Ashes to ashes

G's funeral today. Walking along Princes Street I looked up towards the castle where a workman was burning some wood from a recently felled tree. Cycle of life stuff. When I got to the church there were lot's of familiar faces from both RBS and S&N days. As often in a funeral eulogy I heard some things I already knew that brought a sad smile of recognition and other things I didn't know. I guess each of us there knew our own version of him. G had found comfort in religion in the past year and the service was performed by the minister from the hospice who had met regularly with G in recent months. The details of the service had all been planned by G himself, including the hymns and music and the readings. We heard too about his adventures, about the places he had been and the things he had done. His love of the mountains and for Shakespeare. The things he had packed into what he had described to the minister as a 'meandering life'. And also some last words that he had written for everyone in his final days in which he talked about having enjoyed a happy life and wishing us all good luck with the rest of our lives.
Strange to know that he is no longer around. Next time I meet the ex-S&Ners, he won't be there to talk about cameras, or football, or mountaineering.