Agent Piggy Galore aka Yaya left us :'(

Agent Piggy Galore (aka Yaya) went to the bridge on friday the 28th of January 2011.

Yaya a week before she went to the bridge, 

still very lively and vocal (edited with instagram)

During her life, Yaya was both a LAPS and a SCAMPS pig, and she was very proud of that. As she became older, she became more vocal and she never hesitated to put a young boar in his place during one of the GPDD virtual events (her cane was feared by all boars, especially Igor).

Her agent name was Piggy Galore.

This little lady was a very charming pig, and especially in her later years she became very good at putting her spell on innocent male humans (which included the vet).

Yaya, we miss you very much!

Igor and J

Yaya

My sister Janneke's piggy Yaya has turned 5 today!
Happy Birthday to you!
Thsi is a pigture of Yaya soon enjoying her favorite food: apple.
We are glad you made it to this grand old age,
eventhough you have OD.
I wish you many more painless years.

Gordon the GP

Please welcome yet another SCAMP!
--

It's me, Gordon the GP, and I am a SCAMP. Could you please add me to the list? I don't have a photo handy, but if you have the photos from the 2007 calendar, I am on it sitting in my chair (I am January). I was 6 years old in June, and I feel very young. I have a lot of people who love me, so I am a happy little guy!

Best regards,
Gordon

Master to: Audrey
Born on: June 2004

Gingerbread

Penny informed me that Dear Gingerbread has left us as well.
Unfortunately being a group for older piggies it also means we have a lot of Ageing SCAMPS leaving us. Below you can find Penny's memories of Gingerbread as posted on the GPDD 7 April 2010

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We are all very sad here at Piggyfriends as we have had to say farewell to our dear friend Gingerbread.

I was hoping against hope that she would be able to attend the forthcoming birthday party and also celebrate her own 7th. birthday soon on the 1st. May but it was not to be.

For the last week she has worried me in that she has slept more and more and eaten less and less. There was nothing physically wrong with her but the years finally caught up with her in the small hours of this morning and she drifted off peacefully to join her family at the Rainbow Bridge.

Some of you will know her story and it is in the archives somewhere but I will repeat a short version of it here for newer members and in tribute to a wonderful old lady. She was the senior Piggyfriend, this position now being taken by SCAMP Roscoe ( as far as I know ). Many Piggyfriends arrive here as adults and I never know their true age.

Gingerbread and her sister Mayflower were born here on May 1st. 2003. I collected them in utero with mother Ginger and her other baby daughters, Diamond and Peridot. This was a back to back pregnancy for a five year old sow who had lived wild in a garden and whose "owners" had not even known that she was pregnant either time. For a five year old to give birth for the first time unaided and alone outdoors in winter was a miracle in itself so when the new babes were born, I was not surprised to greet two tiny runts. They were so tiny and wobbly that I never expected them to survive, especially when poor Ginger had no milk for them. They took to being hand reared and thrived, Ginger caring for them in every other way, their older sisters mothering them too and the five of them lived together happily for many years.

Gingerbread was the last of the "Ginger Girls" so another Piggyfriends chapter has come to an end.

All of the family were lovely cuddle pigs, always willing to be held by a visitor.

After so many years it is hard to believe that Gingerbread has gone although I will see her every morning as her pigture is the wallpaper on my computer, chosen for her bright white coat over which the icons are readily visible. I won't change it.

I had started to compose a Disneyworld birthday story in which she reminisced about her long life along with Janet's Lily but when Lily passed away, I scrapped it. Maybe they will meet up at the Rainbow Bridge and have a chat there.

Right now, I don't feel up to writing a Birthday story but I cannot wallow in grief as there is a host of Piggyfriends here needing my attention. Grief is the price we pay for caring for these wonderful little treasures. Gingerbread is buried amongst the daffodils under the big old oak tree that gives them all shade when they go out on the lawn in the summer.

There are pigtures of Gingerbread and some of her family on the SCAMPS page. Scroll down about three quarters of the page.

Farewell lovely Gingerbread, gone to join your dear family at the Rainbow Bridge, where there will never be a shortage of grass and clover such as we had during the last long, dark winter.

Penny and the sad Piggyfriends.

