In 2008, at the Pittsburgh Symposium, Barb Carlson gave a presentation
on nursing sick ferrets back to health. This was well-received and
many people asked for more about this topic. So, the IFC is pleased to
announce the return of this shelter mom. Learn more about her below.
When one of her friends dropped by with her pet, Barb Carlson had no
way of knowing how much it would change her life. "A friend brought a
ferret to my house and it stared down my fierce hunter cat. I was so
impressed that I've been hooked ever since. After I'd seen how my
friend's ferret behaved with the cat, I purchased one of my own. I did
everything wrong AND the ferret was sick when I bought her. Amazingly,
she survived and I learned."
And learn she did. The mother of four grown children (and seven
grandchildren), Barb learned that children are great preparation for
ferrets. "As my children grew up and moved out, I added ferrets. I
thought it was a great trade. At least when the ferrets get annoying
I can put them in a cage. If you do that with the kids, they put you
in jail." Barb opened her shelter, the Hide-E-Hole
(http://www.hide-e-hole.com) Ferret Rescue in Pittsburgh, PA and her
heart, to ferrets. "Ferrets have more personality per square inch than
any other pet I've ever owned. Also, having had four children, I was
used to chaos. When the kids moved out, the ferrets supplied that
missing chaos very nicely."
In 2007, an Australian film crew descended on her house and filmed for
13 hours. They videotaped ferrets doing cute things (like opening the
cage door) and interviewed her for 3 hours straight. "Let me tell
you, three hours of interview will get you to say things you normally
wouldn't say!" Later, as she watched "Ferrets, the Pursuit of
Excellence" Barb was surprised to see they had used her entire song,
which you can still catch on TV. What they didn't ask her about was
her memories. Although there are many, Barb says, "probably my fondest
memory is of three of my ferrets working together to get my desk drawer
open. In that drawer were some silk flowers. I walked into the room
just in time to see the ferrets ... one, two, three ... running across
the floor as fast as their little legs could carry them -- each with
a silk rose in their mouth like some kind of demented Tango dancer!
And they didn't want to give those flowers back, either. They hissed
at me!"
As with many other ferret enthusiasts, Barb is a big fan of science
fiction. As such, she has had the opportunity to participate in sci-fi
conventions. You should stop Barb and ask her for the stories about
her role as C. Maltz, a Klingon from one of the Star Trek shows (she
insisted that his first name be Chocolate), or the time they staged a
"wild anchovy hunt at Altercon . . . so Julia Ecklar could track down
the killer anchovies!" When it was still allowed, she used to bring a
ferret to conventions and her little ferret, Gypsy, was the catalyst
for a budding romance between two young people who were eventually
married!
Ever diverse, Barb's eclectic pleasures are demonstrated by her taste
in music ("I like many different kinds of music ranging from heavy
metal to acid rock to techno to alternative to some rap and country.")
to her taste in movies ("comedies, science fiction and *good* horror").
When she does slow down a bit, Barb turns to meditation to help her
relax. But usually she will be doing "something!" It could be sewing,
crocheting, making jewelry, designing polymer clay figurines, writing
ferret songs, or researching the uses for instant polymer snow. But,
she says "playing with the ferrets is the most fun."
Barb is sure to be remembered in different ways, and she is not too
concerned about what people think. "If you want to remember me as that
crazy ferret lady with dead ferrets in her freezer, that's fine. If
someone wants to remember my music, poetry, or writing, that's fine
too." And, she does have a goal for her own life. "I want to emulate
people who are happy with their lives, who practice what they preach,
and who are kind to everyone. I'd mostly like to be remembered as
someone who loved animals and that the animals loved her back."
The easiest way to reach Barb is by email: [log in to unmask] or
text message (412-508-0733). If you want to see what kind of trouble
Barb can stir up, you can check out her articles on Gather.com
(bcarlson15210). And, if you get there early, find her at the
Symposium.
--
Renee Downs
"Eventually we will realize that if we destroy the ecosystem we
destroy ourselves." Jonas Salk
"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who
gets the credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
[Posted in FML 7029]
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