Finally my first lie in of the trip and it was worth the wait. It was followed by a visit to IHOP for breakfast and that was pretty damn good too. Treated self to a stack of cinnacakes - sinfully good pancakes with cinnamon filling and cream cheese drizzle. And if that wasn't enough, they came with two easy over eggs, hash browns and bacon. That was me sorted for the rest of the day.

Mr F announced that as he'd already seen the bird he'd come to see (a yellow-legged gull for anyone interested), and as there was nowt else to see in Westmoreland, today was designated my shopping day. So thanks to the confused IHOP cashier, we tracked down the nearest mall and set off.

First on the list was a trip round Walmart. I know it's not the first place most people choose to go on holiday but I love it: whole aisles of pretzels and thanks to Thanksgiving, fridges full of eggnog. I filled my basket with most of the spice aisle and included a bottle of 'liquid smoke' and a jar of maple/applewood something to be explored once back home.

Next door was a cinnamon-scented warehouse of a craft shop. They appeared to be pumping the smell in through the ventilation system. Mr F's ma is something of a craft fanatic though so we figured we'd sort out her Christmas present sharpish and exit before our noses gave up and fell off. The present had to be small and/or flat so it would fit in his suitcase amidst all the birding accoutrements. I'm keeping quiet on the outcome though in case she casts an eye over this.

PetSmart was next on my list for doggie presents. Yes it's sad but we can't resist - and I say we, as Mr F is just as bad as I am. In the end we got away lightly with only a pack of freezable dog smoothies, a 'Labrador Gran' sticker for the mother-in-law and a fluorescent dog jacket for jogging in the dark (definitely a Mr F purchase). Personally I was tempted by the 'reduced to clear' Halloween dog costumes. Murphy has no idea how close he was to barking "Aha me hearties" and being a pirate this Christmas.