Tumbleweed

Cindy has informed me her dear Tumbleweed left us a while ago.
Here is her goodbye post about Tumbleweed, as posted on the GPDD on the 8th of June in 2010

-----

It is with a most sad heart that I write to tell everyone that
Tumbleweed recently passed away. I am most remiss in not posting
sooner, but after a day or two, we became very worried about his buddy,
Friday. Friday has been in serious mourning, and we are looking for a
new friend for him.

Tumbleweed was six years and two or three months old. He and Sunshine
(RIP) came to us as part of the Maryland piggie rescue, which
Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue coordinated (thanks, Judi and company).
Tumbleweed was a black and white (with a bit of "hidden" caramel)
Peruvian piggie, and his crazy bangs inspired my vet to suggest his
name. Like a snowflake, Tumbleweed's hair never looked the same twice.
His white was mostly at his waist, and I always thought of his lovely
long white hair as angel wings.

Tumbleweed was a good-natured, laid-back piggie who never met a
stranger. When we introduced him to Sunshine, it was friendship at
first sight. Then we introduced both piggies to our Joey (RIP), and the
reaction was the same. Later, we got Friday, and Friday decided
Tumbleweed was the best friend ever.

Our boy loved standing on the wooden tables in his cage to eat hay. He
also enjoyed laptime and falling asleep in his hay trough on the floor.
Seeing him trot across the floor was quite a treat, as his wings swept
behind him.

Behind Tumbleweed's gentle nature was a quiet bravery. Vet visits, nail
trims, X-rays, shots -- nothing ever phased him. Two years ago, we
almost lost him after he developed a tooth abscess that affected his
chin. He had to have a tooth removed, and for the whole summer we were
so afraid we would lose him. We cut his food into strips, syringed
pellets, water, and Critical Care to him, and cleaned his abscess
daily. Sometimes, in the intervening two years, he had gas, and my
husband made a vibrating massage pad for him. He never seemed to mind
resting on it, and it finally helped.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that his poops seemed to be getting smaller.
I took him to the vet, and we tried Reglan, but his poops didn't
improve. We then had an X-ray done and were shocked to discover that he
had a (probably) cancerous tumor pressing on his intestines. By then,
he was growing much weaker, despite our syringing a slurry of pellets to
him and tempting him with his favorite foods. Palliative care,
including a steroid shot and a shot of antibiotics, didn't help, and
when he sat in his "sofa" without moving and refused to eat, we knew it
was time to help him to the Bridge. Our vet gave him a sedative, and I
held him while my husband and I talked with him. I think the pain
gently began to leave his body. Our vet then took him to give him the
final shot and told us that his passing was peaceful.

Although surgery was not an option, due to its high probability of
failure, we had hoped so much that he might somehow perk up. As he grew
weaker, we reminded him of how he had come to live with us, of all the
piggies he had known, and of how very much we loved him and appreciated
each day with him. I also told him to use his "wings" to fly to the
Bridge when it was his time.

If you'd like to see a photo of him, there are a couple of places on the
Web to look. Among his adventures, Tumbleweed was very happy to be able
to become one of the SCAMPS and to be included on the SCAMPS site.
Thanks, Mieke.

He also was most pleased to be recruited by AgentF to be a Secret
Agent -- see April 27, 2010. Thanks, AgentF.

Tumbleweed, thank you for sharing your life with us. You will live on
always in our hearts. It was an honor to have known you.

Sadly,
Cindy and Friday

Sapphire and Barley Piggyfriend

Here you can see Casanova, Sapphire and Lavender. Sapphire is the Dutch piggy in the middle.

Sapphire and Barley have both been Piggyfriends for most of their lives, having been rescued from a dark and dingy garage, where they were living with their three sons all in one dirty little hutch. Barley and Sapphire came home with me that day accompanied by one of their sons, Rye, who will soon be a SCAMP himself. The "owners" wanted to keep two of the family and I could not persuade them otherwise but luckily, after a few months I was asked if I could take them too. I was so pleased to be able to bring them home to be with the rest of their family.

This is Barley, he is also an undercover Agent.

Read more about agent Badger here

Welcome to Barley and Sapphire, you found yourselves a good forever home :D

Masters to: Penny
Born: around June 2005

Hans

Our calendar model Hans is already 6 years old, so we thought he should be added to the list of SCAMPS as well!
Welcome, Hans

Isabel crossed over...

Oh no, we had just posted our congrats to Isabel for making it to the grand age of 7 years old, and now we read that she has left us and has joined Lily and all our deceased friends...

