Mjoll, our 'baby', is looking all grown up lately and she is growing her first proper winter coat :)

Good news and bad

I've put off writing for a long time, because of feeling so sad.  We lost Butz just three weeks before his thirteenth birthday.   Although he had been on heart pills for while, they were working so well and he was so lively and full of fun that we were lured into thinking we had him for a few years yet :(  He went as he had lived, gentle and courageous.  And we will never forget him.  We shouldn't complain as the average lifespan of an Airdale is 11.5 years.  But we do complain!  We wanted to share our life with him for ever!!

Here are the first and last photos we have of our Butz.

On a happier note, we received the photo below from France this week from our friends Linda and Pete - Thugga's character can be deduced from his nickname!  But he is very much loved, and in fact shares life with two wonderful Airedale terriers.  

Vieuxtemps Frankie profitent du soleil...

Vieuxtemps Velcro is going to join Thugga in his lovely life in the French countryside in a few months' time.  She will be pleased to meet more Airedales - she too misses Butz dreadfully.

Now we are three...

When we were very young

Gabriel and Indiana were two beautiful kittens who left home it seems like yesterday.. but really it was three years ago.  How time flies, and how lovely they have grown up under the care of their human slave Lynn Roberts, who took the photos below this winter.

Gabriel, brown tabby and white male

Indiana, tortie tabby and white female

Happy Birthday, Chopin!

Yesterday was the composer Chopin's 203rd birthday.  He has aged well, his enthralling piano music sounding as fresh as ever.  Happy birthday Chopin!  Here are some of your favourite flowers, modest yet wonderfully perfumed violets.

This reminds me of my 'piano litter' - a bunch of gorgeous black and white Norwegian Forest kittens born eighteen years ago.  My dear Impromptu was one of these, and sadly he left us recently.  After a long and healthy life he simply died in his sleep.  We miss him terribly; a gentleman to the end, he never caused any trouble and was the reason this blog is called 'extraloudpurrs'.  His purrs were the loudest ever.

Rest in peace, Impromptu.  And live on forever in our hearts, dear Chopin.

Premier Vieuxtemps Impromptu in old age