Hi, all-
 
I met a little guy coming across the Bridge.  I was kind of worried about
him, because he left the World of the Living very unexpectedly, when he
was under anesthesia.  It wasn't at all painful, but something like that
can be very confusing!  His Brother in Fur Popcorn waited with me to meet
the new guy, Rascal.
 
Well, Rascal didn't really understand what had happened at first.
Popcorn and I snuggled with him in a soft fleece Recovery Hammie for a
while.  We gently explained what had happened, and where he was now.  His
first concern was for his Mommy, Yvonne.  He knew that his passing would
make her very sad!  And he would miss her, as well.
 
Popcorn and I explained that someday, a long time from now, he would see
her again, and then he could thank her for all the love and care that she
gave him.  That thought made him feel better.  Popcorn groomed one of
Rascal's ears, and I sucked on the other for a long time.  (It's a ferret
thing, Hoomins wouldn't understand, but it comforts us!)
 
Rascal decided that he wanted to hang his hammie with Popcorn, at least
for a while.  Popcorn lived in a burrow that some wild Black Footed
ferrets had dug out of some sandy soil near a creek bed, then abandoned.
The burrow was very nice!  It was dark and cool inside, but not too damp
to be comfortable.  Roots stuck out from the tunnel walls here and there,
but they were no bother.
 
Popcorn gave us a tour.  It was actually Rascal who saw the back chambers
first, and started dooking and laughing.  They were absolutely FULL, from
floor to ceiling, with piles of mismatched rubber shoe insoles.  Big
ones, small ones, fresh ones, old ones.  Blue, black, gray, and white
ones.  Flat ones, curled ones, chewed ones, smooth ones.  Hundreds of
them!
 
Popcorn, it seems, is a collector.
 
Well, I've seen stranger collections, bigger ones, too.  This one was
pretty substantial, though!  Some ferrets seem drawn to rubber, and
others to shiny things.  Me, I like both equally, but Popcorn's
collection was obviously a labor of love.
 
Rascal said that he thought it best that he stay only long enough to get
established, long enough to get his bearings.  Popcorn looked kind of
relieved when he heard that, relieved in a guilty way!  He is obviously
a serious collector, and probably the thought of having a house guest
blundering through his collection is enough to make his fur stand on end!
He wasn't going to say anything though.  Fortunately, the bond between
the two of them is deep enough that they can be honest with one another,
and not get upset over one another's quirks.  The best friendships are
like that!
 
We ferrets often have to forge close alliances, it's necessary when you
have to share a cage!  We know a lot about compromise, though it's not
apparent to most Hoomins.  I don't think that they could handle being
caged, do you?
 
Anyway, Rascal is fine where he is for the moment.  He's also looking
forward to picking out his own home sometime in the near future.  I'm
sure the two will stay in touch.  Me, I need to get back to work!
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4396]