Ribeye and rest

Wake early, around six fifteen, to a fine morning. The sun hasn't risen yet as I make my way into the kitchen and put the kettle on for coffee. Norman is still asleep, snoring gently in his basket, as I gather him in my arms and gently wake him. When he comes round, I open the garden room patio doors and eventually persuade him to toddle down the path to toilet. I slept OK after my fast, but had to get up and get a winter duvet as it is turning cold. Surprisingly I don't feel particularly hungry this morning, just very calm, as if my body has found a lower state of energy balance. Norman runs into the kitchen when he smells the bacon frying. We have our routine of both eating together, I cut up half a sausage, a rasher of streaky bacon and a slice of black pudding and put it in his bowl to cool whilst I fry an egg. When my breakfast is ready, we both eat together and I usually save him a bit of my egg as well. After breakfast I take my coffee into the breakfast room and read the Guardian on my iPad before showering, dressing and driving to Cherry to collect Dolly and Teddy. They are in a high state of excitement, not having seen us for ten days, and scamper to the car, jump in, and then fuss over Norman. We park at our usual place down Newbald Road and are soon walking through the woods, Teddy and Norman off the lead and Dolly impatient for her turn. I am dressed in shorts and sandals, but wearing a sweater, which is prudent because there is chill in the strong Northeasterly breeze. As we emerge onto the common, a solitary swallow is hunting close to the ground, perhaps one of the last yet to migrate. Teddy comes back to the lead and Dolly is released, she sets off like a greyhound out of the traps, and sprints in a circle before reversing her direction and then wriggling on her back, before shooting off again. She comes back as we arrive at Black Mill, our appointed meeting place, and we walk down the hill to the car. On our way back to Cherry we call at the farm shop at Walkington Manor where I buy a dozen giant eggs, some carrots and a small swede. At Two Riggs, the lawns are a little overgrown, but first I need to put some fuel in the mower, but can't find the petrol can. I asked Andrew to fill it up for me, so perhaps it may still be in Pip's car, but when I check it isn't there. I text Andrew, without success, and nothing else for it decide to prune instead. The back garden is sheltered, so it's pleasantly warm working in the sun, and I spend an hour or so cutting back the ivy around the kitchen and then pruning the first of the bushes, a large Wiglea, before tidying up and taking Normy back to Tickton. Once home, I collect my swimming gear and head to the Leisure centre for a quarter to one. The pool is very quiet and so I have the luxury of a free lane. Not having been in the water for ten days, I warm up slowly on 400m backstroke, but have to keep stopping every couple of lengths because my goggles are leaking, eventually the problem is sorted and I finish the warm up feeling relaxed and smooth. Do two further 400's on breaststroke and freestyle before switching to 4 x 100m individual medley. I swim these trying to keep the stroke even and smooth across all four strokes, then gradually increase the power on each subsequent repeat, until by the final medley, I am within twenty percent of full race pace. Then warm down with 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. The cafe is dead as well, so I only stop for a tea and then head for the supermarket to do some shopping. As well as buying sausage and streaky bacon, they have Clonakilty, Irish black pudding on sale for a pound. It is wonderfully herby, and grainy with small seeds and barley in its texture. So one goes in my basket and is soon followed by a large ribeye steak and bottle of red wine. I get in around a quarter to four, And make dinner, ribeye steak, fried onions, tossed salad and chips. Once the scent of the cooking meat leaves the kitchen, Norman arrives to oversee the production. There isn't much fat or gristle on the steak for him, so I cut off a little piece and then chop it up small for him, and leave it to cool, whilst I get my chips out of the oven and dish out the salad. Norman finishes his in less than a minute and then sits looking at me longingly with his paw raised. The steak is very good and the Temperanillo wine equally good, but I eat slowly, so Normy has to wait a while before being allowed to clean my plate. After dinner, I take my coffee into the Garden Room and check my email, Jackie has posted some nice pictures of our holiday on Facebook, that I am tagged on, but apart from that, it's the usual spam. I feel quite sleepy and check the wine as I give Normy his tin, it's fourteen percent and I have drunk half a bottle! It's time for his evening walk and we make our way down Carr Lane as far as the little wooden bridge. When we arrive another chap in shorts is staring into the water and then I see why, his cairn terrier is having a paddle. We agree that there aren't likely to be too many short wearing days left in the year and then walk back down the lane again. Norman runs ahead, stopping every now and then for his praise and pat. We get in for half past six and I decide to lie down for an hour, close my eyes and wake again at ten. Get up, put my pyjamas on and then go back to bed. Whether it is the steak, the wine, the exercise or fasting, my body is telling me it needs the rest.