[Moderator's note: Originally posted in 3 parts, combined here. BIG]

Well, well, well! What a couple of weeks!

The ferrets' elevated wire-mesh tunnels are complete, and they are
using them to go to four different areas: Their outdoor cage, the
two sewing rooms, and the front hall of the house where we have put a
Ferret Nations add-on unit. We don't yet have all the parts for the
base, but we did have a piece that's for a large shelf, and it has a
square hole in the corner into which we fit the down-going tunnel.

The network as a whole is about 180' long, made of abt 20 segments that
are 6-10' long. The segments are joined by sheetmetal collars, and the
ends that go to the ground and through windows to floors are sheathed
in the same -- so the ferrets can't climb up the outsides of the
tunnels, from wh they could fall &/or escape.

Another piece of progress --- a couple of weeks ago I bought a
smallish freezer to keep all the food ingredients fresh -- the
meat/bone/blood/organs meal, the little logs of the same ingredients
plus peas and corn (mixed w the meal for the dogs and cats),
beef/sheep/etc fat and chickens (the main ingredients for the ferret
food, along with the meal, olive oil, cod-liver oil (the only fish
oil I have found here, so far), eggs w shells.

The freezer also ensures that we will always have the ingredients.
One thing I have had trouble imparting is that the ferrets need food
available to them constantly, and at times we would run out of what we
need to prepare their diet. Somehow I always discovered this at night.
Then it would be a scramble to find something appropriate for them for
the next 15 hours. (Shopping is a long process. For one thing, we don't
have a car!)

Now, w my repeatedly saying The ferrets need some fresh food in this
room or that, everyone understands that the food must be there and
fresh at all times. So we are all on the lookout to ensure that.

It is just wonderful to have all this help. The ferts' bedding is
ALWAYS fresh, the littler boxes clean, and their potty accidents are
no longer my concern. WOW. Similarly the dogs and cats are fed, their
bedding cleaned, their poop picked up. Plus food is purchased and
prepared w/o me now.

Sisay is the animal caretaker, and he is very fine w the animals. He
enjoys them and worries after them. Saba is the one who interviewed
people for the job, and her choice was great.

He and Tsige have settled down as a stable couple. She refers to him
as her husband and they sit close, side by side at meals and share a
bedroom. We are all happy about this.

Right now they are working side-by-side in this room, which doubles as
my office and out largest sewing room, on their first fabric designs --
for bedcovers.

HA! Here comes Lucy down the tunnel to this room. OK, now she's in a
very long clear plastic tube that they all love. We've tied it into a
knot. I bought a box of these tubes from a site that has quite a few
innovative toys, including one called Tornado that's made of these
tubes wound around a stand:

http://www.tarzansferrets.com
http.//www.tarzansferrets.com/tornado.htm

My Tornado is in my Calif house. I've just told my real estate agent
to put it on the market, btw. I'm going back to the US in May or June
for some MD appts and to visit friends and family. So now I shall also
empty the house. I am sad to lose the house and the wonderful property,
but I don't want to live in Hbrook any more, and I want to put the
remaining money into life here. For example, to get a car.

Cars are extraordinarily expensive here. A 1986 Toyota Corolla is abt
$8,000. Yes that is right -- a 22 year-old car w who knows how many
owners, costs $8,000.

Now about the ant attack on the ferrets: One night last week, around
10pm, all five of us were in the service area, and the ferrets were
either running through their tunnels or asleep in them. Ada came
barrelling through the tunnel to this room, and I noticed her
scratching intensely and went to see what was up. She had smallish
black ants on her.

Everyone became alarmed -- these ants are biters.

We pulled them off and away she went, up the tunnel again, before we
caught her -- we were now concentrating on removing the ants from
another ferret. It's quite a task, since the ants are small, and
usually you have to part the fur to see them.

HERE IS A GREAT TIP: Blow gently on the fur to part it, and move the
point of contact of your breath to cover an area. Tsige showed me that.

