Hi, all.
 
Well, Bandit and I could hardly believe it.  Only ten days after I
greeted Bandit here at my side of the Bridge, his Brother in Fur,
Smokey, was coming across, too.
 
Smokey was a little dazed when he came across.  His Momma Sally had raced
to the Vet's office to be with him when he passed, and she had just
barely made it, as the last of his spirit left his body.  He remembers
her voice, but that is all.  Just that, and the love in that voice.  He
was so very tired, but he will never forget that love, or his Momma.
 
Smokey and Bandit climbed into a Recovery Hammock for a little while
together, just until Smokey got his bearings.  They talked for a bit
quietly, as close friends do when something very important has happened.
 
Then, they both slid out and hopped into the grass together, and came to
me.  We chatted a little bit, but Smokey didn't really need anything from
me, Bandit had filled him in on all of the important stuff..
 
Smokey knew exactly where he wanted to to go!  Bandit and I helped him
strap his wings on, and the three of us flew off together to the high
mountains at the end of the After World.  It's a veeeery long flap!
 
Those mountains are all frosted with snow, and dotted with fresh smelling
pine forests that climb up the sides, but don't make it quite to the top.
The guys wanted to go all the way to the top, where it is so beautiful,
and cold, and quiet, and still, and the sky is so blue.
 
We dug a little hole in the snow, and the three of us lay down together
atop the highest peak, each with nose to tail tip to keep our faces warm.
We could see our breath, as we waited for the rest of Smokey and Bandit's
Business to come fly to meet us.  We could see them coming from very far
away, more than half a dozen in formation!
 
They landed near us one by one in a puff of snow each time, and there
was so much rejoicing and nuzzling and dooking and hopping in the snow.
Smokey started to run downhill, yelling "Catch me!" over his shoulder.
We all started running down, too, as fast as we all could.  It was so
exciting!  It was half running, half sliding.  Sometimes I couldn't
really even see because of the sun's glare against all that whiteness,
but I ran, anyway.  We all did.  It felt wonderful.
 
We're halfway down, now, but we're taking a little break at a cafe in the
pines, where can lap up some hot chocolate, then we're going to race to
the bottom!
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4334]