RARIFIED ATMOSPHERE: WHERE HEAVEN MEETS HIGH EARTH

HI AGAIN,

It's me, Yum-Yum. Dear readers.

What is happening?

Panda Pig passed away from a tumor.

Bear the Beaver Pig has an infection which he actually chewed a hole into, trying to self-heal internal pain and pressure which was not visible until we all went to the vet with PandaPig and mom asked Dr. Berry to take a look at Bear.

Dr. Berry had never seen anything like it in his life!
A guinea pig actually chewing a hole through himself in a valiant, excruciatingly painful attempt to treat his own disease, invisible to everyone but him. And because Bear is in such critical condition, Dr. Berry cannot sedate him for any diagnostic procedures. Dr. Berry tried to explain to mom what is happening to Bear but he isn't entirely certain what this extraordinary infection is or how extensive its damage. That it's damage is SIGNIFICANT and life threatening is all we know. Whether Bear lives is between Bear and God.

All we ask if that he be free from suffering and Dr. Berry shares our belief that quality of life is more important  than intrusive, traumatizing attempts to prolong life because we cannot bear to let go of our little brother. We are learning that Love means when one is  holding a dear one close and letting go at the same time, Heartbreak cracks ya open into crying pieces of gut-wrenching grief. Oh well.

I'm the littlest Pig, raised by Panda, and these are Big Thoughts.

Mom and Edwin both said that when they saw me today they immediately recognized by my eyes that I had changed from a rambunctious Little Grasshopper into a Wise Pig.

OH, PLEASE! SPARE THE DRAMA! I JUST LOST MY BEST FRIEND, MY BROTHER; PANDA PIG RAISED ME.

AND MY ARCH ENEMY FOR ALPHA PIG OF THE HERD LIES DYING ALONE IN HOSPITAL. AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE TO ATTACK BEAR, I LOVE HIM AND CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVING HIM TO JUMP AT!

(NOTE FROM EDITOR: REASON FOR NEUTERING.)

ALL BROTHERS FIGHT SOMETIMES, RIGHT? But, it doesn't mean we don't love each other.

If he lives I will never click my teeth and chatter at him and jump and lunge and try to bite him up and then, if I lose, like always, I will not jump into his cage after he turns his back and completely and systematically pee on, chew on, break, tear, and destroy all his favorite things in a fit of revenge. ME? NEVER!

I will offer my front foot with my shorter toenails as a peace offering. SO Bear, live...I'm a new pig, a nice pig, a quiet demure, gentle pig. A...what else?...uh...mmmmm....think, think...

O.K. maybe I WILL do all those bad things again because, let's face it, I'm YumYum and that's how I roll.

But, Bear, it doesn't mean I don't love you. I do. Mom does, and Edwin does, and the cats do, and all the Sanctuary visitors do and some even want to take you home with them. Does that make me jealous?

Of course not!

Or it does, whatever. No biggie, my Piggie! Right?

You are loved, no matter what our shortcoming are. Please be free of pain. Please be free of fear. Please be free of loneliness. Please be free of suffering. Please know we love you so tightly that letting go would break our hearts and we love you enough to endure That, for You, Bear the BeaverPig.

Hey, Bear, I am sorry for all the things I did to your cage that time. If you live, I promise that I will probably do them again, but, it would only be because we are Brothers.

Maybe I have changed.

Maybe not.

YumYum says g'night, see ya, hasta la vista, and send a carrot!

FLOWERS FOR PANDA PIG IN LOVING MEMORY

THIN LINE ON HIGH

Hi. YumYum here. Mom and Edwin came to get me and Bear was still stubbornly clinging to life. Mom felt he was ready, but the new, young (not our regular vet) said he has seen animals recover from worse, and
could we give him some more time? Mom held him for about an hour
and sang to him and kissed him and his eyes closed in that special, relaxed, peaceful way...he knew the family was surrounding him with
love.

