Hi, All.
 
We had a really busy weekend up here.
 
It started out with a big ruckus!  A little guy named Spunky Winkerbean
came across the bridge with all four legs.  Trouble was, he didn't want
that left rear leg back, the one that the cat took in the World of the
Living.  He was stomping around in circles trying to get a look at it,
and using some very bad words.  I tried explaining that The Big Boss can
arrange anything.  Sometimes we do get these 'refusals' here, but the
little guy showed me his fang and poofed on me just then!
 
Whew!  We got everything squared away, but it was more excitement than we
are used to up here.  Spunky is back to having three legs again, and that
settled him right down.  He wants his Mommy and Daddy to know that he
loved them very much.  He says you can have his blue beanie bunny.  He
says you should try carrying it in your mouth, that's the only way to
really appreciate it.
 
I spent some time with Grandfather Smokey.  He came across the Bridge in
a very calm and composed manner.  He said that he had been dreaming about
it for a while.  He lay down to close his eyes for a bit, and the next
thing he knew he was already halfway across.  His business was waiting
for him.  He went off to explore the tube tunnels with Bandit, Mindy,
Mandy, and Podo.  Before he left (he was really looking forward to seeing
the clear tunnels made from rock candy) he asked me to send his regards
to Daisy, and his Mommy and Daddy, Linda and Duane.  He said that he is
very excited to finally go to his Reward, and he knows that he will find
wonderful things waiting for him here.  He says he will see you all
again, someday.  Please don't be sad!
 
I only had a minute with Grandmother Layla.  She came running across the
Bridge, dooking and wardancing.  I had to get the heck out of her way!
She was yelling "YA-HOO!  I haven't felt so good in YEARS!"  She finally
tripped over her own feet and rolled on the ground like a tumbleweed,
but she laughed and she got right up.  She skidded to a stop in front of
me and put her head down for a few quiet moments.  She said "Al is the
best man that ever lived.  I will always believe that."  Then she tore
off down the road like a ball of fire, and I haven't seen her since!
 
Grandfather Ra and I had a nice talk.  He wanted to know where the best
hill was to see the sun come up from behind every morning.  He wants to
stand in front of the dawn and remember his humans, Ed and Susan, who
let him see the sun one last time in the World of the Living.  We took a
walk, and I showed him what I thought would be a good place.  I'm going
to meet him there tomorrow just a little bit before dawn.  I hope he'll
show up.  The last I saw of him he was sharing a beer with a business of
wild black-footed ferrets.  They had just knocked a fresh cold one over
onto the ground, and were lapping up the foamy puddle it made in the
grass.  Those BFF's can be pretty rowdy.
 
I checked in on a little guy named Jiggs for his Mommy, Angie, who misses
him so much.  I sat down in a field of lush green grass and sunny yellow
buttercups with him, and his business Luna and Slim.  The three of them
told me about Angie.  How kind she was, how she taught them about love
and companionship.  They even told a few funny stories about her.  Jiggs
says of course he knows his Mommy loved him.  That love shaped the ferret
that he is today, and will be forever.  He knows how fiercely she fought
to protect him from his final illness, but all things have a beginning
and an ending, otherwise we wouldn't miss them when they were over.  We
simply wouldn't care.  Our days in the World of the Living are sweet
because they are so few.  Yes, he is happy now, and there is no more
illness.  His only regret is that his Mommy is so sad.  He wants you to
pick the first buttercup you see, and think of him.  He'll be thinking
of you.
 
Last, but certainly not the least, was my visit with Bubba, and his
business of Trooper, Casper, Murray, Rusty, Mr. Snowman, Isis, and Ossi.
Bubba was trying to decide where to hang his hammie.  This business
spends a lot of time together, but they don't all sleep in the same
place.  They say that would just be too much togetherness.  When I spoke
with him Bubba was giving serious consideration to a 1965 Lincoln
Continental, a shiny black one.  This is the model with one rear-facing
set of doors, the so-called 'suicide' doors.  Bubba really, really, liked
it.  It was parked beneath a shady maple tree, so it would never get too
hot.  He was talking about the possibility of emptying out some of the
stuffing from inside the rear bench seat, and having a nest there.  He
did stop to talk to me about his Mommy and Daddy, Lydia and Ben.  He said
that a ferret couldn't have finer humans than that.  He knows he will
miss them, (especially the full-body massages), but he is also excited
about his new life here.
 
I heard later that Buddy and Isis have decided to move into the Lincoln
together, at least long enough to customize it the way Buddy wants it.
They are gnawing a hole through the black interior leather of that bench
seat as I speak.  It will take weeks to rip it up enough to make it
livable for a ferret!
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4313]