We have been to the hospital this morning for Toms check up before his next chemo cycle. The Oncologist appeared pleased with Toms improved health and the chemo will go ahead next Wednesday. Tom doesn't seem to be having many symptoms from the chemotherapy. What previously we thought were side effects were in fact caused by the tumour. Tom totally lost his voice at one point and was communicating by whispering and texting me when I was in another room or even dialling my mobile. This week his voice is getting stronger day by day and its obvious that the chemotherapy is actually improving things. The other day when Toms voice started to show a significant improvement, he sang a line of a song as I woke. It was great to hear him sing and indicatve of how well he was feeling and the overnight improvement. There is a long way to go before his voice will be a baritone again, but at least we are heading in the right direction. He's happy and improving and that is all that matters.

Yesterday Tom came for a walk in the park and sat on a bench whilst I exercised Skipper. It was a beautiful day sheltered from the breeze and sitting with the warming sun on him. It has been a while since he has been well enough to dare walk to far without the car as backup. The park was full of children playing and Tom seemed pretty entertained listening to them, especially one little girl who exclaimed to her friends that she wasn't playing anymore if she couldn't be captain.

I walked Skipper to the waterfall the other day and listened to the noises from the herons nesting in the large fir trees close by. One appeared to be calling their mate, probably to take over the nest. I could also hear the cries of a baby heron. It was obviously quite young, but still quite distinctive with its grating cry. As it gets older and is joined by other siblings, the noise will get louder and sound more like someone hammering and doing running repairs. I will try and get a sound file when it gets to that stage. When I first heard it years ago I wondered what on earth the noise was.

Skipper is presently out for a walk with Miriam and will be pretty tired by the time he comes home. Having said that, i don't think its possible to tire a collie.

Tom will be blogging over the weekend and so I shall go now and make us both a cuppa.