Ah, what did I have on my list today?  Let's see... I needed to check on
a few of our residents this morning - Deiferenbaker (Deifers for short),
a male silver mitt; Victora (Vic for short), a little girl marked white;
Fraser, an older but good-looking blaze the color of cinnamon; and
Turnbull, a male who was a year younger than Deifers and Vic.  I am going
to need a hot cup of tea for this adventure I think, especially since -
wouldn't you know it - the Boss made it snow at the Bridge last night.
All the fuzzies have been in a frenzy; all of them outside, jumping,
hopping and making angels in the snow with their wings.  Here at the
Bridge, all of the fuzzies love to play in the snow.  The Boss makes
it snow here every once in awhile, just so that we can play in it.
 
The only problem I'm going to have this morning is finding my residents.
Last I heard, Deifers, Vic, Fraser, and Turnbull headed out to find some
fresh snow to make a snow fort.  Fresh snow is hard to find here when we
have a snow day, with all the fuzzies sliding into it nose-first and then
hopping back out from underneath it like jack-in-the-boxes.  You can
barely find one square inch of snow that doesn't have a fuzzy track in it.
 
The Boss had sent word that the fuzzies I needed to check on have headed
to the north woods.  I will have to find them by their tracks.  I walked
towards the north woods, glad that I have thick fur to keep me warm.  Of
course, here in the Afterworld it never gets too cold.  The Boss only
makes it a bit cold to help us remember what winters were like in the
Hoomin world.  He's funny that way.
 
Walking a bit, I think I've spotted my resident's tracks.  Deifers and
Vic's tracks are right next to each other, as if they were walking paw
to paw.  Just ahead of Deifers and Vic's tracks, I spot another set of
tracks which look like they could be Fraser and Turnbull's tracks.
Their tracks went every which way, still heading north, but in circles
and hops and jumps.  To fuzzies, every second is playtime.
 
I had followed their tracks for a while when all of a sudden they just
vanished into the glistening snow.  How will I find them now?  This won't
do.  Did they turn around, maybe, or tunnel under the snow?  I bent over
and stuck my face in a snowbank to see if I could spot a tunnel, when all
of a sudden Fraser lobs a snowball at my rear-end, knocking me face-first
into the snow.  As I get up, I hear all four of them laughing and
giggling behind me.
 
Oh, these rascals - no no no - they are not getting away with this!
 
A wry smile curls my lips as I pick up a handful of snow and quietly make
a snowball.  Deifers, Vic, Turnbull, and Fraser are directly behind me,
still laughing and not paying attention.  I spin around and I give my
best toss - pow! - right on Fraser's nose.  Well, all heck breaks loose
and a snowball fight ensues; all five of us are war-dancing and lobbing
snowballs at each other like there's no tomorrow!  There is no sight
like the sight of fuzzies war-dancing, popping up into the air, lobbing
snowballs at each other, and then twisting down and ducking nose-first
into the snow.  It is madness and mayhem at it's finest.
 
After awhile, we get tuckered out and decide to make some snow angels.
It's easy for fuzzies at the Bridge to make angels in the snow - we all
have real wings!  We all ended up lying in the snow, quietly looking up
at the trees covered in sparkling snow.  It is a beautiful day.  I'm glad
the Boss decided today would be a snow day.  Eventually, I remember that
I have official duties...
 
I tell Deifers, Vic, Fraser, and Turnbull that Emilie, their mom, had
been thinking about them and was wondering how they were doing up here
at the Bridge.  They were all very happy to hear that their mom had been
thinking of them.  Then they all started to speak at once.  Deifers told
me he remembered going to the ferret shows with his mom, and while he
wasn't fond of traveling, he enjoyed sitting in his mom's lap.  Vic told
me that she and Deifers, while not truly brother and sister, were born on
the same exact day.  I could tell by the way that Vic and Deifers stuck
together that she and Deifers were truly a bonded pair.  I watched while
Vic snuck a paw full of snow and dropped it on Deifers's nose.  Deifers
turned around and bit Vic's ear and they rolled around in the snow,
completely disappearing into it and then popping back up a few seconds
later.
 
Turnbull told me how Emilie has rescued him when he was very sick.
Furrowing his brow, he told me how hard a time Vic and Deifers gave him
when he first came to live with them, but then his brow softened as he
said that no one could separate them now if they tried.  Fraser wrinkled
his nose and nodded in agreement.  Fraser was a handsome old man, very
distinguished, and even though he was older, he fit well into this very
special business of fuzzies.  He told me how all the Hoomins used to call
him "Grandpa" Fraser because he lived to be so old.
 
Heading back, I though of how happy Emilie would be knowing that her
babies were doing fine.  There was no need to worry about Deifers, Vic,
Fraser, or Turnbull, although Hoomins always tend to worry.  Up here at
the Bridge, her babies had become an inseparable foursome, one that would
be together for all time.
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 5130]