A Day.



I barely got to work today. When I woke up, it was clear Bartleby was passing on - when I picked him up from the bottom of his cage he gave what can only be described as a chameleon wail - he's never made a sound in over two years, so I know it wasn't good. I woke E, who has been sad and depressed anyhow, about other things as well as Bartleby being sick, and he got dressed and up to see him. I made it to the door and then hit the brick wall where I just DID NOT think it was a good idea to leave my family along today. But since the damn school questions you if you use more then half of your CONTRACTUALLY given days off, I was too nervous and dragged my ass in.

Bartleby died an hour or so later. E made him a coffin in the barn and buried him out back behind the maple tree. Our first pet buried in the backyard - will this someday be a milestone we tell our kids when their pet parakeet passes away or their gerbil dies of old age? Who knows. New lives will be coming to the homestead soon - the leopard geckoes will start laying their eggs, we will probably get a pair of Jackson's to replace Bartleby when the time feels right, and we are adopting a kitten this weekend - yet to be named, or even seen, she is a wild kitten who a friend took in and bottle fed after the mom disappeared. E is sad, but kept himself busy. Our raised bed garden is slowly expanding- up to 3 now, and the rains coming tomorrow will start composting the leaves into rich soil to feed us in the Spring. Cycles - lots of awareness of those today. Goodbye Bartleby, it was a joy to share our little space in the world with you. Now I'm off to take care of, and appreciate, the creatures on the homestead all that much more for our loss.....

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Posted: Tue - November 18, 2003 at 09:12 PM        

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