Early morning at the Rainbow Bridge and Muldoone was doing his favorite
thing; in his hammy snoozing. Waking to a rap on the door, Mully yelled
"goes away, I be sweeping."

A cheery voice yelled through the door at him, "Misser Muldoonie, dis
be EmmyWou and Nanna say for me to comes and gets you. I habs a brudder
and a sistur-in-fur coming to the Bwidge dis monrin and my mamma say
she want you to gweet dem" EmmyLouFerret yelled to him.

Hearing the voice of EmmyLou brought a flood of memories causing
Muldoone to rub the side of his head rembering the incident with the
Gots-To-Be-Glue Hair Gel Emmy had brought to the Bridge for him when
she came. What an embarassing incident that turned out to be.

Without waiting for an invitation to come in, Emmy gingerly opened the
door of Muldoone's bungalow and slipped inside. There laying in his
hammy was EmmyLou's heart throb. She was so excited; the evening before
she had gotten the news that her brudder and sistur-in-fur would be
coming to the Rainbow Bridge and her mom had requested that Muldoone
greet them. Having a chance at being near her bou, Emmy had spent a lot
of time brushing her fur until it shined. She then searched through her
backpack to find her nicest bonnet among others she brought with her to
the Bridge. Selecting a pale green bonnet and spending some time to get
the bow adjudusted just right under her tiny chin, out the door she
went with both excitement and love in her heart.

Mully was still in his hammy going into the second leg of a marathon
stretching and yawning marathon when he glanced over at EmmyLouFerret
and there she stood looking so pretty and Muldoone could feel his
cheeks begin to burn bright red under his fur. He opened his mouth
and all that came out was a bunch of gibberish. Turning even more
red, Mully wondered why these pretty girl ferrets always got him so
flustered.

"Uh EmmyWou, can you gives me a minute, I needs to get weady" Muldoone
told her.

Suddenly realizing what he meant, Emmy excused herself and told
Muldoone she would meet him outside.

Climbing out of him hammy and visiting his "necessary corner" Mully
then set about trying to tame his hammy-head-hair and get his cap on.
"is be worst dan usualies" Muldoone muttered to himself as he raked
at the tangles and tried to brush his hair. Finally giving up, he
struggled getting his ballcap on and headed out the door.

Waiting outside his bungalow, EmmyLouFerret flashed him a big smile
dripping with love. Emmy thought he looked particularly handsome and
she did not mind his hammy-head-hair at all. Shyly reaching out with
a tiny paw to take one of Muldoone's much bigger ones, he didn't pull
away and off to the Bridge they went to welcome Hope and MoonShadow;
EmmyLou's brudder and a sistur-in-fur.

Running to catch up with Muldoone and EmmyLou, Klancy arrived huffing
and out of breath. "Misser Muldoone, Nanna say I helps you dis mornin
wiff da gweeting" Klancy told him.

"Oh no not you Quancy, goes away, you bees a bwat" Mully told him.

"MULDOONE" boomed a loud voice, and none other than Nanna stepped
out from behind a bush where she had apparently been watching and
listening. "Klancy is here to help, there is a sizeable list of ferrets
to locate and have them at the Bridge when Hope and MoonShadow arrive.
I told Klancy he could help with finding the ferrets" Nanna told Mully
scolding him.

Turning to Klancy, Nanna's tone softened; "Klancy do you think you can
find all the ferrets on this list and have them at the Bridge on time?"
Nanna asked him.

"Yes ma'am I be sure I can dooes it" little Klancy told her and off he
went in search of all the ferrets.

By that time other members of the Bridge Welcoming Group began to drift
in. Nanna greeted everyone a warm "good morning" as all were preparing
to make the journey to the Bridge for the welcoming.

Forming a single file, all the ferrets began a solemn march towards the
gate of the Rainbow Bridge. Each ferret felt a great sadness in their
hearts for the two who were coming but they also knew coming to the
Bridge could be a release from pain or sickness.