Sorry to hear she left you, so soon after her birthday, Janet

Hugs, from all of us

---
here's the post from Janet to the GPDD:

I'm just devastated to report that we lost our precious Isabel on Monday evening, only one day after her 7th birthday.

Her liver readings were slightly elevated in mid-July. She had lost some weight and was slowing down a bit. We attributed the weight loss to her first ever molar trim last month.

Yesterday morning I took her in for an ultrasound to try to determine how badly the liver might be damaged or whether there was a tumor. The liver was damaged, but no mass was found, so we prepared for palliative care. Unfortunately, Isabel went into cardiac arrest late in the afternoon while at the vet. My husband and I were able to sit with her, but only pet her briefly and talk to her outside of her oxygen tent. About two hours later, Isabel stretched briefly, moved onto her side, and went to sleep for the final time very peacefully.

Isabel followed the same pattern as did Lily earlier this year. Celebrate the 7th B-day with Mommy and Dad and then cross the Bridge. Isabel was a fantastic little piggy and we grieve her loss. It was an honor to have raised and loved her since we first adopted her at the age of two months. She was the first guinea pig I ever had.

Rest well sweet Isabel, and happily munch the Rainbow Bridge grass with your sister Lily while you wait for us on the other side. In the meantime, Mommy and Dad will try to remember that it is better to have loved the ones we miss rather than to have missed loving them.

With great sorrow,
Janet, along with little Luke (Isabel and Lily always in our hearts)

Happy 7th birthday Isabel!

We are very happy to announce that one of our Members turned 7 this month!!
Here's to many more, Miss Isabel

This was the announcement on the GPDD
----
Date: Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:40:44 -0400

Subject: [Gpdd] Announce: Happy 7th Birthday Isabel!
Message-ID: <8CD0455A6A542AA-15CC-E6B3@webmail-d004.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"




I very thrilled to announce that Isabel is celebrating her 7th birthday this wheekend. She had a party last night and we are continuing the festivities through her actual birthday on Sunday. She has seven helium balloons floating about in her honor and a big birthday hat on top of her habitat. She and her brother Luke are looking forward to the "Birthday Burrito"---a lettuce leaf wrapped around all their favorite veggies inside!

Janet, and Isabel's brother, Luke, (and we're certain that sister Lily is smiling down from the Rainbow Bridge)

-----

The introduction post of her and her late friend Lily can be seen here:
Lily and Isabel

Scampi, Mickey and Scrumpy

On 18 August 2009, this was reported to the GPDD, sorry for the late update:

"It always seems to happen with people who keep large numbers of piggies, that all the piggies stay healthy for months and months and then suddenly several of them go to The Bridge, even though there is no connection between the passings. I have lost three Squeakers in the last few days. I'm glad they waited for me to get back from holiday, because my son did a grand job of looking after them whilst we were away, and I would hate it if he blamed himself in any way. In fact, the only thing to blame is old age.

The first to go was Scampi. She belonged to Peter Gurney and came to me, age unknown but definitely not young, over 3 years ago. She had huge brown eyes and golden hair and looked like a giant hamster. She was plagued with skin problems and had more baths than any other guinea pig I've ever owned, but she behaved impeccably and even enjoyed them. She was not ill and was probably still LAPS, but I found her lying in the pen with her head resting on a cabbage.

The second to go was Mickey, my only male. He came to me aged three and a half, having been a much loved, lone, indoor pet. His owners weren't allowed to put him on the plane when they emigrated to Australia, and so he was neutered and then instantly adapted to an outdoor life here amongst a harem of girls. He was a strong character and was very into feng shui. He would rearrange the food bowls and turn them upside down and taught the others in his pen to do likewise. He'd been here for nearly 4 years, so he was well over 7. He was very wobbly towards the end but enjoyed life right up to his last day.

The third to go was Scrumpy. Scrumpy was a satin piggy and was always so dainty that I called her my "size zero" piggy. She was the last of four satins that I took in 3 or 4 years ago. They were supposed to be aged 3 or 4 then, so perhaps this is some sort of record for a satin. (None of them developed OD, thankfully). Scrumpy's hair looked so beautiful glistening in the sunshine.



Meet up over the bridge little ones. Mickey will take charge, I'm sure. I also hope Scampi tells Peter Gurney all about her later life.



