Liz, Limpit, and Manitas, there is no good time to loose a beloved pet. I'm sorry that this happened when you were away and couldn't (perhaps) be there for a small ceremony and burial, but I'm sure that if your Shadow is like our calico Clementine, you'll still catch her out of the corner of your eye every so often. They stick around for a while, I think. Best wishes to all of you.

SRS