As we removed ants, some survived and pretty soon some of us were
jumping and pinching and running into the bathroom to pull off our
pants and locate the buggers. I have lost some pounds -- can even wear
some size 14 pants again now. But I still have a nasty little flesh
apron left, and when I found I could not SEE the ant that was biting
me below it, I was appalled. I hadn't quite gotten it that I was still
so ... well, what can I say. I know you are supposed to love yourself
as you are. SsZnorrrT!

We kept working on the ferrets we could find, and then Ada ran back
down the tunnel, frantic. She had lots of ants on her feet, and some
more on her body. We worked and worked, and then Lucy came down in the
same state. You can bet it is the girls who got into the worst trouble.
Our little lively ones.

Of course at that point we were locking the cleaned ferrets in a cage.
But we hadn't gotten them all. A cluster was nestled in one of the
sheetmetal sleeves that joins the separate tunnels to make the long
network, and they were not about to budge, though some were scratching
away. We ended up using a hose to spray them to get them to move.

When we cleaned these guys, we found dead as well as live ants -- the
ferrets had bitten and scratched them to death. We had been saying how
glad we were that we had been awake when this happened. The fact that
they could deal with the ants, at least to a large extent, was a big
relief.

I worried that the ants were related to the new tunnels in some way,
but it turned out the ants were in the outdoor pen. So here it is,
nighttime, and Sisay is flooding the pen. Our water pressure is low,
but we got the area covered.

These ants are ground dwellers. Possibly the ferts dug them up -- they
have made some new holes in their pen. I think most likely the ants did
it on their own. I hope they have now ID'd the pen as a very dangerous
area for them -- their equiv of Davy Jones' Locker.

Meanwhile, we couldn't find Philippe. Sisay climbed up to look in each
sleeve to see if P were in one. No luck. We became afraid that he had
escaped during all of the excitement. We'd already gone through all
the boxes etc in the sewing rooms, except a deep one filled w cloth.

Well, of course when we looked there, just to cover the last possible
place, he was there, sound asleep. No ants on Philippe!

Do you remember that I almost left Philippe in the US? I am so glad
I did not. At the last minute he reformed -- he'd been mercilessly
tomenting Lucy so that she had stopped playing in the pens and also
woke up crying out, even when Philippe wasn't attacking her in her
sleep.

It was quite astonishing how suddenly he changed. Made me believe in
human-animal ESP again.

My cousin and I were going to drive to Oregon to Chris' shelter on a
Saturday and surrender him rather than bring the problem to Ethiopia.
On Friday night, I looked in the cage and was amazed -- he and Lucy
were sleeping in one of Rose's round snuggly beds! The next morning
they were still there, she mostly on top of him. Then she woke up,
and w/o any alarm she got up, went to the littler box -- and returned
to sleep on top of Philippe.

He has had very few relapses, and in fact, it is no longer a matter of
tormenting her -- just occasional short little bouts -- a little rough,
but no sounds of distress from Lucy, just squeaks of protest. And P
never pursues her afterwards to hunt her down and hurt her, and he
never attacks her in her sleep from everything I saw from then onwards.

I also almost left Johann, one of the then 4-month-old kittens,
behind. All three of the kittens had been feral and were inadequately
socialized, but were coming along, and a friend of the Evil Petsitter's
wanted a couple of kittens. I had all the animals loaded in the car
(except the large dogs) and went back to my bedroom for something,
and there was Johann, standing in the middle of the floor looking
bewildered.

I decided I just couldn't leave him and went to pick him up. At that
stage all three'd usually run when I approached them, and it was a
challenge to get them in a corner or somewhere else where I could pick
them up. But this time he just stood there and let me do it, and I
packed him in with the other kittens in their big travelling cage
(intermediate size).

I am very glad I didn't give him away. He is a good guy. Like Steve
and Katie, their mother, Johann is all black, but he has recently grown
two white whiskers, one on each side of his snout. They are not quite
parallel, which gives him an odd but endearing look.

