Cute as you like

Our hosts were off this morning on an anniversary trip, and we were due at a combined first birthday party and housewarming. The party was conveniently near the Barnes Wetland Centre where we had a happy (despite the sharp wind) few hours wandering amongst the ducks. These cuties are a couple of Hawaian Goslings (also known as Nenes) caught in a rare moment away from their violently protective parents. Mind you, I can hardly blame them as they have the dubious honour of being the rarest geese in the world.

Cute as they were, they couldn't match my sweet godson Will who, despite having just turned one, was already marching round the house as though no stairgate could contain him (though going downstairs still involves more falling than stepping). For us it was a lovely chance to catch up with a whole host of folk who had come to wish him well, including a blipper recently returned from Australia.

And so the afternoon, via some lovely fizz, the Grand National, and an amusing incident involving a shoe kicked over a fence being retrieved Heath Robinson style by Uncle Chris, wore on into evening and, after a restorative bowl or two (ok, three if I'm honest) of chilli con carne, we accepted that 10pm was a late enough bedtime for the kids and had a lift home with Uncle Andy.

After a few late nights (and a notably early morning) an early night would have been a good idea... but somehow we found ourselves in front of An Officer and a Gentleman and a bottle of wine and another late night was on the cards.