It’s been a funny old week. A few unrelated events have disturbed the intended plain sailing of the rewrite. And, yesterday was my birthday. A fun day spent at the local hospital in the morning, where two lovely ladies in their uniforms probed various orifices and inserted implements of torture in an attempt to resolve a minor medical mystery. Unresolved, I was provided with new pills and instructions and sent on my way. In a few months, I get to revisit the investigation. What fun!

From there, being in the city, which we visit as infrequently as possible, we shopped at the supermarket for a few essentials and some fuel for the car. Back home, I was disinclined to celebrate too frivolously, as parts of my anatomy were complaining following their earlier assault. No matter, I booked a table at a local eatery, up in the hills, for the evening. And we spent our afternoon locked to our individual keyboards.

The evening brought a climb through the woods, where we encountered a pair of fallow deer and stopped to enjoy the scenery under a bright evening sun. We enjoyed a fine meal, served with a bottle of fizz, and then walked the mile and half back home under a chill but clear sky, watching a large fox cross the road ahead and hearing a couple of local owls calling through the dusk.

As for the work in progress; it continues to go well, if rather more slowly than intended. As I write this, I have another 10 chapters to attack. These last will need most work, as it’s the denouement that I most want to change. But the other 34 chapters are looking good so far.

So, rather like last week, lots done and lots still to complete. But we’re getting there. More next week.