Well, now they are six months old, and guess what, the female, a
spectacularly striped/swirled tortoiseshell brown-and-black tabby
named Tsahai (which means Sun in Amharic), is coming into heat for
the first time. Johann was trying to mate with her yesterday. She was
Not into it.

She was scheduled to be spayed today (!), and the boys (Steve and
Johann) to be neutered, but the household prevailed on me to wait on
Tsahai. A number of people would have liked to have Tsahai because
she is so beautiful, and now they want her kittens.

She seems to have gone back out of heat today, but perhaps she'll start
again. I'd like her to not have kittens this cycle since she is only 6
months. Plus not with her brother. But I have to admit that we aren't
prepared to lock her up for a couple of weeks. All rooms are in use,
and too many people go in and out of them all day long.

So if she gets pregnant we will just take good care of her and make
sure she gets good food.

I'm sure that if the heat becomes full-blown we will have a cat carnival
here, since people rarely Rarely neuter their animals.

I myself have decided to wait before neutering Steve and Johann. They
are just coming around to be mellow and affectionate. Johann is quite
close. Steve has quite a ways to go but, to our happy surprise, he
came into the service area while we were at supper last night, plus
he almost lay down there a couple of times. He came in, retreated,
came in, lay down, got up, and repeated the whole process.

I'm wondering if their new sociability has anything to do with
approaching sexual maturity. Does any one know?

As I remember it, they can't procreate at this age, but I plan to
check that out.

Our friend the Indian dentist, Dr Bharat, has returned to India.
We miss him. He had some problems with his manager that proved
unreconcilable. He is a funny fellow, always talking and full of
philosophy. Before he left, he surprised me by giving me his little
desk.

He arranged it with a couple of candles -- one a little Feng Shui
candle for prosperity, and another a wooden kneeling maiden with a pot
on her head that held a tall white candle. Also a card, a holder full
of pencils, another for kleenex, another for clips, a little drinking
glass, a plastic bag of paperclips, and other stationery items.

He made me stay in the livingroom while he and the others arranged it
all. When I came into the room, there it was, with the candles burning.

He left last night, after a day of being held captive in his apartment
by his manager who'd promised to come at 2pm w the ticket, the
converted money, etc, but didn't show till 9. The plane boarded at 10.
"The departing kick," as Dr Bharat put it.

We'd planned to get together that afternoon, but he couldn't leave his
place. We talked to him three or four times during the day by phone,
the last time being just before 10 as he was boarding. He was crying.

We kept saying we would visit him in Delhi, but he always changed the
subject, so we assume perhaps it is a matter of a family problem.

Rico, my ex-biter ferret has been losing weight. We thought/hoped it
was that he was off his feed and made sure he ate plenty this week,
but he hasn't gained much. About an hour ago I decided for sure he is
getting unsteady in his back legs. (It's taken a few hours to write
this!)

I am about to call Dr. Dawit to come over with the Fox textbook and see
what we can figure out. Sigh.... This is the only seriously bad thing
about living here -- the medical facilities for animals and people. A
pretty serious thing, but I knew that and try to be re(damn -- what
is that word -- Ah yes) signed to it. (I am having many fewer senior
moments now, by the way! A demo that stress does contribute to them.)

You can see why I want to set up a vet lab and diagnostic center here.
The only option is to have a lab for humans process blood, etc, and
Dawit says they are not enthusiastic about the task. I don't know
about xrays. I'll ask him this aft.

It is time for Ada's second melatonin insert. Dawit will do that too
today.

Today I had my shower installed, the plumbing set up for the washer
and dryer begun, and plans for where to put the 3,000-liter water tank
completed. The tank's opaque, white, and slightly squatly cylindrical
(vertically). The water level will be about 5.5' high, and is abt 4.5'
in diameter. Tomorrow the structure that holds the tank will be begun
The best place turns out to be in the entrance to the fert cage. I
have a double set of gates -- a sort of moat to prevent escapes when
we enter and leave the pen. A secondary benefit will be shade for the
front of the pen.

