In Loving Memory of 'Tsunni

Friend and companion, teacher, trouble-maker, little brother, match-maker, my sunshine on a cloudy day, friend to children, adults and other critters, Twyla's chaperone and mentor, long paw of ferret law, honorary vampire, and stubborn little brat.

I found you in a pet shop in Newington, New Hampshire, the only white ferret in your cage. You were so cute and sweet that I just had to take you home. You came home little bigger than the palm of my hand, curled up in the hem of my shirt, a poor little bundle of sick, white fur. You were sick for a week and I'd worried that I'd lose you then, but you were stubbornly refused to die.

My first ferret, we went everywhere together, you and I, meeting many people and getting many strange looks. Hadn't they ever seen a ferret before? Of course they hadn't; ferrets were new as pets.

When you got older, you gamely played with the neighbor's dog who was at least 10 times your weight and patiently held still while little children picked you up and carried you around. Since I felt guilty about leaving you alone while I was at school, I got you a cage-mate whom you fought with constantly till I threw the both of you out onto the front lawn and let you have at it and settle your differences. You haven't fought with Eclipse since. Then came MoonFox and you laid down the law of the house with him. Twyla, though was your biggest challenge to tame, you had to sit on her to get her to stop chewing on your ears or from trying to get everyone else to play 24 hours a day. You taught her manners, though, and she's looked up to you since.

Remember, sweet one, the nights out on the town? Every Friday night we went to a cafe and you got passed around the room, strangers happily picking you up and instantly falling in love with you. You always fell asleep on someone's lap before the night was over. It was there we met a couple of "vampires" who decided that your red eyes and long fangs were perfect for a vampire and named you an honorary vampire.

Remember the first time we met Jared, my boyfriend for 4 years and more? When the first thing I did when I met him was hand you to him and say "Here, hold a ferret."?

Remember grapes? I'd give you one and you'd run off to hide it and when you came back for another, Eclipse would steal your grapes from your hiding place and hide them, and when he went back for another one, MoonFox would steal the grapes frim his hiding place and hide them, and then Twyla would steal them from MoonFox and get a big stash of them which she'd forget about and I'd find a mushy, half-rotten mess later.

Remember when you and Eclipse outwitted Joe who was watching over you while I was gone and you both escaped?

Remember all your other escapes? There was no cage that could hold you, but you stayed in anyway, knowing I worried.

Remember helping me dig holes in my garden?

Remember?

Remember...?

I will never forget. We knew each other then, we know each other now, we will know each other again.

'Tsunni was diagnosed with insulinoma in May of 1999, a condition in which too much insulin is produced, lowering the blood sugar drastically. It also caused an upset stomach and he refused to eat. The last few weeks of his life he was force-fed and watered and given medication. He grew steadily weaker, though, and passed away in my arms early Friday morning and buried amongst the trees and blueberry bushes at dawn on Sunday.

May your spirit fly straight and true.

Blessed Be little one.
We shall miss you until your return,

TempestWolf, Eclipse, MoonFox and Twyla