gabe raze the_last_time_i_saw_you was a year to the day we met. i'd forgotten that i named you for sylvester stallone's character in "cliffhanger". that first night, you ran across the roof and scoured the eavestrough for hidden treasure. you sniffed sawdust to find what i threw you. i'd never seen any animal eat so slow. it didn't take long to earn your trust. within a few days, you were letting me feed you by hand. you decided that wasn't for you. but you liked to rest your tail on top of my foot while you ate. last fall you started stockpiling stones. when your hunger was sated, you would dig something you couldn't swallow out of the dirt around the condenser that cools the air inside this house. were you burying those miniature mountains made of mineral to test the ingenuity of your allies and enemies? or were they part of some grander plan? few things have given me as much joy as watching you and your brother play and love on each other even after you were grown. you're the third friend we've buried here now. i'll miss the fire in your coat and the soft curves of your face, with those dark eyes that always seemed to search for mine. 240702 what's it to you? who go blather from