Today we are going out on our boat with a couple of our neighbours. They have been consistently generous towards us from the moment that I purchased the cottage (as a renovation project) back in 2011, arranging for me to borrow a cement mixer from a local builder (free of charge) and offering the loan of tools and equipment should I need them. These days we are likely to be ushered into their kitchen and given copious quantities of red wine. Suffice to say, its payback time (in a very small way).
My wife makes sandwiches and bakes a cake to take with us, and we leave Southrepps for Wayford Bridge (where our boat is moored) at lunchtime.
Its a beautiful warm and sunny day – perfect for being out on the river. We cruise down to Barton Turf where we moor up and consume afternoon tea, washed down with copious quantities of Prosecco (provided by our guests).
A slow cruise back up the River Ant ends our afternoon trip, and we are back home again before the light goes and it starts to get chilly.
My symptoms have been reasonably well under control of late, the only outward signs of my condition today have been some mild tremor in my legs, and a voice that has occasionally deserted me.