Let me first say, Thank You for your friendship, especially at this time.
I sit here, with a strange mix's of feelings of relief and sadness, with
the loss of Snow Flake, Friday afternoon.  I try to put into words, what
her presence's here with us, for the last 3 1/2 years meant and I find
her soft, quiet & reserved nature is truly missed by all.  This I do for
me, I'm sorry it's long, but it comes from my heart.
 
In June/July 1999, New Zealand Sam was here visiting and I got a call
from Chris from Ferret Anonymous Lost & Found concerning a "Lost/Found"
young DEW Female, that had wondered into a Jewish Retirement Home, in
the College Area and crawled up into a gentle old man's lap and went to
sleep.  His family was there and took her home for a couple of weeks.
Posters were placed, but no one answered the signs.  The man Family
called her "White Booger" in Spanish.  The family loved her, but wanted
her to be happy and thought she'd be better off with a ferret family.  I
had wanted a DEW and even though, I had just helped Claudia cross over
the Bridge, something tugged at my heart and I told Chris I would gladly
take her and Gary (S.O.) was immediately taken to her and she with him.
As I learned, she LOVED men and couldn't quit kissing them.  I got kisses
too, in time, but never like she gave men.
 
The Day she arrived, Sam, Chris & I figured she was about 3 or 4 years
old.  She was small, white, had a shorter than normal tail, large dark
eyes, 1 black whisker, and a beauty mark on her left cheek of her face.
We noticed she also had a cold and an odd bulge between her tummy and her
left rear leg which made her stand awkward and unstable.  Off she went to
the vets, antibiotics for the runny noise and the bulge didn't turn out
to be a hernia, as the vet first thought, but scar tissue from a injury
long ago, which left her permanently "Specially Challenged." I never saw
her actually War Dance.
 
Trying to introduce her to the 4 Closet Thieves, was a tough battle and
every time they got near her, she would scream, adding to the need to
tease her more.  After a month of short No-wins introductions into the
Closet Thieves, I put Moose, the "Mello Dude" into her cage for the night
and the next day, he won her & the rest of the group followed suit.
Moose always love the blondes; he always watched over her and became her
favorite.
 
She love going to the F A meetings, she seems to love meeting other
ferrets.  Almost like she was expecting someone.  Then one night, last
year it happened.  I don't know what it was, but my quiet, shy, reserve
little lady went bonkers on some young dude and was all over him.  She
was excited and hop so much, all of us 2 Leggers couldn't believe this
was Snow Flake.  Sadly, the little dude (& his folks) never made it back,
to another meeting.  But that one night, will remain a memory I will
cherish.  I saw her sparkle and happy beyond anything I had ever seen.
You think you know your kids, then they up & surprise you one day and
it's never the same.
 
Another day last year, I noticed (that fast) that she had Grown Tired and
Senile and stopped eating on her own, she did drink water, but that was
it.  The worse thing was she also stopped giving kisses to anyone.  She
loved her duck soup while being held, then it was ok, take me back to
bed, I'm ready for a nap.  Oh please do you have to kiss me.  (That hurt!
But I kissed her anyways and more often.)
 
Fall last year, Moose came down sick with Megaesphous and also had to be
helped to cross over, Snow Flake she grew even quieter and solom.  Where
my Snow Flake went, I never found out, but the little Old Lady that
remained was sweet and seems to enjoy my company up to about last week.
She started loosing control, unable to get around and she hated that.  I
sense she was telling me she was misable, and peace was not coming, could
I please help.  On our last adventure in the car, I told her, she would
find her Moose, meet Sam, Claudia & Scarlett O'Ferret, also that Harley
Bug, Ben & Missy would be looking for her too.  That actually, she would
have a lot of wonderful friends to keep her busy, safe, & warm while we
are separated.
 
I love this little Old Lady and as much as it broke my heart, I knew it
was Right Thing and the most Loving Thing, I could do for her.  Friday
7th of March, at 5:20 pm, she was released and she rushed out, to re-join
her beloved Moose.
 
Please Sandee, show her where to find the Totally Ferret Food Line, the
tennis ball stash, and a soft & fuzzy hammy to sleep in with Friends to
surround her.  Tell her, the 7 remaining Closet Thieves & I, miss her
very much.  I look forward to the day I rejoin them and see Her & Claudia
Dance, for the first time.
 
Dance On Little Angels, Dance On!
 
Stephanie & the 7 Closet Thieves:
Spanky, Nikki, Ruby Jean, Sonny & Cher, & George & Gracie
TAZ the dog, Dara Nin, Monkey and Tommy the cats
Plus at the Bridge:  Moose, Sam, Claudia, Snow Flake & Scarlett O'Ferret
[Posted in FML issue 4084]