Stefanie and the sad remaining 18 Surrey Squeakers"

Dear Lily has left us after 7 years

This was posted on the GPDD on 19 march 2010:

"My heart breaks as I write to tell you that my dear Lily has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, just one week after celebrating her 7th birthday. It's almost as if she waited to make the grand 7 years before going into severe bloat and GI stasis. Despite valiant efforts in the intensive care unit at the piggie hospital last night, I had to help her cross the Bridge this morning.

I am crying my eyes out but realize that Isabel and Luke need my love and care.

I will try to write a tribute to the beautiful Lily in the future but it hurts too much right now. At least I know that she is pain free. I am honored to have been her mom all these years. Run free at the Bridge, my little sweetie!

Janet"

Our hearts go out to you on this loss.

Debbie's last piggies joined her

We received this message on the GPDD:
"Dear Friends:
Our Debbie's husband, Pete, has asked the send along an email to let everyone know that the last of Debbie's SCAMPS, Ambree, passed away last night.? She was turning 7 next month and as we all believe, Debbie welcomed her at the bridge.? Pete has no more piggies which?was another link to his beloved Debbie, so it makes him quite sad.? Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.
"Rest in Peace, Ambree".
Joanne
Spicy, Merri, Macie, Teddy, Baci, Sweetie"

I also heard that her other piggy Gisele has passed away not so long ago :(

Our thoughts go out to Debbie's husband!

Guiny joined her friends Lotje, Suus and Tea

Below you will find my (Mieke's) memories of Guiny and Suus.
Eventhough Suus was not a SCAMPS yet i would like to remember her as well,
she did become a LAPS piggie though!

"Hi fellow guinea pig lovers,

It is with a very sad heart that i have to let you know, my oldy Guiny and my sister Janneke's Suus went over the bridge.

I am currently pig sitting Janneke's piggies. We noticed that Suus was a bit quiet and did not eat her chicory very well. On saturday evening the 24th of october, I was going to clean the cages, and we noticed Suus was weak.
She was breathing heavily and did not respond very much to her surroundings.

We thought it might be gas so gave her some medicine for that and we tried to syringe feed her some Critical care. She might have swallowed some of the first CC, but did not do that for the
second feeding. So all signs went red for us, having experienced this with Toby. Though she
did not seem in such a bad condition, as when Toby died.
I called the vet (they have an evening an weekend emergency phone number),
and had to convince the vet to let us come over. The vet said I did a good thing by bringing Suus to her. She took her in and Suus stayed overnight.
The vet heard fluids on her lungs, which according to her could be either lung troubles or heart problems. They gave Suus some antibiotics and something to get rid of the fluids, Suus was having trouble breathing and was put in an oxygen pen. Unfortunately she did not make it to the next morning. I felt very bad, but was told by vet this was the best I could have done for Suus.

I have known Suus since she was a little girl, she has lived together with my girls Lotje and Guiny. So it felt and still feels like losing one of my own.

Then 2 days later, on the 27th of October, Guiny left us for the bridge. I have to say she was already 5,5 years old, and she was slowly loosing weight. But until half an hour before she died she was still eating and active and seemed happy. My boyfriend Erwin went to give all the piggies, I had 6 then: My Guiny, Dunya, Woopy and Chico, and Janneke's Igor and Yaya, their evening veggies.He noticed at once though Guiny came to get her carrot, that something was
wrong. She had taken 2 bites and then left the carrot. She was breathing heavily, and Erwin picked her up from the cage. We knew at once it was bad, having seen Suus get worse on saturday.
I held her in my arms and told her it was okay to go. We told her we loved her, and I told her about the rainbow bridge. I told her to say hi to Lotje, and tell Suus that we and Janneke miss her. and to say hi to all the other piggies. I also told her she would hear perfectly again when she was there (she was hard hearing). And told her Peter and Debbie would be there to take care of her if she needed it. I also told her to teach the other piggies over the bridge her smart tricks, she was the one who knew how to open a door, when it was slightly open. She once sat next to Lotje who was eating a carrot and started gnawing the carrot, right next to where Lotje was gnawing. She eventually ran away with the biggest piece of the carrot she had munched
her way through. She was gone within half an hour...
I still feel sad about my precious lady Guinyvere leaving us, but she had a good and pretty long life with me and later with me and Erwin. Since she was gradually loosing weight this did not come totally unexpected. And I feel, eventhough i did not like loosing her, this was the best way to part with my precious girl. She knew she was loved, and we had a chance to tell her that and tried to comfort her and tell her it was okay...

