Dylan told me I could write the post today, since it’s all about Colman, my buddy, who went over the Rainbow Bridge on Friday evening.

We were part of what was called the Great Exodus of 2012, when sixteen of us left our home on Jersey and came to England.  It was nice on Jersey, we liked being with Pigpog, who was our Mummy then, but she disappeared and there was a week or two when nothing much happened, although Auntie Sue made sure we had food and water, but it wasn’t like Pigpog looking after us.  Then we got packed into our travel boxes and had a long long time before we got out of them again.

We finally got into a nice cage again, with a daytime run, when we got to Mummy’s.  I settled in okay, but Colman hated it.  Well, he thought the accommodation and catering was good, but he didn’t like the person looking after us. He bit her whenever she tried to cuddle him.  Eventually he put up with the stroking and just bit her whenever she tried to do anything else with her.  I don’t know how Mummy managed, but she was very patient, and knew that Colman hated her for taking him away from Pigpog.  We did arrive in time for the Jubilee Party, though – that was great fun!

Then he finally worked out that Mummy was mummy now, and she wasn’t that bad.  I think he worked it out at Christmas, and by Valentine’s Day he’d fallen for her charms.  He was all charm when it came to having his photo taken, and he won a rosette for it – the one he is with in this photo posted the other day.

After that, it was a love affair, really.  Mummy got him a fab new sleeping bed, and he made good use of it.  In fact he’d got her so well trained by then that anything he wanted arrived more or less on time; breakfast, grass, treats, I watched as he wrapped her round his little toenail and wondered just how he did it.

I wasn’t really jealous, but I’d decided even before he got his bed that I wanted my own pad, I didn’t want to share any more.  Mummy was very clever when she realised we’d fallen out, because she split up the large C&C cage just by putting panels across the corner.  I got the smaller side with the loft extension, Colman got the larger side.  Mummy said it was because I was more agile and Colman was getting a little old to go up and down the ramp.  We still got together on the grass, and when we had to go in the box.  Actually, we felt a lot of solidarity about going in the box.  It was scary, really, because we always wondered if we’d not come back again.  One time we went a very long way, but not as bad as the time of the Exodus, but we were just going to have our teeth checked, since Hector had to go anyway.  Our teeth were fine, although Col’s were trimmed a little, just to neaten them up.

Col’s been rather poddly since he turned six, and Mummy got some special treat for him which helped his joints.  I tried them last spring but they upset my tummy, so Mummy told me not to get arthur-itis, which I expect is longhand for poddly.  I’ll try not to, Mummy.

We celebrated his seventh birthday with a yummy cake last month.  I’m glad we did that, he enjoyed it, and so did I. Dylan and Midge came visiting too, although I told Midge to keep his distance and pay proper respect to his elders.

Now Colman’s gone over the Rainbow Bridge.  I knew he was going because he was very poorly when Mummy took him out on Friday, and when he came back he had gone, and Mummy sat with him and me on her lap for ages so I could say goodbye to him.  I am happy she did that, but I’m not happy with the changes going on.  It was lonely on my own, but now I’ve got Midge next to me.  I suppose I’d just better teach him some manners.  Colman had impeccable manners.  I’ll  miss him.