The end of a perfect day...

For once the sun shone - its been in very short supply so far this year. I had an early appointment at the opticians, as I've been struggling a bit with focussing on the computer screen - the penalty of being a certain age! It was confirmed that my prescription has changed, so I'll be getting some new glasses in a fortnight (and a free pair of prescription sunglasses). I usually take a family member for advice on styles, but this time a really lovely assistant helped me choose.

When I got back Chris was keen to go out for a walk, as he's just finished the second draftof his dissertation and needed a break. Although he's been home for a long time, the weather and social commitments mean we've had very few days out. We pondered going to the coast but decided it was just a bit too far, so settled on a trip to Little Paxton Pits and Grafham Water to do some birdwatching.

The sunshine was almost warm as we walked around, but unfortunately the birds were a bit sparse. In the end we saw quite a good range of species, the highlight of which were a group of goosander and several goldeneye. Both were photographed, but they were really too distant to make quality images. The cormorants and herons were both showing signs of breeding behaviour. One heron was collecting sticks, and the male cormorants seem to be involved in a particularly splashy form of display.

As we drove back the sun was gradually sinking lower in the sky, and we nipped into Ferry Meadows to catch the sunset - a real wintry sky heralding the change to much colder, more settled weather over the next few days.

After collecting Alex from the station, Pete and I cooked a special farewell meal for Chris, who's off on Saturday, but eating elsewhere for the next two night. I made pork vindaloo (with fresh ground spices) and chicken korma, while Pete prepared a stunning array of vegetable dishes - baby aubergines, chickpea and potato curry, cauliflower with mustard seeds, fried okra, cucumber raita and a gentle rice pilaf. We ate rather late, but it was a truly memorable feast. Now it's back to basics for the rest of January!