We have buried them in my mom's garden last sunday. They are buried together, and near to where Lotje was buried.

I'm sure the girls, will be partners in crime over the bridge. I remember the one time when i was going to eat a sandwich in the living room. The girls were having floortime, and I had to get something, so i put my sandwiches on the mattress that was on the floor. When I did that I even thought 'I should not do this, but hey I'll be back really fast'. When I came back Suus and Guiny had stolen my sandwich, and were hiding under a chair, munching on my sandwich...
I will miss you girls!!

Mikey,
and the remaining Winky girls: Dunya and Woopy
my valentine: Chico
And Janneke's piggies currently staying over: Yaya and Igor."

And my sister Janneke's memories of Guiny and Suus:
"Hi Gpdders,

My sister wrote a beautiful tribute yesterday, so I guess I finally have to face the music and write my tribute to 2 of my favorite pigs ever. They do deserve that.. I've been putting it off because not writing it down makes it feel less real (I'm sort of on a holiday and Yaya and Igor are still at mieke's house, so there's no empty space in a cage..)

Guiny..
When mieke decided to go to the czech republic, I agreed to look after Guiny and Lotje for 6 months. I never had a guinea pig addiction before, but oh boy, did these 2 girls get me addicted. I soon noticed guiny was quite clever and I really enjoyed (as did she) ' inventing' new puzzles and games for her (many of the games in Igor's PLAY's were invented for guiny; http://www.guinygirlz.nl and yes.. that adress wat named after her; just like my own gmailadress). Guiny also really enjoyed it when I was belly dancing (she would put up her paws against the edge of the cage and watch me with a smile), I think she thought that it was my way of popcorning and running in circles. The funny thing was that she liked shakira's music the best. I never knew pigs had musical preferences until then. What I loved most about her was the big smile she could give me when she saw me (even when mieke and the pigs moved to erwin's house she still remembered me). I know she was not my pig but she sure felt like it.

Suus..
When guiny and lotje went back to mieke after her stay in the czech republic (she returned shortly afterwards with her pigs) I felt really lonely without guiny and lotje. I was going through a rough time back then, having broken up with a rather abusive boyfriend a few months before and I was sometimes so scared out of my brains when I heard sounds or whatever (before that I just thought, aaw.. that's just guiny or lotje). Then one day a girl I knew through my ex (and had become a friend) phoned me and told me she had a pig for me. The little pig had siblings, but according to my friend, this pig was so sweet, that she really wanted me to have her because she thought were were meant to be together (suss = german for sweet; the friend was german; i'm dutch).

I think she was right. Suus was my girl all the way. More than any of my pigs ever were. In the beginning we were both so scared that we bonded very strongly. Suus wasnt a cuddle pig, but when I felt bad she would wheek until I would pick her up and she would put her nose firmly in my neck and lick the tears away. Suus was always a very active, lively, vocal pig and lots of fun. Maybe not cuddly, but she did enjoy human interaction a lot. She was never sick. I would always call her 'hollands glory' which is an expression in dutch to say that someone's very wholesome/healthy. I never expected her to leave so soon, although i know she is 4 years old. She was just always so healthy. I still cannot believe that she is gone, and to be honest, I dont feel like that either (which is weird because when Jan the Boar died I cried my eyes out) I guess that blow will come when I have Yaya and Igor back with me... I don't know... I lost a little, yet significant part of me, she would always comfort me, but she is not there anymore..

Janneke"

Tumbleweed

We were most pleased to welcome Tumbleweed -- and his friend, Sunshine (RIP) -- into our home in August of 2004. Tumbleweed was a rescue piggie, so his exact age wasn't known, but we estimated that he was about six months old. He was a bit underweight but otherwise in good health.

Tumbleweed's name came from his wild hair, which never looks the same twice. He can shake his head or come out of his cozy with his hair slicked back and look like an entirely different pig! He is a sweetheart, always good-natured. He was a wonderful friend to Sunshine and, now, to Friday.
In 2008, Tumbleweed had many health issues, including a hard-to-treat abscess under his chin and a tooth that had to be removed, but with lots of care, he made it through the hard times. A tech at our vet's called him a brave guy, and she was right. His courage has been an inspiration to us. He has also continued to reveal more layers of his personality through the years. In the past few months he has become more adventurous, exploring a wider range of the house when he gets floortime each day.




