8.45 a.m. I have just returned from my morning walk along the Silverburn with Skipper and it is another lovely sunny day. Skipper’s social behaviour has improved drastically lately. This morning he allowed me to talk to four dogs and their owner and then totally gobsmacked me by not chasing the man on the bike we met up with, near the waterfall. As a reward for his good behaviour, he received a sausage from the garage on our way home.

Yesterday I did not become the owner of a new camper van. We just could not agree terms with the dealer. However, I did make it in to Peel and of course stopped off for fish and chips at the Castle Chippie on the quay.

Of course tomorrow is my big day. I will discover if my chemotherapy has been successful or not. I would very much like to press a switch and shoot straight in to tomorrow. However, at present I have a full day of not knowing ahead of me, and maybe this last 24 hours of uncertainty is as good as its going to get for me. On the other hand, maybe tomorrow I will be given a clean bill of health and cancer will be history. For all I believe that I am fully prepared for whatever they tell me tomorrow, I still can’t be sure how I will react to either positive or negative news. I believe that in life there are as many positives as there are negatives, and only a fool looks at one of them.

As I sit here talking to you all now, I am reminded of the words of Captain Jack Ronan. Many years ago Captain Jack was taking me back to the convent in Liverpool after having me onboard his Steam Packet ship for an evening. As we stood on the school drive outside the main heavy timber doors, Capt Jack saw tears welling in my 10 year old eyes, and placing his hand on my shoulder, he said. “This will all pass, in no time at all, it will be history.” So it is today some 40 years on. Yes, this too will all pass.

Tomorrow’s blog will be late afternoon folks, as I have an appointment at you know where in the morning.

Until tomorrow then, this is Tom Glassey with News at 9.05, on the banks of the Silverburn, smiling and sailing towards tomorrow.