Hope and MoonShadow felt the earth began to fall away from them and
they were tumbling into nothingness. They were very frightened, not
knowing what was happening to them or where they were going. The two
ferrets slowly began to feel a new warmth of love and guidance as the
Ferret Promise Song was being sung for them. The sad sweet melody
seemed to swirl all around them and they both felt they were being
cradled in the warmth of love and protection. A beautiful soft voice
whispered to them, "come home wee-ones, we are waiting for you." The
melody was now awash in their hearts and they no longer feared letting
go. Thoughts were centered on those they loved most and their hearts
whispered a message to their shelter ferret mom Jerrri; "we woves you
but it be time for us to go."

As the group arrived at the Bridge, Nanna began barking out orders for
everyone; where to stand and what to do. Even though every group member
knew their job, Nanna insisted in everything being perfect. The sweet
sad Ferret Promise Song began to swell on the breeze offering comfort
to a grieving heart back on earth and waiting to give a warm loving
embrace to the those who were coming. The song told a story of happier
times, of days of laughter and playtime, telling the story of a ferret
found just in time to be given a second chance at a better life and of
another whose time had come to a close. The song sang of days with two
beloved fuzzies, with many health problems, quality of life no longer
what it used to be and days when decisions had to be made, days of
endless tears, the last bittersweet gift unselfishly given to the ones
so loved.

Mully as well as the other ferrets always felt the tugs of pain in
their hearts when a fuzzy came to the Bridge; on one paw their struggle
was over; old broken bodies traded in for younger healthy ones, years
of abuse and neglect undone in a moment, but it also meant their time
on earth was over, their march on the Creator's soil had come to an end
and here they would wait. Muldoone, Nanna, Bailey, Freckles, Dude, and
EmmyLou all joined paws forming a perfect circle of love. The groups of
ferrets closed their eyes and concentrated on the two making their way
to the Bridge. In the hearts of the group, they were sending their love
for those being brought by MoonBeam Molly, the magical unicorn who
brought ferrets to the Rainbow Bridge after they had passed. The group
of ferrets were not only helping to light the way for those coming but
also they were sending prayers of love for the humans who had loved the
fuzzies; precious little lives cut short, leaving behind broken-hearted
ferret moms. As they guided the two ferret on their way to the Bridge,
SodaFerret stood in the center of the circle singing the Promise Song,
sending all the love given by the Creator.

Muldoone strained to listen but he didn't hear the usual sound of
ferrety feets coming across the planks of the Rainbow Bridge, instead
he heard the steady clop-clop-clop-clop of horses' hooves.

MoonBeam Molly stepped off the end of the Rainbow Bridge and both
Muldoone and Nanna could see she was very solemn and upon closer
inspection, the beautiful gentle white unicorn was crying, Molly had
streams of tears rolling down her beautiful face.

"Good morning Molly, I see you have brought us something" Nanna said
to the unicorn.

As the unicorn began to speak, Muldoone though she had the most
beautiful clear gentle voice he had ever heard. You could not only
hear the love in her voice for the passengers she had brought, but
love and gentleness seemed to radiate from her. Being in the presence
of this wondrous creature, Muldoone could smell the scent of jasmine,
magnolias, and honeysuckle that seemed to all blend together delicately
and surround the beautiful her in a strange kind of mist.

"Good morning Nanna and Muldoone" Molly told them, "yes I have two
passengers; they are the newest residents to the Rainbow Bridge."

Lowering herself to the ground to make it possible for her two tiny
passengers to climb down, MoonBeam Molly very gently unfolded her
second set of smaller wings that had cradled her precious cargo,
keeping the two ferrets safe and secure for the flight from their
world to the Rainbow Bridge.

Two little heads peaked over the edge of the basket and both ferrets
looked all around with eyes big and bright. Cautiously climbing down
and taking another look around, the handsome silver ferret named
MoonShadow searched the group of the Welcomers and then he saw a face
that was familiar; he recognized EmmyLou. Both ferrets had been blind
back on earth but for MoonShadow it was only at the end of his life.
Little Hope had lost her sight for quite a while before coming to the
Bridge.

Standing next to her freind was a beautiful little girl ferret with a
nose matching MoonShadow's; both were black as a lump of coal. "Moonie,
I can sees, I can sees" the little girl ferret named Hope yelled to her
fellow new arrival. "Mamma say we will sees when we gets here and she
be right, I can sees again."

