Hi, all.
 
Met a little guy named Sterling at the Bridge.  I was there along with
his business the Benita Gang, all eleven of them!  Sterling came across
calmly, until he realized that his business was waiting.  Then there were
*twelve* dooking, leaping, popping, wardancing, and hissing weasels!  It
was some time before I could get a word in edgewise.
 
Finally, it was my turn.  I delivered a message to the boys from their
Mommy Benita.  She said that the boys were to be gentlemen to the girls.
Similarly, the girls were to be ladies to the boys.
 
Well, they just laughed and laughed when I told them all that.  They want
their Mommy to know that this whole Business hangs their hammies together
every night, and always will.  Sure, there's a little hissing and nipping
from time to time, but they love one another very much.  They all say,
Sterling, too, that they love Benita most of all.
 
Last I saw of them, the whole bunch was headed out to the giant red
sandstone canyon full to the brim with rolls of white toilet paper to
shred.
 
I met a little guy named Popcorn.  I filled him in, gave him the big
picture, so to speak.  His first question was "Are there any insoles
here?" Well, of course there are!  This is the ferret Afterlife!
 
I took him to the field of sneakers and workboots.  Tens of thousands
of them lie in the long grass beneath a blossoming cherry orchard, which
is always in bloom.  The petals fall like the most delicate, soft pink
snowflakes when the breeze blows.  There are basketball sneakers,
cross-training sneakers, the little white ones that nurses wear.  There
are Motorcycle boots, hiking boots, and about a hundred other types that
I can't even remember.  *All* of them have rubber insoles inside, every
single one.  There are piles of stashed insoles here and there all over
the ferret Afterlife regions!  It's a rule, though, that you may not drop
any insoles into the Fruit Bar.
 
Popcorn wants to say hi to his hoomins,Yvonne and Derek, and Sherry, too.
He wants them to know that he will be happy here.  There is so much for
him to see and do, so many new friends to meet!  But he will always love
his Mommy and Daddy best of all.
 
I met a little guy named Dakota.  We took a walk to the Ferretone
Fountain together,along with his business Buster, Mocha, Stinky, Zippy,
and Sophie.  He told me about himself, and his hobbies.  I gave him some
advice, and after the six of them slurp up some Ferretone, they are going
to head to the Electronics Warehouse.
 
Dakota himself really likes remote controls (the rubber buttons are so
delicious to gnaw on, and there are no intestinal blockages up here,
ever.) The Warehouse will have something for him, maybe a Palm Pilot or a
super fancy entertainment center remote, or even a cellphone.  It's all
there!  He wants to thank his Mommy and Daddy, Dawn and Dan, for all the
love that they gave him.  The whole Business feels the same way!  There
is no illness here, only beautiful and interesting days, and the best
naps any of them could ever have imagined.
 
Grandmother Pepper came across the Bridge after a long life.  She said
that she had been dreaming about the Bridge for a long time, and was
greatful to finally go to her reward.  I introduced her to two
grandmothers who like to travel together, and to literally stop and smell
the roses.  And the gardenias, and the freesias, and the chrysanthemums,
and all the other flowers that bloom in great profusion here every day of
the week.  True, their bodies are young again here, but the older guys
have a special appreciation for the little things that some of the "kids"
lack.
 
The two other ladies lead Grandmother Pepper to a forest of the most
beautiful mature wisteria vines.  They had a blast climbing the
vines,smelling the frothy purple blossoms, and chatting about the good
old days.  Pepper wants her Mommy to know that she never imagined that
the lands across the Bridge were so very beautiful!  She is certain that
she will be happy here, and sends here most sincere love to her Mama,
Barbara.  She wants Bubbles to know that she will be here, waiting!
 
I met another Grandmother, Freckles.  She seemed a bit sad and lost here,
so I lay down with her in a Recovery hammie for a while, and we had a
long talk.  Her Business Ragamuffin and Smudge(Smudge sees and hears
just fine, now!) stood up to the edge of the hammie, and explained that
Freckles was only really happy when she was taking care of Kits and
little ones.  Washing their ears, grooming them, etc.
 
Well, of course that can be arranged!  We have lots of little ones
crossing the Bridge all the time, especially tiny Kits who never lived
to weaning.  We got Freckles settled in a nesting box of beautiful white
birch wood.  She has her own "litter", here, forever.  Some of the Kits
will eventually grow stronger, and move on, but there are more coming in
all of the time, and they desperately need the sort of love that Freckles
can give them.  We are very greatful to have her here!  Fostering is very
hard work,and not everybody has a knack for it.  Freckles is a natural!
Freckles wants her Mommy Peg to know that she has never been happier.
She loves her "babies", and she loves her work.  She wants to thank Peg
for teaching her what love is in the first place.
 
I met another little guy, too.  I have been waiting for him for a very
long time, missing him.  He is my brother, and we both cried when he
came across the Bridge.  This is very personal, it is hard for me to
talk about.  I just want to thank some very special Hoomins for taking
care of us and loving us.  We will never forget you.
 
My brother and I are going to walk through the field of prarie tallgrass
and wildflowers this evening, lay on our backs, and watch the stars fall,
and remember.
 
Thank you for listening.
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4322]