But, he grew tired so we left him to rest and allow him more time in the LifeBoundaryArea to choose whether he wanted to remain in bounds or
ski free off the mountain. Mom and I will stay in Bellingham so we can be ready and close to support him.

We really wish we could go with Edwin to Seattle and not be alone in the freezing Bellingham rain.

I have never, ever been alone. PandaPig raised me from when I was little with my brothers and sisters at the Feed Store and then we had Bear and I have never, ever been alone. Mom asked if I would try blogging to see if it helped.

Not so much.

And now I am neutered.

And miss my herd. The Boundary Area is painful for all of us. I have never been alone. But mom is here and at least I can help her grieve.

She said you can start a blog off with "Dear Readers" but I am YumYum and that's not how I roll, y'all.

So, get used to it. I may be neutered, but I'm NOT OUT!

WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?

BEAR HIMSELF TEETERING ON BRINK OF LIFE AFTER PANDA PIG'S PASSING

PANDA IN HEAVEN APRIL 12, 2010

PANDA PIG GIVES HIS FAVORITE RAINBOW TO BEAR TODAY

BEAR HAS SURGERY, WILL RECOVER!

Today all 3 pigs are in hospital, the entire herd. YumYum is getting neutered, YEAH!

Bear chewed a hole through himself to relieve pressure and pain from an internal condition and has been treated successfully, including LOTS of
pain medication and antibiotics. The vet admitted he has never seen anything like this before in his life. Neither have we, but the BeaverPig could not say he was in pain, so he chewed his way to it in an effort to "self-treat" which makes us wish we could understand them better...if they could just say, "I hurt, please help me."
(NOTE TO EDITOR: LEARN HOW!)

 The vet called it "self-mutilation" but we RECOGNIZE  it was Bear's only way of  "self-treating..." although the infection could easily have killed him. Panda's hospitalization and taking the herd there to board and be with him DID SAVE BEAR'S LIFE! AMAZING, YEAH? PandaPig keeps on giving!

Speaking of our little Buddha, PandaPig is hanging in there and will be X-rayed today since it is possible something is wrong with his spine. He recently began hopping like a bunny, instead of walking like a guinea pig. It remains possible that we could still find the cause of his suffering and treat it, although there could be more going on than we can know at this time: "Panda, please help us help YOU!"

Mom was given an ultimatum to be out of our home by month's end yet we still don't have a confirmation on a place to move INTO! The pressure, grief and too much running around has caused mom's illness to flare-up severely and she can no longer walk without the aid of her walker: Good times, yeah!

Snow is dusting the hills with more winter to come. It's colder and snowier now than during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver last Feb! Go figure. Climate change?

Mom is being comforted by a severe bout of MOD (Molly Obsessive Disorder) and watching Molly's four owls grow up is hilarious. Max, the oldest, hasn't got a clue what to do with those long legs he is growing, and Molly has to actually pin him down with one of her talons to prevent his hogging all the prey brought into the owl box. Hey, share a little with your brothers and sisters, Max! Just because you can swallow a mouse whole now doesn't mean you have to swallow EVERY MOUSE!

Apparently, so many people around the world are also tuned into Molly's Owl box that Molly is going to be featured on some CBS Monday Morning early show. A barn owl is more popular than "American Idol!"
Something is right with the world! SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY RIGHT WITH THE WORLD!

We here at PandaPig's Sanctuary do not own a TV since the Pigolletos provide more than enough entertainment and - in their absence - we have Molly and her brood!

So, that's all the news that's fit to print on Thursday, April 8, 2010.

We want to give a special SHOUT-OUT TO Dr. Berry and his staff at the Lynden Veterinary Hospital for their compassionate care of our herd and exotic animals like the little hedgehog with Multiple Sclerosis we met Saturday.  He and his staff are doing everything in their power to not only diagnose and treat "The Herd That Hears" but also offer as much palliative care as safely possible to treat the pain and suffering of all in their care. 

