Thank you! That story just came to me as a whole after reading snowgrouse's post about her beloved Alpo, but I was a bit diffident about posting it. I'm always nervous about my more emotional stories, like Seven Gifts (http://www.farsight.net.nz/fiction/gifts.htm) which I almost didn't publish, and its prequel Let There Be Light (http://www.farsight.net.nz/fiction/light.htm) but responses like this make me very happy and glad I did.