Dear Sue, I was sitting on my veranda, and listening to Mozart's Zaide 344: Aria Ruhe Sanft and giggling as I see my spell checker having a fit over the very old words it can not comprehend. Kind of like a ferret, we may always be young at heart, but no one is ever going to figure us out entirely, because we too many mysteries to share, and just as many surprises - not all of them welcomed, I admit - such as when we leave you what my mum fondly refers to as "Easter Eggs" in places where are soft furry back sides should NOT be able to get! Surprise! It was indeed a very warm day, and as much as I enjoyed working in my butterfly garden, I can not tell you just how relieved I was when my brother Hobbes came huffing up to my side and told me he would not give me my scroll until I gave him some nice, cold iced-tea. He is such a grouch. Here I had thought that when he left his earthly life, he would change and become sweet and loving, but nope, he is still as grouchy here, as he was there and I think for him, he looks at it as he is merely perfecting his best attributes! So iced-tea served and scroll in hand, I began to read. I was driven to tears, as I always am, to find out that he was your last personal ferret, and how he had come into your life at such a young age. A delicate, and tiny kit with the will to survive being separated from his birth mum at such a tender age. He of course attributed your love as the reason for his long life and for his very survival at such a young age. What a full life he had, and what a kind, warm and loving mum. I of course remembered all of his siblings that I had greeted before, so you can imagine how happy I was that I would be looking them up, either that, or they would find me, knowing Kaleb was well on his way. Then I read the part about him being your little trouble maker and could not help but laugh, for my mum, Hobbes was the resident trouble maker, so I asked him if would like to come along with me. He just stood there for a moment, tea glass in hand, and then this HUGE smile broke over his face. He set down the tea and made a running dash right into my arms. "Oh thank you, thank you Pie. I have always wanted to go on a greeting with you. I know you have asked Obi and Tisha to come with you in the past, and I have to admit being a bit jealous, so for you to ask me.... oh what joy", and he proceeded to dance about, in what I can only describe as a very well choreographed war dance - if such things do exist that is. Then he grabbed a hold of my paw and dragged me off into that warm and sunny afternoon in search of your beloved fuzzits! Our first stop was to the Sunflower Fields, where I knew I would find Timmy moving his stash of crocheted eggs. He was forever doing that since he got those beautiful, shiny blue wings, and Hobbes told me he was just showing off, like usual and I looked at him and I called him a jealous twit! He proceeded to stick his tongue out at me - how mature right? Or is that, how ferret like? Sure enough, Timmy came in for a landing, and he had with him a crocheted bag FULL of his eggs. He was bouncing about and telling us we just HAD to get down to the Viewing Pool because everyone had gathered there. "We are all looking over Mommie right now, she could really use a few more ferret angels on her shoulder, would you two mind joining me?", and off he flew! Needless to say we were right behind him and airborne in just a matter of seconds. I don't get much "air" time, so when I do, I make sure to appreciate it, because the view from up there is really quite amazing. There are more then just fuzzits up here, and from above you can see where everyone enjoys living. Me, I love going over to Otter Haven and hanging ten with my water-loving cousins. My all time favorite place to hover over and to hang out at, is called The Human Reunion Center or HRC for short. This is the place for mums and dad's from all walks of life come to find their beloved furry, feathered and scalely children. Seeing that kind of reunion is the most magical site of all, because I am seeing a family that is now complete. Makes me wish for the day when my mum and dad will be here for me, in the mean time I'll greet, and I will do the very best so they will have something to be proud of me for, but if you asked my mum, she would say she was proud just having me. When we alighted onto the ground, there was indeed a very large party of Hayes Kids, and quite a few I had not greeted, so therefore never got the chance to meet, but now I would. There was Faroke, Aires, Cowboy and that stunning, fuzzit dude, Maxwell Clark. What a joyful meeting, and even better still by the faces I knew and loved ..... Peebles, Hershel Frye, Timmy, Bam Bam and Edward. What a fun "business" we made, and what a greeting we would bestow upon Kaleb. It was very quick trip to the Bridge, and along the way we found these comfortable chefs coats with our names embroidered on it. It made me wonder if the Big Guy was going to star us in his version of Rainbow Bridge Kitchen, but I was willing to wait and see. When we did get to the Bridge itself, there was indeed the strangest site. It was a kitchen, and a HUGE recipe book was set up, turned oddly enough to "Angel Food Cake" - and so we baked, but fuzzits are not known for following prescribed directions, and neither are we neat. So you have to imagine this, 13 fuzzits, all covered in a variety of cooking items, anything from flour, to eggs, to the oddly placed icing, even though Angel Food cake does not require frosting, we felt it did .... rainbow frosting as a matter of fact, a double rainbow which was requested by Bam Bam and Edward. As Kaleb passed into the Rainbow Bridge "kitchen", he was hugged and kissed and loved on by everyone so by the time we presented him with his double, rainbow-frosted, angel food cake, he looked just as messy as the rest of us! On the cake, in not so neat writing, it said "To Mommies Little Trouble Maker - Welcome Kaleb!" Of course we decided it was a moral imperative to a slice, or a paw full, but Kaleb insisted we be neat about it. He reached into the back pack he was carrying and doled out baby bottle caps, and we proceeded to fill them to the brim with the cake and began the party. After having quite a bit of cake, Kaleb came to me. He had in his arms what he told me was his "Goofy Doll", his favorite toy. That you had packed it away along with the bottle caps and he was ever so happy to have a part of you with him. The best part he had, was and will always be your love. And as I end this greeting, it early evening, and Mozart is still playing, and we - Kaleb and the others - are sitting outside, listening the the music of Mozart and of cricket songs and we are sharing are very best and most beloved memories of the lives we shared on earth. One day you will arrive at the HRC, and you know it's going to be such a grand and beautiful reunion. Until then, know they do look out for you and love you always. In Love and in Comfort, Pie O' Pah [Posted in FML 6772]