Tumbleweed could easily have left us in the summer of 2008, and we are so thankful he didn't. Each day we spend with him is an honor.
Master to: Cindy
Born on: beginning 2004

Roscoe Piggyfriend

Roscoe Piggyfriend celebrated his fifth birthday in June 2009. He came to live at Piggyfriends in August of 2004 as a tiny piglet along with his litter sister, the late Daisy, whom many of you will remember as the LAPS President. Unlike Daisy, he has never attained LAPS status but is just as cuddly.

Here is a pigture of him enjoying some time in the garden and another of him with his best friend Shadow, who is helping him celebrate his birthday with a plate of favourite nibbles.

The Lady Bug is reunited with Duke

The Lady bug, A well known piggy to the GPDD (guinea pig daily digest) has left us and is now reunited with the love of her life Duke (Glynis' boy).

The Lady Bug has made it to the age of 7 years and one month old!
She is an example to us all, and will be missed by many.

Thank you Joan and Lady bug to bring us joy with you many adventures, and keeping the young piggies in line with your cane.
We send our sincerest condolences!

Slave Mikey and the rest of the SCAMPS society

The rainbow bridge poem

"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...."

Poem by unknown aythor, (possibly Paul C. Dahm)

The words of the rainbow bridge poem set to music:
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

I watched it Yesterday after the passing of my almost 2 year old (so not SCAMPS yet) boar Toby, and it made me and boyfriend cry...

Debbie, inventor of SCAMPS, has died ;(

With the consent of Lynn, I was allowed to post her tribute to Debbie on the SCAMPS site:

Hello fellow list members,

I was very saddened to hear of Debbie's passing but I am grateful for her and her family's sake that the pain is over now. I wrote this when I first realized that we would probably lose Debbie to this horrible illness. Please read it with the knowledge that it was written with many tears on my cheeks and comes deep from within my heart.

Lynn

A TRIBUTE TO DEBBIE JONES

Listen, you will hear the sound of gently lapping waves, slapping the sides of the large ship as it softly rolls to and fro in the quiet night. It is dark all around, save the moonlight that shimmers and trails across the ocean top and the stars as they shine down so brightly from the vast heavens above.

Other than the gentle waves, we hear no sound. It is very hushed. We see now that the deck of the ship is completely covered by tiny little creatures, our much beloved guinea pigs, each one unique in it's own way. There is much whispering and shuffling as they stand side by side and toe to toe.

Their heads uplifted, they gaze into the heavens, each one's eyes sparkling more wetly than usual . . . are those possibly tears in the eyes of these little furry creatures? Yes, we see a few as they slowly trickle down soft, whiskered cheeks

As they all gaze up into the stars, we suddenly see the ruffling of the fur of the pigs at the very back of the group. As a breeze softly rolls forward over their backs and tickles their ears, someone cries out "There she goes! Look!!" The sudden gust of wind streams over and beyond them and up into the dark skies. As they watch, they all see a beautiful new star appear.

There . . . listen to the soft sighs and oohs and ahhs as the new star begins to glow and sparkle so much more brightly than the others. Suddenly, dozens of other smaller stars gather and seem to cluster around it. Beautiful white light that is filled with warmth and love bathes the deck of the ship and all of the little creatures that are watching with awe.

From somewhere in the middle of the group we hear a small voice whisper. "Good bye Debbie. We love you." The words are repeated over and over dozens of times. Games and fun are forgotten for now. Now they only show respect and honor to a human who had so much love and care for their kind.
They know that she has gone to the bridge now to be free from pain and join all the little ones and other humans who have gone before her. As we draw away, tears now in our own eyes, we hear small sniffles and watch as all the little pigs wander slowly back to their rooms, saddened by such a devastating loss to not only them but to Debbie's family and friends who all love her so much.

Be free Debbie. Run and play at the bridge with all of the fur babies and creatures that have anxiously awaited your arrival.

Authors Note: This tribute was written in honor of Debbie Jones. I hope she, all of you and her family and friends will know that I wrote it with sincere love, respect and sadness. I am trying to imagine what our babies would do if they could, and this is how I feel it would be.

