Dear Sue,

I was sitting on my veranda, and listening to Mozart's Zaide 344: Aria
Ruhe Sanft and giggling as I see my spell checker having a fit over the
very old words it can not comprehend. Kind of like a ferret, we may
always be young at heart, but no one is ever going to figure us out
entirely, because we too many mysteries to share, and just as many
surprises - not all of them welcomed, I admit - such as when we leave
you what my mum fondly refers to as "Easter Eggs" in places where are
soft furry back sides should NOT be able to get!

Surprise!

It was indeed a very warm day, and as much as I enjoyed working in my
butterfly garden, I can not tell you just how relieved I was when my
brother Hobbes came huffing up to my side and told me he would not give
me my scroll until I gave him some nice, cold iced-tea. He is such a
grouch. Here I had thought that when he left his earthly life, he would
change and become sweet and loving, but nope, he is still as grouchy
here, as he was there and I think for him, he looks at it as he is
merely perfecting his best attributes!

So iced-tea served and scroll in hand, I began to read. I was driven to
tears, as I always am, to find out that he was your last personal
ferret, and how he had come into your life at such a young age. A
delicate, and tiny kit with the will to survive being separated from
his birth mum at such a tender age. He of course attributed your love
as the reason for his long life and for his very survival at such a
young age. What a full life he had, and what a kind, warm and loving
mum. I of course remembered all of his siblings that I had greeted
before, so you can imagine how happy I was that I would be looking them
up, either that, or they would find me, knowing Kaleb was well on his
way.

Then I read the part about him being your little trouble maker and
could not help but laugh, for my mum, Hobbes was the resident trouble
maker, so I asked him if would like to come along with me. He just
stood there for a moment, tea glass in hand, and then this HUGE smile
broke over his face. He set down the tea and made a running dash right
into my arms.

"Oh thank you, thank you Pie. I have always wanted to go on a greeting
with you. I know you have asked Obi and Tisha to come with you in the
past, and I have to admit being a bit jealous, so for you to ask me....
oh what joy", and he proceeded to dance about, in what I can only
describe as a very well choreographed war dance - if such things do
exist that is.

Then he grabbed a hold of my paw and dragged me off into that warm and
sunny afternoon in search of your beloved fuzzits! Our first stop was
to the Sunflower Fields, where I knew I would find Timmy moving his
stash of crocheted eggs. He was forever doing that since he got those
beautiful, shiny blue wings, and Hobbes told me he was just showing
off, like usual and I looked at him and I called him a jealous twit!

He proceeded to stick his tongue out at me - how mature right? Or is
that, how ferret like?

Sure enough, Timmy came in for a landing, and he had with him a
crocheted bag FULL of his eggs. He was bouncing about and telling us we
just HAD to get down to the Viewing Pool because everyone had gathered
there.

"We are all looking over Mommie right now, she could really use a few
more ferret angels on her shoulder, would you two mind joining me?",
and off he flew!

Needless to say we were right behind him and airborne in just a matter
of seconds. I don't get much "air" time, so when I do, I make sure to
appreciate it, because the view from up there is really quite amazing.
There are more then just fuzzits up here, and from above you can see
where everyone enjoys living. Me, I love going over to Otter Haven and
hanging ten with my water-loving cousins. My all time favorite place to
hover over and to hang out at, is called The Human Reunion Center or
HRC for short. This is the place for mums and dad's from all walks of
life come to find their beloved furry, feathered and scalely children.

Seeing that kind of reunion is the most magical site of all, because I
am seeing a family that is now complete. Makes me wish for the day when
my mum and dad will be here for me, in the mean time I'll greet, and I
will do the very best so they will have something to be proud of me
for, but if you asked my mum, she would say she was proud just having
me.

When we alighted onto the ground, there was indeed a very large party
of Hayes Kids, and quite a few I had not greeted, so therefore never
got the chance to meet, but now I would. There was Faroke, Aires,
Cowboy and that stunning, fuzzit dude, Maxwell Clark. What a joyful
meeting, and even better still by the faces I knew and loved .....
Peebles, Hershel Frye, Timmy, Bam Bam and Edward. What a fun "business"
we made, and what a greeting we would bestow upon Kaleb.

It was very quick trip to the Bridge, and along the way we found these
comfortable chefs coats with our names embroidered on it. It made me
wonder if the Big Guy was going to star us in his version of Rainbow
Bridge Kitchen, but I was willing to wait and see. When we did get
to the Bridge itself, there was indeed the strangest site. It was a
kitchen, and a HUGE recipe book was set up, turned oddly enough to
"Angel Food Cake" - and so we baked, but fuzzits are not known for
following prescribed directions, and neither are we neat. So you have
to imagine this, 13 fuzzits, all covered in a variety of cooking items,
anything from flour, to eggs, to the oddly placed icing, even though
Angel Food cake does not require frosting, we felt it did .... rainbow
frosting as a matter of fact, a double rainbow which was requested by
Bam Bam and Edward.

As Kaleb passed into the Rainbow Bridge "kitchen", he was hugged and
kissed and loved on by everyone so by the time we presented him with
his double, rainbow-frosted, angel food cake, he looked just as messy
as the rest of us! On the cake, in not so neat writing, it said "To
Mommies Little Trouble Maker - Welcome Kaleb!" Of course we decided it
was a moral imperative to a slice, or a paw full, but Kaleb insisted
we be neat about it. He reached into the back pack he was carrying and
doled out baby bottle caps, and we proceeded to fill them to the brim
with the cake and began the party.

After having quite a bit of cake, Kaleb came to me. He had in his arms
what he told me was his "Goofy Doll", his favorite toy. That you had
packed it away along with the bottle caps and he was ever so happy to
have a part of you with him. The best part he had, was and will always
be your love.

And as I end this greeting, it early evening, and Mozart is still
playing, and we - Kaleb and the others - are sitting outside, listening
the the music of Mozart and of cricket songs and we are sharing are
very best and most beloved memories of the lives we shared on earth.

One day you will arrive at the HRC, and you know it's going to be such
a grand and beautiful reunion. Until then, know they do look out for
you and love you always.

In Love and in Comfort,

Pie O' Pah

[Posted in FML 6772]