Popcorn left for The Bridge yesterday.  She was 8 1/2 years old.
 
Born in October, 1991, I rescued her when she was just a few months old,
borrowing my sister's Camaro to drive into Center City Philadelphia - where
I had never been before - because I had to "come right now or we'll have to
get rid of her".  That was right around Thanksgiving of 1991.  I hated her
name when we first got her, but wasn't going to bother changing it since
she was just passing through as a rescue.  Well, she ferreted her way into
our hearts and was officially adopted on Christmas Day, 1991.  By that time
I had come to love her name, as it fit her perfectly.  Popcorn, my little
white bouncy bit of fluff.
 
A stunningly white albino, her fur was almost pure white her entire life
and very thick, not thinning and acquiring the normal yellow hue of albinos
until very late in life.  She was absolutely stunning.
 
All was ideal until her dear friends, Percy and Bree, passed away just a
few days from each other in the fall of 1995.  She became very lonely, so
we adopted Graham as her friend.  She didn't particularly like him very
much, but they did grow to become friends.  He passed away last summer.
She didn't seem particularly lonely this time, so we decided not to put
her through getting used to another ferret.
 
She has been on borrowed time for a year and a half.  We almost put her
down around Thanksgiving two years ago due to extreme psychotic behaviors
related to adrenals.  Thank God we found Dr. Weiss who put us in the Lupron
program.  Lupron gave Graham 6 months, and Popcorn a year and a half of
really great quality life that they wouldn't have had otherwise.
 
This past week, Popcorn slowly stopped eating.  I don't know if she was
sick or just decided it was her time to go.  She seemed slightly nauseated,
but in no particular pain.  She slowly lost strength until we gave her the
final gift of letting her go yesterday.  She left very peacefully, with
George and me right by her side the entire time.  Her body rests beneath a
beautiful flowering cherry tree, currently in full bloom, on my parents'
property, with her best friends Percy, Bree, and Graham.  She's wrapped in
her favorite fleece shirt, and has a pair of my good socks that she liked
to steal after she developed adrenal symptoms.  Her soul is not under that
tree, but somewhere happy.  Hopefully playing with Percy, Bree, Graham,
Cinnamon, and Winnie at the Bridge, waiting for the day when we can all be
together again.
 
Now, it is with great sadness that I must say goodbye to the FML.  I have
been a member of the FML for about 10 years, although I haven't been very
active for the last several years.  There are still many here that may
remember the days when I was very outspoken.  Sadly, Popcorn was my last
ferret.  There is no more jingle of ferret bells running around the house.
So, I will be unsubscribing.  Bill, if you would please take care of that?
 
Goodbye everyone.  Thank you for so many great years.  It has been a thrill
to be on the FML through the happy times and the tears.  This list has been
an integral part of making ferrets legal in many areas of the country, and
in getting the rabies vaccine recognized.  This list has educated thousands
and thousands of ferret owners, helping ferrets live longer and happier
lives.  We have spread the word and encouraged veterinarians who experiment
with new methods in treating ferrets.  This is a great and powerful group.
The ferret community is a very different world now than it was that first
day I walked into a pet store 11 1/2 years ago and brought home my first
ferret, Percy.  This list is a huge part of that change.  BIG can be proud
of what he and Chris Lewis have accomplished.  Never let the petty
arguments and politics make you forget what you have here.
 
Godspeed my dearest Popcorn, and goodbye to the wonderful people on the
FML.  I wish you all the best.
 
- Nancy Stephens
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[Posted in FML issue 3035]