Piloting

As has now developed into an annual tradition, I spent the day with my great friends Derek and Rita, and had a brilliant time. We were joined by D&R's daughter, her husband and their two children. The kids kept us amused introducing us to their Christmas presents and adding new ones to their pile. This was Adam, getting to know the remote-control helicopter I got him. He quickly mastered the tricky art of helicopter flying and had us mesmerised with his skill. Meanwhile, Sophie came to grips with her new bike and kept us amused with her crowd-pleasing antics. All great fun.

We three sat down to glorious food after the others left and things quietened down (thanks for the great feed, Rita). After that it was time to settle down and watch The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe in all its BluRay magnificence. A really fab day, made all the better by the improvement in the weather which meant the roads weren't as treacherous as they had been.

Back home, I popped next door to spend some time with my next-door neighbour Susan, rounding off these hectic few recent days. A long lazy day is on the cards for tomorrow.