Tuesday, 3rd March – Went for a Kendal Ramblers walk from near Crosthwaite to Broad Oak and Pool Bank. After that, I lost track of the route. The best stretch was the unmetalled road through Cowclose Wood. When we stopped for a rest, I saw a spring and a badger set and a deer that was so large it must have been a red deer. Much of the route was very muddy.

Tuesday, 10th March – Finished preparing a Blu-ray disc to give to Helen, including an hour and a half from The Good Old Days, which I think is the best television series that has ever been shown. There was nothing in the Radio Times to say that it was anything special. Read on the internet that Hatfield Forest can only be visited between nine o’clock in the morning and two-thirty in the afternoon. Not only will this be very inconvenient to me if I ever want to go there. It will prevent many people from completing the three long-distance footpaths that cross the forest.

Wednesday, 11th March – Met members of the Kendal Ramblers at the bus station. Went by bus to the village of Holme and walked along the Lancaster Canal to Hincaster Hall and Levens Bridge. The stretch I liked best was that between Sellet Hall Bridge and the A590 because there was so much ivy there. Part of the canal has recently been filled with water, and part of it is going to be.

Friday, 13th March – Listened to a radio programme about the cave houses at Kinver Edge and found photographs of them on the internet that I have never seen before. Finished reading Cosmos and found it every bit as interesting as I expected it to be.

Saturday, 14th March – Returned to the best part of my most recent walk to take photographs. Listened to a radio play based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh in which interesting things were going on all through it.

Sunday, 15th March – Ordered a copy of the book You Are Here by David Nicholls because I have received an email saying that I am mentioned in it.

Tuesday, 17th March – Read in another part of the internet that Hatfield Forest is open all day. I don’t know what to believe. I tried to telephone the National Trust office in Takeley, but I could only get recorded messages. Went for a walk in the woodland adjoining Vicarage Drive for the first time and saw a violet in flower.

Wednesday, 18th March – Found a tiny black ladybird with ten brown spots in the flat. I identified it as a form of the harlequin ladybird. Went through Helen’s disc, adding information to titles that might be unfamiliar to some people.

Thursday, 19th March – Went for a walk with the Kendal Ramblers from Kentmere to Hall Cove in beautiful weather. I missed out the highest part of the route because I was finding it too difficult. Later, I fell spectacularly into a stream. We ended up passing through the most beautiful part of Kentmere, but the people behind me missed it because they were talking all the time. It was so warm I didn’t have to wear a coat. Received the book I ordered and found the reference to myself a few pages from the end.

Saturday, 21st March – Someone on the radio mentioned a banded agate, with which I was unfamiliar, so I consulted the internet. To buy one would have cost £150, but I could see a beautiful photograph of one on my computer screen for nothing.

Monday, 23rd March – Bought a large green rucksack at Nevisport for £85 in the hope that I can put my duffle coat in it.

Wednesday, 25th March – Received a bank statement. When I transferred the record of my balance to the records in my computer, I found that all the records since last August are missing. I phoned K.T.D., and they were able to stop this from happening again, but they said that they can’t recover the lost information.

Thursday, 26th March – Discovered that all the documents on my computer are spoiled in the same way as the record of my savings. The most disastrous loss is from my list of things to do. I was able to recover my diary from my website, except for that for March 3rd, which I rewrote from memory.

Friday, 27th March – Had my eyes tested at Vision Express. It took an hour and forty minutes. Ordered a pair of glasses that are supposed to let in less light when the sun shines. I have often thought that there should be window panes that do this.

Saturday, 28th March – Went on a Wainwright Society walk, the first of the year. I couldn’t start the car, so I walked to the town centre and got a taxi to Staveley, where I arrived just as the members were about to set off. We went up Hugill Fell and Reston Scar using the new link, with a detour near the start along Hall Lane to Elfhowe. Gave Helen my latest collection of scenes from television. She gave me a lift back to Kendal. She said that she had never been to the centre of Kendal, so I showed her some of my favourite parts of the town. This was the highlight of my day.

Not only have I lost the use of my car and most of the information in my computer in the last few days; I have also lost my debit card, and my credit card doesn’t work. I thought that the problem with the car was put right in January.

Monday, 30th March – Managed to start the car and took it round to Cumbria Suzuki.

Tuesday, 31st March – The man from Cumbria Suzuki phoned to say that the car is now functioning properly. I hope he is right