In memoriam: Pumpkin

Please find below Dee memories of Pumpkin:

"I was working at the library in September, 2005. Everyone knew my husband and I had guinea pigs for pets. One day the animal control officer came to me and asked if I could find a home for a male guinea pig. Seems the owner was going off to college and had no one to care for him. Of course I said yes – then called my husband and he said yes, too. Pumpkin was delivered to me the next day with his cage, wooden house, water bottle and food. I was told he was four years old.

At the time I had two female piggies, Juliet and Peaches. We made room for Pumpkin in the very large cage my husband had built, separating him from the girls with a wire fence. He was rumblestruting at them in no time! My husband has a soft spot for boars and he took to Pumpkin right away. We kept saying we were going to find a home for him, and we did – our home!

Pumpkin was a little guy and a gentle boar. He was in love with Peaches, but she rebuffed him all the time. He took it well and never gave up trying to woo her. At first he wasn’t very good at being a lap pig, always on the go. As he got older and settled down he became a great lap pig. He would settle in through a whole movie and never pee on me. He never got heavy enough to join the LAPS group but was a SCAMP in his later years. He went on a few virtual trips and joined the Jolly Rodents in doing the Rumblestrut Blues to wow the sows any chance he got. Juliet passed in 2007 and we had Pumpkin and Peaches until he passed in April, 2009. He was dearly loved and gave us much love in return. Rest in Peace my little one and wait for us at the Bridge."

Diamond left us.. :'(

Please find below Penny's account on another of our members going to the bridge: Diamond! Our heart goes out to her and other members we have recently lost

"It is with great sadness that we have lowered the Piggyfriend flag to half mast in honour of our dear Diamond, who has left us for the Rainbow Bridge. She was the eldest of the Piggyfriends.

She came to us in 2003 as a tiny piglet along with her litter sister, Peridot and her mother Ginger, carrying Gingerbread and Mayflower in utero.

Diamond was a wonderful little piggy, who celebrated her sixth birthday in February and I am glad that she stayed with us long enough for her younger sister, Gingerbread's, sixth on the 1st. May this year.

She enjoyed a long and happy life as a Piggyfriend, never suffering from any illness except for developing slight arthritis during the last year. This was kept under control by Potter's Tabritis tablets, which she adored and which enabled her to continue to do a little pirouette every time the veggies came around. She never had a proper "wheek" but sang a little "hoo,hoo" song when the food was in sight and also when I came down in the morning. I would hear her before I could see her as the "Ginger Girls" pen is round the corner from the others.

On her last morning, she was very quiet and just wanted to sleep, cuddled up to her fluffy sister, Gingerbread. I knew that her time was near and gave her some painkiller, just in case, but I do not think that she needed it. I picked her some of her favourite sow thistles from the garden. She nibbled a few and seemed to say that she was packing up to leave and wanted to rest. I was watching her sleep when she just stopped breathing and left us. Gingerbread nuzzled her as if to say her goodbyes.

I wish that all departures could be so peaceful. I miss her dreadfully, as I do all of the Piggyfriends past. With all the love and joy that piggies give us, it is impossibly sad when they leave.

There are some pigtures of her on the SCAMPS page, about half way down.

http://scamps-gpdd.blogspot.com/search/label/Piggyfriends

Gingerbread is now the last of the Ginger Girls. I have always had groups of sows, into which a bereaved one could be introduced but so many of the recent additions to the Piggyfriends herd have been boars that Gingerbread is still on her own. She is eating up well but has been with her family since the day that she was born and must be lonely. She is too old to move in with either of my two boisterous "sow plus one neutered boar" groups and that leaves Toffee and Crystal, who could eat for England and I am afraid that they would out compete Gingerbread for the veggies. At her age, she sleeps a lot and would miss out.

So I have moved her into a smaller pen, right next to Toffee and Crystal, so that she has their company without the competition. Buttons and Floyd have moved from there into the large Ginger Girls pen. At first the boys were unsure about the large open space and hid in their pigloo but it did not take long for greed to get the better of these two large fellows and they are now rushing out for food just as they did in their old pen. The exercise will do them good.

Farewell dear little Diamond, gone to meet up with your family at the Rainbow Bridge and to find friend Chester, the Jolly Rodent, who escorted her to the Piggy Olympics. She will finally get to hear his soliloquy from the Cavy Cavaret.

I still see her every morning as I have her pigture as the start icon on my laptop.

Penny and the Piggyfriends."