"Hope, wook, it bees EmmyWou" MoonShadow yelled to her and both ferrets
went running at Emmy with their arm open for a big hug. All three
ferrets fell on the ground laughing, giving one another kisses,
hugging, giggling and giving more kisses.

Finally all three ferrets got to their feet and Emmy took belonging to
each of them in her own. With tears in her eyes she began to speak,
"Guys, I has a suryprise for you. Stepping back just a bit, Emmy looked
to Muldoone and taking one of his big paws in one of her tiny velvet
paws, she asked if everything was ready. Giving Emmy one of his biggest
and brightest smiles, Mully winked at her and whispered yes, everything
was ready.

Taking several steps back out of the way, the Welcoming group got ready
for what was coming next. Whops and hollers were heard, with much
chattering and dooking and then a huge group of ferrets went charging
at the new arrivals; Chomper, Snowflake, Mr. Snowball, Pistachio,
Hoover, Wellington, Grace, Doodlebug, Ren, Stimp, Katie, Possum, and
many more ferrets that made up the Ferret Haven Clan who had been
lovingly cared for by shelter ferret mom Jerri C. MoonShadow had once
been with shelter mom Jackie but then she looked high and low to find
another loving shelter mom and MoonShadow then came to stay with his
new shelter ferret mom Jerri.

The reunion of the Ferret Haven Clan went on for quite a while. All the
ferrets were giving one another kisses, washing ears, hugging, kissing,
more giggles, dooks galore and weasel war dancing.

After things quieted down a bit, SodaFerret approached the group.
"Hopes and MoonieShaders, I has a messagus from yur mom, she say she
loves you wots and wots and misses you a big bunchies."

"I misses my mom a wot alweady" Hope stated with tears in her eyes.
"My mommy wraps me up wike I be a peanutter and wrubs my ears for me.
Will dere be someone here to dooes dat for me?" the little ferret
Hope wanted to know.

"And da mom wocks me to sweep at night and she sing a song for me"
MoonShadow told Muldoone and the rest of the Welcoming group. "Dere
bees someone here to do dat?" he wanted to know.

Hopes and MoonieShaders Soda began, "dere be angels all over da pwace
here and dey wikes to hold fewets. Dey wubbs our ears and scratchies
our chins, and dey pway wiff us. And when you be missting yur mom, when
da angels hold you, tink 'bout yur mom and da angel feel and smell just
wike her when dey holds you" Soda explained to them.

Grace and Katie stepped out from the group facing Nanna. They defiantly
had something on their minds they wanted to ask. "Nanna cans we show
Hopes and MoonShaders awound here at da Bwidge? Pwease Ms Nanna, cans
we" the girls asked. "We gots wots of quessions to asksis bout da
mamma, we wants to hear how da odder fewets be doin" Katie stated.

Looking at all the little faces of the Ferret Haven Clan, how could
Nanna refuse? Expressions on the faces of the ferrets were bright, eyes
big and round, a few had tears in their eyes, they were missing home
but wanted to hear all about deir ferret mom and da odder fewets.

"I think that would be fine" Nanna told the group. There are certainly
enough ferrets here to show you both around and help to get you
settled.

Watching the little group and seeing how happy there were to be
reunited with two of their ferret friends, this made Nanna very happy.
Going over to Klancy, Nanna put a gentle paw on his shoulder, "you
did a good job finding every one Klancy' Nanna told him.

"Tanks Nanna, I twies hard to be a Bwidge Helpers" Klancy told her.
"I wants to grows up to be a Bwidge Gweeter someday.'

Stepping away from the group, EmmyLou hurried over to Muldoone. She
motioned for him to bend down so she could tell him something, she then
whispered in his ear and gave him a tender kiss on one of his little
furry cheeks. "Tanks for all you does Misser Muldoonie."

Muldoone was blushed bright red under the fur on his face. Looking into
the beautiful saphire blue eyes of EmmyLou, he gently reached down and
adjusted the delicate bow under her chin holding her lovely bonnet in
place. "You bees welcomes EmmyWou, I bees gwad I could helps" Mully
told the little ferret.

~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.

http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html

[Posted in FML 5587]