It’s now Thursday at 4pm. An odd few days. I was laid aside by a bad cold / sinus infection for a couple of days, and others did their own thing, which as far as I can make out was mostly shopping or eating. As I came round groggily, full of Benedryl and antibiotics, Dot went down with a cold. Since she is more resilient than me, she kept going, and last night we drove to the Mucky Duck for a meal. Normally this would be a ridiculous thing to do, since it is only a couple of hundred yards away, but the weather was so bad – cold and windy – that we bet on few people being about and the car park having vacancies. Both proved true, and they also started serving early. Had a grouper with some french sauce, preceded by nice little salad. Too much wine, unfortunately, which made my battered head swim. Still, we sat through two films: the appalling Cape of Good Hope and the rather good Definitely, Maybe. Earlier, somewhere in the mists of time, we saw Gran Torino, which was excellent. I also bought Randy Wayne White’s latest two Florida thrillers, which I’m looking forward to reading.

Today it emerged that both Roger and Barbara are going down with colds. As I write Barb is lying on the sofa, flaked out and coughing intermittently. Roger has a sore throat. Am I to blame for all this, gentlemen of the jury? Yes, probably; definitely; maybe. Despite our various states of health we drove up for breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe, which is rather like driving from Norwich to Blakeney for breakfast – about 45 minutes each way. Still they do a delicious breakfast: my first time this year – everyone else had already been twice. Afterwards we got gas and various drugstore items, then called in at a very large house on Captiva Road that had an Open Day (it was for sale: $4.5 million). Pretty impressive. I think I could stand living there.

Dot and I walked up to the post office to send postcards, and on the way back Dot purchased shorts and trousers. It is bitterly cold, with the wind biting and everyone saying Florida is never, ever like this. The beach is impossible, so we tried the dock, but it was really too cold there too. Apparently even the manatee have moved elsewhere, though the pelicans persist. Really graceful birds in flight – breathtaking because it’s so unexpected.