Mention was made that Syracuse Savannah swims. We need more description
on this female swimmer, if you please. Am eager to read her front leg
paddling or "crawling" paw motions that enable her to propel herself
thru the water. Do her hind legs trail alongside her tail or does she
actively paddle, like a polar bear does?

In our Ferret Olympics, Ferret Swim Contest (in 3-feet of water at a
local freshwater lake shore) we have noted that the ferret swims pretty
much just like a dog. It does a simple "dog paddle" stroke, trails its
hind legs parallel to its tail, and always heads for the shallower
water at the lake shore. It does not always swim in a straight line
but often meanders port and starboard.

A little nautical talk there.

A simple touch on the side of its rump with a stick reorients the
swimming ferret such that it follows a more of less straight line some
6-inches just above a submerged stretch of white clothes line (four
feet long) that is suspended horizontally between two posts stuck
upright in the lake bed. The submerged white clothes line serves as a
guide for the ferret trainer (Me) to guide the ferret in swimming the
shortest distance between the two rebar posts and so enables us to
record the time achieved by a swimming ferret to traverse a given
distance in the water. The same ferret is also submitted for a land
race (gets three tries for the fastest run) over a comparable distance
in a grassy field adjacent to the lake.

As far as I know, we are the only Ferret Fanatics who have measured
both the swimming speed and the land speed of a given ferret. I would
hope that others of similar ilk may be inclined to repeat our efforts
so that comparisons may be drawn and the hidden attributes of different
ferrets can be discovered in these highly intelligent relatives of the
otter and mink.

The "Grin" factor in the ferret owner and spectators is certainly
evident as they watch their streaming wet ferret propel itself through
the grass like a furry, arching and looping torpedo straight out of a
submarine's bow tube. The saturated ferret twists and rubs itself
vigorously while the owner and the spectators run along trailing the
ferret in a giddy crowd of very amused folk. It's giggles galore.
Everybody's happy.

In silent contemplation I sit here moodily and feel a deep sense of
moroseness, sadness and hurtful pain when I reflect on the poor,
imprisoned ferret who, bearing the ultimate restraint of confinement in
a cage bereft of a total water bath, can only weakly demonstrate its
heartfelt yearning for total immersion by scooping weakly at a bowl of
water on the cage floor. Oh so sad, sad, sad.

So, not wanting to leave you in my depressive fog, let me appeal to all
of you for your appreciation and pledge to help me. I want to organize
a Ferret Frolic.Olympics in the Seattle area and to invite each and
every one of you to participate, whether you own a ferret or not.
Hopefully you will want a piece of this fun event and you may be
willing to volunteer some of your time and treasure. I need to know if
you are willing to help me, and if so, please let me know by so posting
to Lipinski's Ferret Frolics/Olympics. Some thirty souls would be
great.

Thank you,

[Posted in FML 6160]