Missing Ella...

Our cat Ella died today - six days after her 20th birthday.

We loved her lots and we'll miss her daft ways - her chasing her tail and slipping on the wooden floor, then looking up innocently hoping no-one had seen her being silly, waking up to find her sleeping almost on top of your face, waking up at 6am to hear her talking to herself loudly!

It's hard to believe how long she's been with us - we weren't even married when we got her. She moved onto our first boat with us and even travelled on the coal boats for 15 mpnths with us - she held us up more than once by getting out and going for one of her wanders just as we were ready to set off. Her little presents of baby rabbits (alive and needing rescuing from under the floorboards) and spread-eagled stiff seagulls will always be remembered.

Miss you, Ella. Thank you for being our cat...

Photo Finish

This was taken in our garden summer 2005.
Aren't they just the cutest?

Happy Easter

OK - So Easter is early this year, but it still shouldn't be snowing!!! Not that it's settled here so no snowmen building for us. The weather this weekend has been really strange, exhilarating but strange. huge fluffy snowflakes from a steely grey sky followed ten minutes later by bright blue skies nad beautiful spring sunshine. Is this global warming or maybe some higher power with a sense of humour trying to show us that they still rule this little planet we like to call home?

Ah well, the Easter Bunny still came and our boat is filled with chocolate eggs - at least for a little while. I'm sure Katheryn will make it her duty to try to solve that problem as fast as possible. Hands off mine, Kitten!


A snowbunny pic from an RS friend

An Evening of Music

This evening Emily's and Katheryn's orchestras joind together for a concert at Bishopshalt School. They rehearse in the drama studio there every Tuesday - it's the worst day of my week usually. Pick them up from school at 3.30 and drive to Bishopshalt nice and slowly to get there for 4.20 (plenty of time for Emily to get her violin out and ready to start at 4.30) then home for a little while. Back to Bishopshalt for 5.30 to pick Emily up and drop Katheryn off then home for dinner before picking Katheryn up at 7pm and getting her instantly to the pool as swimming starts at 7pm and it's the most important swim training session of the week so she can't miss it - ever! Actually, reading that it doesn't sound so bad. At least it doesn't unitl I remember the added mayhem of Katheryn having cricket training at school until 5pm every Tuesday evening last term - meaning another trip back to Coteford after dropping Emily at her orchestra rehersal.

How to get off the subject! Bad me!
The concert was great - both girls really enjoyed it and so did their Mum. My favourite pieces were Trumpet Parade (strange chice for a string orchestra) and John Ryan's Polka. I can see so much improvement in them already; I so hope that they keep playing for a long, long time.

Photo Finish

Emily (age 5) looking sweet and innocent - she usually needs to to cover her tracks!