In other news, Pearl has sadly lost her battle. She has finally died. We had discussed ending her torture but I couldn't bring myself to it. Not only because the idea of killing was unappealing (see above) but because I was hoping for a miracle. She had held on for so long, fighting to the end. I still have no idea what killed her. Her eyes remained clear right up to her death. She lost strength in her entire body and stopped eating and drinking until finally she slipped away. I had thought about bringing her to the vet, but this may sound harsh to some so I apologize in advance, but really it came down to the fact it would cost far far less to replace her than to invest in vet bills to save her. Though I love all my animals on the farm, I have no problem separating which are pets and which ones are simply there to provide for me and the family.