[Gpdd] Rainbow Bridge: Hope (January 15, 2004 - August 14, 2010)

[Cazza177]

Dear Me

My heart really does go out to you with all the losses you have experienced
of late. I honestly have total respect for you. You are a strong lady who
keeps giving and giving and I feel sure all the piggies you have ever owned
have known this, including your two new additions.

You have had to deal with so much of late and I only wish I could be there
with you to take some of the strain, as I just can't imagine how you have
coped so admirably under such terrible stress.

I loved the story of how much Hope loved carrots. I am very sorry that she
has passed away. We never feel we ever have enough time with them, not ever,
but I know your 6 years with Hope will have been ones you and her treasured
and that you can recall whenever you think of her to help put a smile on
your face. She's always right there with you.

I'm thinking of you.

Carole
Remembering always BG and Artie


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From: ME <me at buddies.org>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:41:52 -0700
To: Gpdd at gpdd.org
Subject: [Gpdd] Rainbow Bridge:  Hope (January 15, 2004 - August 14, 2010)

I really don't know what to think or feel right now.  Liberty last November
... Grace in May ... Melody in June.  Besides that, Providence has a UTI and
Harmony's lost weight for an unknown reason.  Hope had a URI a couple months
ago and a foot injury last month (that I thought was bumblefoot, but the vet
said it was just a cut or something, not infected).  I was thinking it might
be the beginning of the end with the URI since she's hardly been sick and
she has been slowing down for the past year ... sometimes sleeping so
soundly that I have to shake her to wake her up ... but she's been either
maintaining or gaining weight and has been very vocal about her carrots, so
I thought she was getting back to normal.

Based on our webcam, which takes still pictures every ten minutes, it looks
like she passed away between 11:45-11:55 Saturday night.  I found her lying
in the food bowl this morning a little after 7 a.m. ... which seemed strange
since she never sat in the bowl.  But looking at the webcam photos, it seems
she just moved there when she knew she was going to go ... I don't know why.

Hope was a small pig, hardly ever above 800 grams, but she had a strong will
and a loud and persistent voice.  She always called for carrots, even when
they had already been given.  She seemed quite satisfied when she'd scream
for them (mouth wide open in the shape of an "O" and ears flapping back),
I'd hand her one from the pile, and she'd promptly drop it and go find
herself a more appropriate one.  She loved being scratched on the top of her
head and nose, with her head tilted to her right, a remnant from an ear
infection she had when she was about 3 years old.

She started out as a fairly skittish pig, always running away from human
hands ... but the last few years, she's enjoyed human contact and started
enjoying cuddle times.  It took quite awhile for me to recognize her as the
alpha pig ... I had thought Grace was since she seemed more outgoing ... but
it was really the quiet and unassuming Hope that everyone, including Grace,
acknowledged as the #1 pig and spokespig for the herd.

I really don't know what to think.  All the deaths and illnesses have been
unrelated.  Sure, my pigs are all 3+ years old ... except the new babies
(who are fine) ... but I've never had so many in such a short time ... it's
been a bad year (Liberty got sick in September, which started this horrible
streak).