“Goodnight, Miss Bean” is something I would say to my lovely Chinchilla every night.
Sadly, she passed away in July. She was sixteen. And in all of those years, she lived a very healthy and happy life. She had a sister, Snow Goose, who died about five years ago.
Snow Goose and Bean
Bean Sleeping
I did this drawing for her. It took me a bit of time to figure out what I wanted to draw. Her favourite place was the “dust bath.” It was a pink house-looking thing, and I wanted something that would reflect that. Hence the steps and the door.
The birds are mourning doves. There are lots of them here at the house. And they are always here, just like she was. I could always count on her presence. She would sleep in a cardboard pop box, which made a unique sound when she moved around in it to clean it. She was fastidious in both her home and appearance. She was also very social and would watch TV if she got the chance.
The crescent moon was quite by accident. I never draw them. But for some reason, I did for her drawing. And as it turns out, on the evening she passed there was indeed a crescent moon.
I have buried her near where I buried Spit under a Magnolia tree. I will be planting a pear tree for Bean because she loved dried fruit. Apricot was her favourite.
For Spit
I miss my girl. I miss all of them. And every night I still say “Goodnight, Miss Bean.”
