RIP Lili Rat

Yesterday we were out enjoying the scene at Last Thursday (A free-for-all on Alberta Street). Dylan had a successful night selling jewelry she made and I had so-so success selling cookies. Even with the Baking for Barack sign, there were too many treats for sale, so the sugar cookies didn't fly like I thought they would.

Lili, our beloved rat, had been sick for the past few days. Our home diagnosis was that she had a respiratory infection, which we knew couldn't be fixed by a visit to a vet, given how advanced it seemed. Dylan gave her lots of hugs and loving these past couple of days, but we didn't think she was going to be gone so soon. The minute we arrived home, I saw her in the cage and thought, "oh god, it's bad."

The next two hours consisted of serious mourning, combined with funeral arrangements. I was in charge of fixing a shroud for the rat, while Andy dug a fairly big hole in the back yard. We laid her in her grave, threw dirt on her and said a few nice words. That wasn't too hard, Lili was the sweetest rat we've ever had and by far my favorite of the girls. The entire time Dylan was sobbing and at the point of hyperventilating. It was a cruel lesson of death's permanence. Dylan was wishing all the snakes and terrible people died before her ratties. Not an unreasonable desire. We still have Lili's sister Lyra, who we hope hasn't caught whatever her sister had.

So, we begin this first day of August in mourning. RIP little rattie.