Hi everyone,

It's been a quiet but very social Sunday.

The day got away to a good start: I woke about 7am and decided to go for a run.  I wasn't sure how far I'd go - I had a vague notion of going as far as the war memorial in town and back, which is about 5 miles.  It was a great morning to be running, with the air cold and the road quiet, and the pine smoke of people's household fires in the air and a pink-orange sun coming up over the bay.  Really nice!  It was a more challenging run I should say - even though the distance itself was no great challenge, this is much more undulating than I usually run on.  I must say, something I've noticed with running is that you get a whole new feel for topography.  Country that seems flat when you're walking or driving, you suddenly realise, has a whole lot of up- and down-ward slopes you don't usually notice!  It was, as I say though, a great morning run and I felt terrific when I got back.  Even being caught in a shower of rain just made me feel alive.  And there was also a slightly postmodern feel to it too: running through my picture perfect home town - now utterly devoted to the trendy weekender (what else can you say about a place where the takeaway is now called the "Downwards Dog Pizza Place"?) - but with Smashing Pumpkins' hymn to urban decay, "1979", playing on the iPod.  I'm sure I'm meant to draw a lesson from that, but I'm not sure what it is.

This, by the way, is the war memorial in my town -



There's been so much rain here lately that Dad was deeply reluctant to do anything involving machinery for fear of churning the place into mud, so a large whack of the day was spent indoors.  Daryl - a good friend of ours who used to live around here - came over and had a cup of tea and a long and pleasant yarn.  After lunch, Jennie and JP came down as well and it was great to catch up with them too - they're both doing well and it's a joy to see them.  Adn through the afternoon, a couple of the older cousins also came over to catch up (more coffee, more afternoon tea), so I'm surely feeling well caught up with the tribe.  Although, the combined effects of a cold outside and a warm house had JP drowsing off on the sofa!

Dinner was lamb forequarter, potatoes, carrots and beans, and delicious chocolate puddings made by Jennie - she and JP stayed for dinner before heading back for the city.  A little TV with Mum and Dad before turning in, whence I'm typing this email.  Parents are good, although Mum seems - how can I put this? - inventively negative.  It's as if everything was a slight complaint, about police, or the local council, or a story on the news, or an ad on TV.  Not whiny, but more shrewdly discontented, as if a wet blanket were soaked, not with water but with vodka and lemon juice.  Probably just a mood, I know, but I do worry about her and Dad a bit.  They're not young, and I worry about them not being happy.  I think Dad always seems to look forward to each new day, but I'm not sure what Mum looks forward to.  Hmm.

OK, I guess that's it for tonight.  Hope all's well with you guys too.

See you tomorrow.