Since we will probably move to more modest living quarters in Dec, we
are doing everything so we can take the results with us.

I can't tell for sure about moving -- since I don't yet have my
machines and fabric, we can't start producing, so I don't know how the
income will be. Housing is one of the expensive things here -- this
house is about $1100/month. Our first lease was defined as payable for
a year in advance.

HA! Here are Jonas and Ada coming down the tunnel/ramp. It's rather
warm outside, and they must be coming in for cooling. The hot season
is beginning. I have a portabale AC in my container. I certainly hope
I get that container soon.

They have a nice fresh pan of food, but Jonas and Ada headed straight
for their crate -- one that cats came in on the plane. Yep, it's snooze
time. Abt 2pm, I think.

I hear Tsige and Ababa and Teberre in the kitchen (the next room) and
smell lunch. Maybe youremember that this is the time of the 55-day
fast. No food before noon, and then no animal products. Of course I am
exempt, which I used to find awkward, but they all say that is silly.
Eat! Eat! Eat!

*****

OK, I ate, ate, ate. HAving people eat is one of Abeba's great
pleasures. She grew up in a materially deprived household till about 10
years old. Her parents were very poor farmers. At 10 she was sent to an
uncle's. Apparently the uncle was a kind (and rich) man, but the story
goes that the wife was truly mean. It seems that the husband should
have given Abeba more protection if he were so kind, but ...

Abeba was set to work from early AM to late at night. She was there
seven years, till she was 17 or so, but received no money, was refused
schooling, and was given one dress a year and one pair of plastic shoes
a year. The emotional evnironment was as bare as the material one.

Finally she was able to go to a married sister's house that, as it
happily happened, was near to where I was living at the time w my first
husband, Conrad. VEry soon after that, she was working for us. Did I
tell you how that came about? It was a wonderful story, but I found
out a few nights ago that it was all false!

Ad on that note, I shall leave you, gentle readers.

Oh, not quite yet. It turns out that Rico's leg problem is a trauma to
his hind left leg. We think he hurt himself on the down ramps of the
tunnel network, or else caugt his left foot as he was running along,
because the carpeting wasn't cut wide enough for complete protection
from the wire mesh and its holes.

So now we have to redo all the carpeting! I should have had it done
when I discovered the error, but hoped it wd be all right since the
guys who'd done it wd be disappointed, and I wd have a largish expense
to throw out all the carpet and get new. And old lesson to be learned
Again.

But the good thing is that the problem is so local and Rico does not
have a dread disease.

As for Ada, she hated the injection of the melatonin implant, but it
was done. Now to get the Deselorin. Again I have been remiss in not
tracking it down sooner, but I'm diongthe best I can.

Hafetom, the 14-yr-old, who looks like 10, w the 6-months of
gastro-intestinal problems, got a lot better but still had symptoms
after our last trip to the "Korean" hospital. So we went back, got (by
good luck) a better pediatrician, and was diagnosed w/ ulcer bacteria.
He's now on the appropriate treatment for it and is much better. His
mother says his symptoms are gone, but he will finish the course of
treatment.

Another trip to that hosp was for Abeba and her younger brother, a
priest in the north. Both have had headaches for some time -- Abeba
since I have known her. I was having something of my own seen to, and
wasn't in the treatment room w either of them. Abeba came away w a
diagnosis of "Headaches," and her brother Kyss (Priest) Gebre Medhin,
with one of Infection in the head. Good Lord, whatever is that about.
When they go back for their followups, I hope to find out what is
going on.

Luckily (?) all this teatment is inexpensive. Each time we go I spend
$20 - 40, including medication, xrays, and lab work.

I have Got to stop Now! And yet there are so many more stories to tell.
I'll have to go through all my emails to see what I have said I would
cover in later emails.

bfn!

PS, I am STILL fighting through the prep for the Revenue Office.

[Posted in FML 5913]