Dearly beloved...

We are gathered here today to mark the passing of the mouse known by the moniker of “Crazy-Girl”.
Note that we are marking this day, not mourning it.
She lived a long, full life, and to wish her more time on this mortal coil would be selfish and cruel.
She earned her rest, bless her soul.

She was the oldest mouse I've ever known personally, and the last of Mumsy's brood.
She was 7 years and just about 11 months. Her 8th birthday would have been on July 27th.

I had never thought to see a mouse reach such an age...the others had lived from 4-6 years, and seeing Crazy-Girl go beyond was somewhat awe-inspiring, and also sad. Her last year wasn't the easiest as her body started to fail her. She was so old, she'd developed cataracts over both eyes, lost mobility in her back legs, and possibly suffered some paralysis in her left “arm”. I had to help hold her up so she could eat and drink, but she continued to get around valiantly, and she still managed to consume a shocking amount of food for her frail little frame.
(How her teeth managed to contend with some of her crunchy favorites, I'll never know.)

You may wonder why she was called Crazy-Girl and not given a proper name...
Well, I always believed it was bad luck to name a pet before it was apparent that they'd survive their first year; so, often silly little nicknames are kept around for the rest of their life. Maybe there's something to be said about that superstition. Crazy-Girl was an amazing acrobat, doing the CRAZIEST flips at high speed. I thought for sure she'd break her back, or perhaps her mother's back, since Mumsy tended to be a landing cushion at times. Another theory is that those constant flips is what kept her young through the years, she was stopping the progression of time by flipping backwards in an arcane mouse ritual older than time itself. Or perhaps Mumsy really WAS a Highlander and as she and each of her brood passed away it gave more vitality to Crazy-Girl.
Whatever the reason for her longevity, I know she's more than earned her rest.

Just to show you how long it's been, anyone remember these photos?




R.I.P. Crazy-Girl. May you continue your acrobatic antics and have a wheel to run on in the afterlife.