seal resting on the beach halfway between Sandsend and Whitby . People were concerned but it was just ttryint to have a sleep. When we got back to the same spot 5 hours later it was gone and I don't think the seagulls ate it ! The harbour area was  slow and late winter feeling and not too cold. Coffee and Cake at Marie Antoinette's was great and we sat outside ooing and aaing over the great Double Chocolate Brownies cheesecake we were munching We walked on the East Beach to spot fossils , birds and cliff erosion .  There weren't many birds around even though it was a falling tide. After going up Whitby steps on the way down we met Julia and Roger Pattison who we knew when we lived in Stamford Bridge in East Yorkshire . We hadn't seen them for 20 years . It was nice to be in touch with them again and we are going to stay in touch through Facebook. A second cup of coffee was due so we had this at the Full of Beans coffee stall and the great Mr Black Belt Karate, Mr Dan Howard was in charge . He's a smashing  young man who we know through RKade Skatepark in Redcar where he skateboarded . A great conversation . Listening to Joan Baez warble Bob Dylan songs on the way back home was great  but best of all when we got back was that Miles has got a Teacher Training interview at Sunderland Uni . He's been blown off by Durham Uni and Carmel College so third time lucky we hope . Go for it Miles. To end the day we watched part two of the BBC Alaska three part series which was  about the Alaskan Summer . Wonderful and a great end to a wonderful day . We are going up into the Fells of Swaledale next week and Fiona is back legging it again! Hiking ladies rule!

I just had a cracking afternoon out with Fiona and Clifford around the Durham Woods and Durham City . Warm wandering clouds floated over all the boys and girls rowing their arms off on the River Wear Regatta. Nice . The town was busy but not so busy that Clifford and Fiona got their hot chocolates swiftly and with satisfaction . The mellow winter Pennine lowland atmosphere was all over the peoples faces and in Durham Cathedral the choristers were warbling their warbles beautifully around the Upper Carboniferous Westphalian sandstone blocks which reflect the sounds wonderfully . We trundled down a quiet A1 on the way back into a stunning Altostratus Cloud sunset with the golden yellow egg yolk sun descending and impressing joyfully . Brill . Well, the Venison Meatballs are simmering in the Tomato sauce and we are about to watch the Danny Boyle film " Sunshine " which is a bit different from his film "Trainspotting" which we watched last night . I'm shot through with that warm connected feeling again and a big love to my family , friends and all humanity .

A brill day put has been had with the Goodwife Fiona. We trucked off to Saltholme RSPB reserve on Teesside to gaze at da birds and ducks and gaze we did . The highlights were seeing a Snow Bunting for the first time , 3 egrets and amazingly a beautiful Fox right in front of the Saltholme Center munching away on all the fallen birdseed. It was cold with a big C but Fiona was suitably engulfed in the remains of some animal around her head and several layers around the rest of her . After the Birding and freezing bit we went to Redcar to do more er............Birding and freezing and were rewarded by seeing around 50 Common Scoters floating raft like on the sea. After pondering why they always went to the same place the thought leapt into the remaining mental space I've got , not much , that they are diving ducks and where they were floating is above the reefs which are the habitat for the food they eat namely Sea Urchins , small crabs , mussels and such organisms . Totally brilliant . Our plan to gawp at the fossilised 200 million year old Jurassic shelly beds didn't work out 'cos the tide was in and they were underwater . A cracking day with a cracking lady !