We are strong advocates of palliative care because we recognize that animals feel pain (and guinea pigs more acutely than most animals: (FACT: A GUINEA PIG CAN ACTUALLY DIE FROM PAIN) and ARE PROFOUNDLY grateful to HAVE a vet who recognizes AND SHARES our moral and ethical obligation to treat even the littlest brothers and sisters compassionately with every tool in our toolbox!

Thank you, Dr. Berry and your patient staff!

Preciou Readers, we invite all of you to send  love to the Piggies and all residents of the Lynden Veterinary Hospital in Lynden, WA...and don't forget the little hedgehog who did get to go home in her mother's arms Saturday.

Gacious thanks!

PANDA PIG STILL DOWN BUT NOT OUT!

PANDA PIG AND THE MEDIC ALERT BRACELET: YUMMY!

PLEASE GET WELL AND COME HOME, PANDA PIG!

WE ARE BEREFT WITHOUT YOUR WARMTH, CURIOSITY, AFFECTION, PLAYFULNESS, AND AMUSEMENT.
LITTLE PIGGIE, PLEASE GET WELL. COME HOME. LET US FEEL YOUR FUNNY HAIRCUT AND SMELL THE
FRAGRANCE OF YOUR BOYISH CHARM. WE MISS YOU, PANDA.

LOVE,
all whom you have loved and touched with those beautiful eyes and soft piggie kisses.

p.s. mom really misses you chewing on her MedicAlert bracelet, missing the bracelet, and leaving little chew marks - your distinctive signature - on her arm.
you look at the world and you see that it's turning, while our hearts gently weep.

COMMUNION OF EARTH AND SKY

LITTLE PIG ON THE PRECIPICE: PILGRIMAGE TO MT. SINAI

When PandaPig journeyed up to Mt. Baker for his first photo shoot of the new "GuineaPiggin'Adventure" series (ok, he sent a photographer, but still!) he felt this image
symbolized a paradox in Mysticism: one tiny guinea pig (wearing Panda's borrowed alpaca Peruvian hat to keep warm) poised bravely
upon his ski
teetering on the brink of an unfathomable expanse of pure whiteness...such a deep, vast, expanse of unexplored, unknowable territory. One courageous, anonymous cavy explorer actually venturing to an altitude few guinea pigs
dare dream of
from the lonely confines of their little cages...

Days later, PandaPig himself fell gravely ill, now also teetering on that brink of Mystical Experience
known to us only through mystic poets, masters, saints, and the gift of witnessing Divine Grace Blessing our little one
because God hears even the tiniest, most plaintive prayers when permeated in naked, honest, humble sincerity.

Death transects Life, humbling us in Silent Wonder: even the angels weep in sympathy!

"Guinea Piggin'" was to be a whimsical adventure series for PandaPig's blog, his unique expression
of the unbridled Joy for Living all guinea pigs have, yet precious few actually experience.
PandaPig hoped this could be a catalyst for humans to more deeply appreciate
the wildest devotion of their Dervish Pigs...if  humans could become receptive and respectful enough to translate the extraordinary mystic devotional poetry sung by their intoxicated, dervish
guinea pigs... and respond with ecstatic love of their own, OUR OWN,  ONE humanity permeated with faithful LOVE FOR GOD and commitment to serve all dwelling upon Earth, Sea, Mountains, and Sky!

Was this Panda's way of climbing Heavenward to experience Communion with his Creator in the white, expansive Wilderness of one little guinea pig's personal Mt. Sinai: the moment he could offer, humbled by his smallness
in such A seemingly endless winter mountain landscape, one prayer:
his sincerest gratitude to God for a life blessed with Second Chances?

We are moved to tears by the Awesome generosity of spirit encased within a few pounds of one rodent's weakening body.

Will he recover or does he attempt more diligently than ever, in the time left to him, to teach us Love?