Goodbyes

Today we said goodbye to a very long standing friend. I first met him when I was around 19. He was diagnosed with MND last year and amazingly managed to keep working his farm to the end. Physically he was strong and able but very quickly the cruel disease took first his voice then his ability to swallow cleanly every time and then his ability to breathe deeply if required.. then finally a heart seizure. .. but he was out doing what he loved to do to the last minute. It is a cruel disease and there must be a cure.. we must all try to support the research required to stop it in its tracks. His wife.. who is blind.. was stoic. He is buried somewhere beautiful overlooking the fields he knew and loved in a place he had grown up.. can't ask for more. 

We had other long standing friends to stay so now they have gone to bed and their very small and rather sweet Jack Russel is waiting by the door incase they come down again soon. 

A long day .. especially the standing room only funeral (pity I couldn't get a seat ) we were in a marquee outside the church with at least another 100 people.