By day

This is the view I woke to. Not too bad!

This course is being run by the Mellstock band whose expertise is Thomas Hardy's Wessex. So the music-making today was mostly dance tunes and West Gallery singing. I asked the the band's fiddler to tell me anything she spotted in my playing that made her cringe. She did. No great surprise but very useful.

This afternoon, a tradition slightly too far for me: between the hailstorms we wassailed round an apple tree to encourage it to produce a good crop next year. I do hope that my scepticism doesn't inhibit it.

Opposite me at one of our meals was someone who used to live round the corner from me and who, though we hadn't met before, knows several neighbours I know. He is a few years ahead of me on the particular path I am walking at the moment and was enormously helpful. Serendipity.

We were treated to the band's Christmas show this evening. It was good to see how very much better they are than the rest of us.