The unexpected jumper...

Playlist
John Surman - Adventure Playground
John Abercrombie - Class Trip
David Torn - Prezens
Various - Weekly Playlists 14, 15
F X Richter - String Quartets
Various Composers - Musik in alten Städten & Residenzen: Mannheim
Andreas Scholl - Heroes
Rautuvaara - Cantus Arcticus
The Killers - Day and Age
Kate Bush - The Whole Story
Argent - In Deep

When we opened the curtains this morning, who should be in the neighbour's garden, looking up at us but Meg's we friend, Rory Custard - no doubt he'd popped by to pay his respects...



...to our wee monkey...



At 8:15, we took Meg to Mr Brown, the vet who has looked after her since 2005, through thick and thin...

She was an absolutely brilliant little cat, so well natured, friendly and chatty.  We're so glad we had the opportunity to have her in our family of over nine years...

She will be cremated and returned to us, just as Crispy the Kitten was in 2002.  Mr Brown had nothing but praise for her.  He was always amazed at how young, fit and agile she always seemed to be...

After her seizures in Autumn 2010, she was indeed a pioneer, as Mr Brown told us that Meg was the first cat on whom he'd tried an experimental treatment for that particular malady, prescribing her half doses of medicine originally designed for dogs with the same symptoms..

At the time and, possibly, even now, there was no medicine available to help cats...

So, hopefully, Meg's success has led to new leases of life for many other cats...

So there we are, we are both, of course, very very sad to have her leave us but she chose her own time and died with us by her side...

We'll never forget our wee pie...

Back home, with wet faces, we did our best to get on with things in a "normal" fashion but it really is amazing how you can miss a wee beastie just wandering around and doing nothing in particular...

The postman brought packaging materials to be potentially used on the "Twenty Four Paintings" project - packaging which you may recall Meg the Black Cat "helped" to order just a few days ago...





As a further distraction, we went to Tynecastle for a two o'clock kick off...



Hearts v Kilmarnock in the semi final of the Under 20's Scottish Cup...

An enjoyable game - seven of Hearts' current 1st team were playing - such is the plight of the club right now that many of the 1st team are younger than 20 years old...

It stood them in good stead though for this game, which Hearts won 3-0, the first being this penalty...



Brother-in-Law Keith was also in the crowd - just one of the baldy heads off in the distance...



On the way home, we picked up some provisions and, just after 5, having heard that Queens had lost at home 2-1 to Falkirk, I set about making what is becoming my signature dish...

With Andreas Scholl blasting out around the kitchen...



























Success on a plate...



Yum...



Alan and Penny had called and invited us round to cheer us up...

We arrived to find a wee shrine to Meg on their mantlepiece...



..and they finally felt able to tell us the story of how, during Meg's first stay with them, a few years ago now, the adventurous wee beastie had jumped off this balcony down to the grass below...



This picture, taken last July, of the neighbouring building, demonstrates the height - Alan and Penny are on the 2nd floor - third set of windows from the ground...



I remember back then saying to Alan how high it was and imagine of you were to fall off it - I don't recall his face indicating he did have a story to tell about that but could not tell it then...

Much drinking, crisp and nut eating and reminiscing took place, until, eventually, around 1am, Penny inevitably brought out her collection of recorders, whistles and kazoos...



...and much fun was had...








Meg the Black Pretend Cat also took part...







Here, Count Brodski's version of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love"...


...and called into action was a duck themed hairdryer...





...while Count Brodski himself was on fine form...





...as was Penny's self-knitted collection of small endearing animals...





All in all a quite excellent night - we left in a taxi around 3 and I forgot my camera - the last few pics above were taken after we'd gone home - Alan and Penny stayed up till 6 am...

Because they are mad...

But we love them...

Thanks Alan and Penny for a great, uplifting of the spirits, night...

Highlight of the Day : A visit to Castle Brodski to celebrate the life of Meg the Black Cat...