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]