Blackie - RIP

Blackie, one of our two pet hamsters, passed away suddenly this afternoon. Time of death: around 4 pm. Cause: Unknown.

We broke the news to the children just before dinner. They took it matter-of-factly. They did wonder why she died but we have no answer. Son No 1 started to count the number of pet deaths so far and this included 2 terrapins and >12 fishes. They remembered that the first terrapin which died was buried near the barbeque pit at Bishan.

We decided to bury Blackie in the grounds of the condominium. There was no ceremony or anything like that. We found a suitable spot, dug a deep enough hole and said bye-bye to Blackie.

On the way up in the lift, Son No 3 asked why we needed to bury Blackie. I said something about the Nitrogen Cycle and that its decomposition will provide food for the plants. Oh well, I am sure he did not understand it but sometimes I do resort to hiding behind scientific explanations because to simplify things can make things real complex. Go figure.