>From: Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ed Lipinski
>
>Does anyone know how Ed Lipinski is doing?
>Have the ferrets gotten new homes?
>
>[CD]
Yep . . . he's improving following cervical and lumbar spinal surgery
to correct extensive spinal stenosis. Untoward and surprising
complications ( lymphoedema) in the neck and the left leg thrust him
back into the hospital via 911 emergency service (may you never
experience intubation without anesthetic in a bouncing aid truck) for
two days emergency care and four days critical care. Then six weeks in
a Care and Rehab hospital.
His trachea was blocked by the lymphoedema, except for the intubation
tube and his swallowing mechanism was inoperative. He spent six weeks
in a care and rehab hospital taking liquid nutrients through a plastic
tube punctured into his stomach (ouch!). To eat or drink at this time,
as would a normal person not so incapacitated, meant a lingering death
from aspirational pneumonia, because the swallowing musculature could
not close off the trachea coincident with a swallow.
His swallow migrated to Capistrano, along with all the other birdies.
Specialty physical therapists trained him daily to ultimately regain
swallowing capability. Today he is somewhat recovered and he and his
bride of 49 years have been huckleberry picking and cruising the
high mountain logging roads in the majestic Cascades in his 1971 VW
Squareback, lovingly dubbed, The Rommel Wagen. Always an adventure
since something always seem to break down in this old station wagon
from Rommel's Afrika Corps.
His eleven ferrets were surrendered to the local ferret
rescue/rehab/homing group in Kirkland, Washington, by his bride and
daughter during his traumatic and surprising near asphyxiation,
following and related to his complex neck surgery (eight titanium
screws and two rectangular titanium plates and three inter-vertebral
discs made from bone fragments taken from his left sacrum. Two
orthopaedic surgeons cooperated in this complex surgery, accessed
through the left side of his neck and hip.
Now he is saddened from the loss of all his ferrets, all of whom were
fantastic diggers, and who were just undergoing training to improve
their scenting and digging out from the soil special paper objects
which he had buried for them to scent, dig out and uncover. The objects
of interest to them were cigarette wrapper paper packages containing
explosive gun powder. This is the gun powder he normally uses to refill
his rifle and pistol cartridges during the reloading process.and is
similar to some of the explosive components contained in buried
anti-personnel and anti-tank mines.
Edward is convinced that a trained ferret can uncover part of a mine
without the risk of blowing itself up, as sometimes happens with the
much heavier and larger mine sniffing dogs. The dogs weigh more than
the ferret and they are also much more aggressive in their digging
habit than is the ferret with its tiny foreclaws. Unlike the mine
digging dog, the ferret will dig only to the edge of a buried mine and
leave behind a tell-tale "ditch" of dirt tailings. This unique tailings
ditch will always point to the mine even though the mine may be still
covered with soil. And another advantage of ferret "de-miners" is the
fact that they are very, very quiet and they like to dig at night.
Hence the ferret could be employed right under the "noses" of the enemy
fortifications, foxholes, bunkers, etc. without the enemy even aware
that the little ferret is opening the way for a surprise infantry
attack right through the exposed minefield at dawn.
Ferrets make difficult targets to hit with rifle fire even if the enemy
should discover them night digging. Not likely. And think of the horror
an enemy soldier would experience were a big doubled-balled hob to jump
down on him in his foxhole or trench in the dead of night. A lot of
screaming and not that of the hob.
Edward's experience as a US Navy expert sharpshooter on the navy rifle
range in Hawaii showed him how difficult it is, if not impossible, to
hit a mongoose anywhere between the rifle butts and the firing
platform. The mongoose is just a little larger then the ferret and is
very quick in its action. Edward never even attempted to fire at a
mongoose, because the likelihood of hitting one seemed nearly
impossible. The mongoose in Hawaii is a devastating pest of wildlife,
and even though it was introduced to rid the islands of rats, it failed
in this misguided attempt at biological control of the rat. And not
surprising, ferrets are illegal in Hawaii. Perhaps that's just as well
that they are illegal there, because a fight between a ferret and a
mongoose would most likely result in a dead ferret.
The deployment of De-miner ferrets to locate and burrow-point the exact
location of IED's, as roadside bombs, could possibly save the lives of
some American and other soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Would the
American Ferret Association possibly suggest this approach to the US
military? Edward thinks this unlikely.
Edward is contemplating just how he may locate a source of intact,
young ferrets. A dozen or so, a mix of females and males, may be a
good start for the digging and training of these ferrets to become
De-miners. Also a defuzed mine or two. So, if you have any
recommendations, he'd entertain your thoughts/condemnations. Edward
thinks a few lady pet ferret owners may find this idea of training
ferrets to uncover underground mines is a horrible objective albeit
patriotic.
Aller Anfang ist schwer. (German: Getting started is kinda tough,
Pilgrim)
Edward signing in for Edward Lipinski
Ferrets North West Foundation,
Limping Leftward Along At Half Power
NOTE. Check Ferret Archives for Edward's practice of staking harnessed
ferrets outside in the ferret digging grounds and describing their
digging habits and their characteristic "plowed furrows" of excavated
dirt that "point" towards their burrow entrance. Edward feels so sad
that the average house-bound pet ferret is living but half a life,
if never given the opportunity to experience life au natural on and
roiling in the soil. It' quite sad, you know. Very.
[Moderator's note: That note above was Edward's note, not mine. Due to
previous problems with some of Edward's posts, all his posts are now
subject to strict moderation. BIG]
[Posted in FML 6464]
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