Hi, all. I am sorry to have missed wednesday night's deadline, but my hoomin was pretty much down for repairs. Back to work. I met a little girl coming across the worn wooden planks of the Bridge. Her name was Princess Mocha. She came across slowly, sniffing the air as she walked. Finally, she came right up to me and touched noses. She smelled a little bit like Fritos, but then most of us ferrets do. We both smiled and groomed one another's ears and faces a bit. I asked her how she felt and she said that she felt as though she had just enjoyed a particularly long, restful nap. A really good one, and now she was all mellow. I suggested that we take a walk in the Rose Garden while we waited for her friend Bubbie, who was running late. Princess Mocha liked that idea, so we walked single file along the little trail through the long grass that lead to the rose garden. It was only about a two or three minute trot. I never tire of the Rose Garden. The roses are always in bloom. We stood up on our back feet to press our snouts into the huge pink, white, red, and yellow blossoms. We both got pollen on our whiskers, it tastes like black Chinese tea when you lick it off. As good as the roses are, I think I like the bark mulch almost as much. Princess Mocha completely buried her head in bark mulch at one point! It's hard to be a Princess with mulch on your head, but she managed, somehow. Finally, we saw Bubbie off in the distance, a little bit beyond a planting of blue forget-me-nots and pink dianthus. It was time to renew an old friendship. What a lovely morning! I met a little guy coming across the Bridge. He didn't walk, he danced, he spun, he galloped! His name was Night Wolf, and he felt so very, very good and strong again as he hadn't in a long time. I'm, ah, not really supposed to take a personal interest in these things, but I must say...Night Wolf was one fetching Hob! He skidded to a stop at the end of the Bridge and said "You must be Sandee. I dreamt of you! I dreamt of this whole place on the long nights when the ADV made me feel so old and tired and stiff in my hammie." I said "Your Mommy was worried that you wouldn't understand what was happening, because she couldn't be with you to tell you." Night wolf said "Oh no, I've been dreaming about the Bridge for about a year now. Good dreams of clear, cool water to play in, and a field of old attic trunks full of interesting things to climb around in and stash. Toys. Little machines. Gizmos. Is all of that real?" "All of it," I said. "Where do you want to begin?" "Well," he said, "I really want to...wait a minute. Is my Mommy still worrying about me? I can't have that." "No, it'll be O.K. We'll send her a message to let her know that you got here. Before you go snorkeling in the spring, or after?" I'm not going to tell you which it was! Some day, a long time from today, she can ask him herself. I met another little girl coming across the Bridge. Her name was Charlotte, and I had someone very special waiting for her with me. A kit, Charlotte's precious little kit, who crossed the Bridge when there was an earthquake in the World of the Living. A pack of Wild Black Footed Ferrets (The very best diggeers among us) dug a lovely burrow for them, and lined it with sweet, fresh, sun dried grass. Charlotte had no interest in anything I had to say to her about her strap on wings, or her welcome hammie. She just wanted me to lead her to that burrow once I mentioned it, so I did. She picked up her tiny kit in her mouth and I lead the way through the grass,the kit swinging back and forth, a long procession of proud Wild Black Footed Ferrets following behind us like a parade. After a few minutes trot we came to the entrance and she and the kit zipped inside! I wonder if we are going to be seeing much of Charlotte? I think she may already have everything she could possibly ask for, right by her side. Sandee [Posted in FML issue 4603]