A mixed day. It started well. Another rush through frosty fields to admire the sunrise. The temeprature was -3C but everything looked wonderful - just me and a fisherman on his small boat attending to lobster pots.

Back home I did something I had been trying to do for about two weeks and caught our little cat, Kitty (real name Hecate). She is a white cat and every year her ears get sunburnt and scabby and usually recover. This year they have not and it became apparent that she probably had skin cancer. Kitty is extremely highly strung and I couldn't imagine how I would get her to a vet. She lets no-one stroke her but me, possibly Himself and oddly the lads and my brother. Anyone else arriving and she is literally up the wall trying to get to the cat flap. Still, I knew it had to be done and had a first attempt two weeks ago. I got her in the basket but messed up putting the catch on and she was off. Since then she has deeply mistrusted me at mealtimes but today I caught her off guard. She was understandably furious. Poor Himself had to take her to the vet as I was working but it sounds as though he was very gentle and kind and there was really only one option. So Kitty has gone and will be sorely missed. She was highly eccentric, very chatty, had a hilarious sense of humour and left masses of white hairs everywhere. We will miss her.

Kitty