Day of long walks investigating Paxton and Diddington pits and disagreements with Diana before tending my ducks and bonfire and resting this evening

Awake late after a heavy night’s sleep and Diana disappointed at my inability to serve her coffee in bed as I pledged on Friday – but she is already up of course. Down to a fine cooked breakfast of fried egg, bacon, mushrooms and bread and, after a quick wash and shave, out to let the ducks out of ‘duck city’. I decided that the space near the duck hutch needed cleaning up and so I created two areas for decompostable materials and rubbish for burning.

A long job but worthwhile. After a lunch of dry pork and overdone Brussels sprouts I went out to have a very smoky bonfire – the old conifer branches fallen from the gales still being fairly green. Most of the afternoon tending the fire before I set off for a long walk to Diddington via the gravel pits, the field paths and scattered woods. I heard several guns abroad and saw plenty of rabbits and was mostly impressed with the wide open fields and spaces far from habitation of humans. At Diddington back alongside the A1 dual carriageway and the deafening roar of motorists and lorries. I turned off the main path and walked alongside the newly planted woods screening the open gravel workings from the road. Eventually back to Little Paxton very weary and even more unpopular with Diana for being late for tea. An evening of television, rest, a bath and a little time to write and read before retiring to bed.