Its 10.55 a.m. I woke up to the sound of the dawn chorus at 4.30 this morning. The birds were at it in full swing. The sweet morning air perfumed by the meadow and seasoned by the salt from Castletown bay, wafted in through my bedroom window. For about 30 seconds I felt on top of the World. Then thoughts of my father came flooding in to my mind and the smell of the chemotherapy filled my nose. For a brief period I had forgotten all about Father's recent death and of course the cancer. I tried to shrug off both these events but could feel tears welling in my eyes. I checked my watch again and it read 4.40. I started thinking about work, but then remembered I had none. With my mind full now of negative thoughts, cancer, Dad's death and no work or business to run, I drifted back to sleep again. I woke again at 7 a.m., but this time there was no false dawn. The birds were still singing and the air was just as sweet. Yes, of course I was just as aware of Dad's death and my cancer. I had simply woken in a much better and more positive frame of mind. After a mug of tea and a brief listen to the morning news, just to make sure that World war 3 had not broken out over night, I dressed and within a few minutes, I was walking along the banks of the Silverburn with Skipper. I took the cattle bridge from Poulson Park and wandered down through Golden Meadow Mill then into the Mill field and eventually out through the gate that leads to the Old Mill, back down the road and home in time for bacon and eggs. Yes, I know I should have had a banana, I even forgot about the damn diet. It's a good job I did not start blogging at 4.30 this morning as my blog would have read very differently than it does now. What a difference a couple of hours can make to your presence of mind and how you wake in the morning can, and often is I'm sure, a determining factor in how you embrace the day.

Well, last night young Chris Callow and I took my boat Silverburn out again. Of course we broke down again. Twice in fact and had to return to the harbour using the outboard engine. Hopefully our new fuel pump will arrive today. Chris will fit it probably tonight and we shall try again tomorrow. Also I have an appointment with the cancer specialist at Nobles tomorrow. Next week is chemo week and Barbara also has an appointment with the chest consultant, so all in all, a big week medically is coming up.

At the beginning of this blog, I said I had got off to a bad start to the day. It's impossible to be positive all the time. Sometimes negative thoughts are necessary. In order to have a balanced mind, you need both negative and positive thoughts. During those down periods it's easy to start letting things go. Why bother doing this or that? Sometimes we don't realize that the little things we do each day can and do make such a difference to other people's lives. With just a little effort, you can indeed have a profound effect on others. When I came into this office yesterday and read this email from Les and Margaret Witherington in North Australia, any thoughts I ever harboured of packing in the blog went right out of the window. I am of course extremely humbled by them and, totally unworthy of their comments. However, I share their thoughts with you simply to demonstrate my point on just what little time and effort we have to make, in order to have such a profound effect on other people.

Hello Tom,

Do you know how much effect that you have on others? I grew up in the sanctity of a 'normal' working class family in what is now a suburb of Greater London. At the tender age of 17, (some 43 years ago) I decided fly the nest and move to the other side of the world and in those days that was quite a decision. consequently, from that time onward I have always looked to myself for help and inspiration and not rely on others. I never had childhood heroes or really had anyone to model myself against. I have read numerous autobiographical books but they meant nothing.

In 2006, I was on my third visit to the Isle of Man. I was looking through the bookshop at Ronaldsway Airport when I came upon the book "Who's afraid of the dark" I had heard of this book and thought that it might be alright for a bit of a read on the way back to Australia. By the time we boarded the plane at Heathrow I had finished the book and was captivated by your story. When we arrived home I endeavored to find out more about this inspirational man. I even read the book again. When I first came across your blog, I think you were about a week into it, I was devastated by your situation but it became compulsive reading and each time that you have a good day I am pleased and happy for you.

I, like you, love the Isle of Man and feel privileged to have had several visits there and am thrilled when you talk about a place that I know about or have visited and I thank you for bringing back such happy memories. At the end of this week we are going on holiday and I will not be able to have my daily fix of Tom Glassey so until we return home again in about three weeks I wish you well and hope that you continue to regain your strength and I thank you for being the sort of person that I would be proud to be.

Kindest regards

Les Witherington

Brisbane. Queensland

So today, stop off and pick that bunch of flowers, make that phone call or write that letter. It will only take you a moment and cost you hardly anything. It will make someone else feel like a millionaire. You do that and I will carry on blogging.

Until tomorrow then, this is Tom Glassey with News at 11.something or other, on the banks of the Silverburn.