Musty Pete checks on Cher-Bear and Zebediah A while back Sue and Dave and The Winchester Weezils asked me to check on their Bridge Babies, Cher-Bear and Zebediah. Cher-Bear was a beautiful sable who was very much loved by Sue and Dave and their family. They miss her every day. Cher-Bear had gotten sick and Sue and Dave took her to their Vet, she seemed to improve and then suddenly her time came to cross over The Rainbow Bridge. Zebediah [lovingly nick-named Zebby] had leukemia. Sue and Dave did the best they could for Zebby, and he held on for a long time, but eventually they had to make a very tough decision to help Zebby cross over. Zebby was a handsome sable boy. It took a bit of traveling on my part to locate Zebby and Cher-Bear, the Rainbow Bridge community is a fairly big place. At first I checked the Newbie Dorms, but they hadn't been there....never even checked in. But mostly the younger ferts stay at The Dorms, it's sort of like being at school. They form small groups and hang out together. I asked around and Francis Ferret told me she had heard of a small group of fuzzbutts who were staying in a cottage somewhere near the Pool Of Remembrance. There aren't many homes on that side of The Meadows, but I decided I would hike over there and check it out. It's a good walk, so I decided to have lunch before I left. I was about to ask Francis to join me when she piped up and announced she had made a lovely chicken and raisin casserole and asked if I'd like to stay and share a meal with her. I'm telling you...if I wasn't waiting for my Fancy girl, I might just ask Miss Francis for a date. She is such a sweet lady. And she is one fine chef!! Lunch was delicious! I even had seconds. With a full belly and needing a nap, I left Francis' purple cottage and began my search. I guess I can always have a nap later... All I really knew was that I was searching for two good-looking sables, and I knew their names....hopefully luck would be on my side. I walked for a while and met Baxter, Tazzy and Ginger over in the far side of The Meadows. They were having a picnic and napping in the warm autumn sun. I sat with them for a few minutes, really wishing I could lay down in the cool grass and have a quick nap but knowing I had a task at hand. I asked the picnickers if they knew Zebby and Cher-Bear, Tazzy thought he'd met them a while ago and directed me towards the same area that Francis had mentioned, out past The Pool Of Remembrance. I said my goodbyes and continued my trek, hoping to find them and get back home before sunset. As I walked I noticed some of the subtle changes nature endures as the seasons change. Leaves were turning crimson and orange from their summertime greens and yellows. Many wildflowers had finished their summer jobs and now lay wilted and sad in the fields...only to return next Spring. The Rainbow Bridge is a constant reminder of the cycles of life. Everything is created, lives life in service to others or to nature and then passes on, but with every Spring comes a renewal of life and the cycle begins again. The one true lesson is that life never ends in The Rainbow Bridge community. We are always waiting for reunions, for loved ones to join us and then when we travel to the Great Beyond, life is everlasting. Death is a part of Life, and even though it saddens our hearts, it should also bring us hope, for one day we will all be reunited with every single one of our loved ones who have passed on before us. Nearing the end of my search I came upon The Pool Of Remembrance.... should I stop for just a moment and check on Fancy? I haven't been here in a while, and the urge to gaze down on her was just too strong for me to ignore. And The Pool itself is so tantalizingly glorious to behold. The sun glints off the sparkling clear water, enticing you, almost hypnotic in it's existence. I sat by the waters edge and dangled my paw, the water was so cool and refreshing...I could stay here forever. As the ripples settled, I gazed down into the clear blue pool and I focused on Fancy Ferret, the only girlie fert I ever loved. Like magic, an image began to form and I could see Fancy, she was lounging in her hammie in the home that used to be mine and hers. She was almost asleep, her soft eyes barely open, her breathing came slowly and she hovered on the edge of peaceful slumber....I wondered if she was thinking of me at that moment. I imagined that she was, and I blew her a kiss and pledged my undying love to her....then, sadly, I had to say goodbye. I had to finish my quest and find Zebediah and Cher-Bear before evening fell. I had only been this far out in the community a few times in all the time I have lived here. As I left the comfort of the Pool Of Remembrance I walked down a well worn path where I knew there were some cottages. I could hear playful laughter up ahead and hurried along the path. I came upon a cluster of cottages, they were surrounded by mounds of moss and wildflowers, covered by a canopy of of old oaks. It was beautiful and now I understood why someone might want to live so far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in The Rainbow Bridge Community. As I approached the first cottage a very pretty albino noticed me and waved, I walked over and introduced myself and found out her name was Lustre. I asked if she knew of Zebby and Cher-Bear and she nodded happily, "Oh Yes, they live next door! Come on! I'll introduce you!" She held out a pristine white paw, which I happily accepted and we went to the next cottage. She knocked on the cottage door, then entered without waiting for anyone to answer. "We are all like family here." she said, "No secrets." "Zebby? This nice fert has been looking for you!" I saw a sable ferret, with his back to me, he was re-arranging the furniture in his cottage. He turned and looked and said "Who are you?" I introduced myself, again and asked if he was Zebediah. "That's me! You can call me Zebby, everybody does." I told Zebby that I was there to check on him and Cher-Bear, at the request of their Earth Mom and Dad, Sue and Dave. I explained that their Earth family wanted to be sure that both Zebby and Cher-Bear were happy and had settled in at The Rainbow Bridge. "Oh we are fine and dandy!" exclaimed Zebediah. I asked where Cher-Bear was and Zebby told me she had gone into the Far Meadows to pick an end of the summer bouquet of wildflowers and get some herbs for tea. I asked him also why they had chosen to live so far away from most of the other residents on the Rainbow Bridge community. His answer was so simple, and made perfect sense to me.... "Well, when I first came here, I met Lustre and she showed me around... one of the places she took me to was the Pool Of Remembrance. She showed me how to use the Pool so I could check on my Earth Mom and Dad, and all my friends. It is such a beautiful, magical place that I decided I would live as close to it as I could. I can go to the Pool every day and check on my loved ones, and that gives me great comfort and makes my heart sing with joy!" I nodded, fully understanding because I also derive such joy from my visits to The Pool. Zebby invited me to stay for dinner with them, but I declined, explaining that I'd much rather head home and fall into a deep and happy sleep in the comfort of my own hammie. He asked me to be sure to tell Sue and Dave, and the Winchester Weezils that he and Cher-Bear are fine. They are happy and that they are watching from above most every day. One day they will all be reunited, until then, Zebby and Cher-Bear have each other. Send Bridge greeting requests to: [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 5372]