Yesterday, out of the blue, came a card from New Zealand. It was sent by the family of Murray Thompson who sadly passed away recently. I have written about Murray in the blog elsewhere and in my book Dry River. He was the owner of a fishing hut way out in a remote highland lake and he was very generous in allowing a whole army of people to stay there over the years.

The card told me that Murray appreciated what I had written about the hut and that a painting of a fine trout which Murray caught and which I sent to him as a gift was given pride of place in the family living room. It also said that he had enjoyed my book which had been given to him as a gift from his family.

I guess that he was reading it during the time that cancer was getting the better of him and I hope it gave him some pleasure during a difficult time.

The New Zealand card was a lovely gesture and I appreciate it very much. It is on the shelf in my lab now where I can see it. It sits next to a couple of dinosaur models which shine in the dark and that light up the space around them when the lights are low.

Murray was like that too.