Greetings!
I had a very special request to check on a handsome sable boy named
Pooh Bear. His 'Mom' Kathryn was just a little girl when she and Pooh
met. Pooh was a birthday gift for Kathryn and they fell in love the
first time they met! I hear that Pooh was quite the spoiled fert and
he had a cage mate named Sno, a pretty albino girlie fert.

Pooh Bear's Nannie tells me that Pooh was the boss of all the ferts at
the Cook house.  She also tells me that Pooh is greatly missed and was
well cared for even though he suffered with adrenal disease for quite
some time.

My quest to locate Pooh Bear began near the Pool Of Remembrance, I
thought he might be there checking in on his loving family. But, he
wasn't there. So I continued on towards The Meadows, perhaps he was
picnicking or napping up there in the tall grass. But he wasn't there
either. My next stop was The Falls, although it's getting a bit cooler,
some of the heartier ferts still jump into the healing waters for a
quick swim. But Pooh wasn't there either. So I  headed back towards the
newbie Dormitories, I was certain I would find  someone who would know
where Pooh was.

It's a cool autumn day up here, but the sun is still warm on my back
as I walk into town.

Up ahead of me there is a group of ferts playing a rowdy game of 'Tag! 
You're It!' chasing one another, slipping on the damp grass and falling
into a giggling jumble of fur.

I love watching ferrets at play! They have fun no matter what they are
doing. I stopped to watch them for a minute or two before I was
noticed. My little friend SugarPie yelled "Hey! Mr. MustyPete!! Howya
doin'?"

I waved as I continued laughing at their antics. SugarPie and Diablo, a
large chocolate sable ran in my direction, tripped over their own feet
and landed in front of me in a big furry ball. "Hello" I said, as I
looked down at them.

"Hey Mr. Pete!" Diablo said as he propped himself up on one elbow,
content to stay on the ground. 

"Hi Diablo! You're looking quite well! Say, I am wondering if any of
you knows of a boy fert, a handsome sable named Pooh Bear.... Pooh Bear
Cook."

"Hmmm-mmmm" pondered Diablo, then he shrugged and looked over at
SugarPie. She looked up at me thoughtfully, then said, "I think I know
who he is....he hasn't been here very long. I think he is staying over
at Holly's cottage, you know where that is Mr. Pete?" she asked

"Yes, it's the little ivy cottage over by Community Center, by the edge
of the woods, isn't it?"

 "Yep! That's the one!" SugarPie giggled as she nudged Diablo in the
forehead with her elbow and quietly said, "Tag! You're It!" before
running off gleefully. Diablo jumped up and tore off after her,
shouting "No Fairsies!! Cheater!!"

I watched them for another minute...so full of life, having such a
fun time being silly.

Holly's ivy cottage was just a short walk, I decided to go find Pooh
Bear and then have some lunch before my afternoon nap [Siesta, as I
like to call it.]  The sun is shining, birds are singing gay fully.
There is a crispness to the air warning that cooler weather is just
around the corner.  I love this time of year. It's all about squeezing
the last precious moments out of summertime and preparing for winter. 
Many ferts begin stockpiling treats, especially raisins, in
anticipation of those cold winter days spent snuggled in warm sleep
sacks and hammies with our very best warm bodied friends and loved
ones.  I kicked a pebble along the road as I walked to my destination.
 
Holly's Ivy Cottage looks very small from the outside, but inside there
is a large loft sleeping area, a common area for eating, playing and 
visiting and many cupboards for storing treats and toys. Outside, the
cottage is shingled and quite weathered, covered in a beautiful lush
blanket of green ivy. It is very cozy and inviting. I rapped on the
door with my big paw and shouted, "Is anyone at home?? HELL-OOOOOO!"

I heard scampering feet then saw half of someones face peering
through the curtain that covered the window on the front door.

"Hello???" said the voice that went with the face.

"Hi! My name is Musty Pete. I am looking for a new arrival named Pooh
Bear. Is he here?"

"Uhhh....Yes. Well, ummmm...No. I mean, Yes." the voice stammered,
confusedly.

"Well? Which is it?" I asked "Uhhhh Yes? or ummmm No?"

The door opened and a petite girlie fert was standing there with what
appeared to be flour all over her face and paws, there was even some on
her belly.

"Yes, Pooh lives here. And No, he's not here right now because we were
having a Flour Fight and he just ran out the back door into the woods...
yelling something about Oh-No-I-Wasn't-Going-To-Throw-Him-Into-The-Oven!!"
She took a deep breath then added, "Which I wasn't REALLY going to do!"

I just stared, not saying anything.

She stuck out her paw and said, "Hi. My name is Lucy. Pooh Bear is my
brother. If you want to go out back and holler into the woods for him,
he'll probably come out. Just tell him I'm not mad and it's okay for
him to stop hiding." she had a sly look about her that told me this
Flour Fight wasn't over yet. "Pooh is the one wearing the bandanna."
and she turned back into the cottage and sighed at the HUGE mess
inside. She was mumbling something about that smart-alecky-fert that I
couldn't quite hear.

There was a path around the side of the cottage that led to the woods 
in back. I went back there and found myself completely alone [or so I 
thought]. I looked into the wooded area and shouted, " Is there a  boy
fert named Pooh Bear Cook hiding out there? I have a message from  his
Earth family."

Nothing....Silence....I waited.

"Hell-OOOOOOO!??" again, silence. Perhaps this calls for a different
approach. Most ferts aren't very good at hiding for too long, they
just cannot stay still enough OR quiet enough to pull it off. "Ok.
Well, I will wait for 5 minutes and if I cannot find POOH BEAR COOK, I
will have to come back another day." I shouted loudly when I said his
name. One minute ticked by, two minutes was coming up, then I heard
the rustling of leaves and some uncontrolled giggling, as a ferret
tumbled out from behind a large tree.

"Ooops!" snickered a dark sable boy, who was wearing a bandanna. "Hi!
I'm Pooh Bear Cook! Who are you??" he asked.

"Hi! My name is Musty Pete. I am one of the Bridge Greeters. Your
Earth  Mommy and Nannie asked me to check on you, they are worried
about how  you are doing up here. I will be very pleased to tell them
that you are  having great fun with your friends." I said. "You ARE
having great fun,  aren't you?" I asked.
  
"Oh yes I am. It's so nice here, and everyone has been very friendly to
me...even Lucy, who can be a bit of a Grumpy Gus sometimes. But I do
miss Kathryn. Is she okay? And Nannie too? Is she okay?" Pooh asked.

"Everyone back at home is fine, they are sad because you had to leave,
and they miss you terribly. But they will be comforted to know that you
made it here and found your brothers and sisters. And I know they will
be pleased to know that you are happy up here. Especially Kathryn, she
really misses you."

He looked sad, but just for a moment, then he said, "Well, Mr. Musty
Pete...You can tell Kathryn and Nannie that I love them too. And I
really, REALLY miss them. I miss everyone! But, it is so beautiful up
here at The Rainbow Bridge, it's hard for anyone to stay sad for too
long. Please tell them that I am okay and I will check on them from
time to time at the Remembering Pond Place."

I promised Pooh I would send his message home as I watched him peek
into the back window of the ivy cottage, snickering as he watched Lucy
sweeping up the flour he had thrown at her earlier.

"Maybe I should go in and help her clean up." he thought out loud to
himself.

"NAH!!!" he said as he bounded back into the woods.

It's time for me to go home and have some lunch ad a well-deserved
siesta.


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[Posted in FML 5397]