A second 50th

Hot on the heels of my 50th, I headed up to Manchester to see a friend who, obviously, is just a little younger than myself celebrate her 50th. I have to say, I did have the bigger cake! And in a reversal of the normal pattern, we seem to be in a phase of nice fine weekends followed by grotty Mondays, so it was fine weather for her.

I stayed with friends in Cheshire who had come down to help me with my party. And they have a new addition to their household: a kitten. Quite an amusing little thing who clearly likes attention.

Sunday morning my mate and I took his lad to his sailing club. Now, every silver-lining has a dark cloud I say. Although a foggy start, it did clear up to be a fine sunny day, fine sunny STILL day. A lack of biting wind on an autumn day would normally suit everyone, unless you are trying to sail a small boat. There was truly not a breath of wind, not enough to rustle a leaf. Quite amusing to see kids doing breastroke on a boat. Well it was the fastest way of propelling them in the circumstances. But a bit over the top as a floatation device. Still, if God had meant people to sail he wouldn't have invented the outboard motor would he?

We passed the lad onto his mother to ferry him onwards to Manchester to sing in the Halle choir, while my mate and I settled down for a late lunch in a country pub, followed by a walk in local woodland. We saw a tree-creeper and a greater-spotted woodpecker (as one might expect of out walking with a bird-watcher), as well as taking in the local sculpture. I rather like this thing. Very Lord of the Rings.