Dear Ferret Folks-

It turned into a really hot day. Not that I am complaining, mind you.
Some clever weatherman figured out that the number of hours of clear,
unfiltered sunlight here in New England was the same in June and July
as it was in January and February of this year. Did I mention that we
had a bad summer? More like NO summer, until very recently. I am
cherishing every hot day, but the heat is hard on the boys.

Accordingly, I have lifted up their "blackout" curtain, the one that
keeps stray light out of their cage during the day. Lifting it up and
putting on the ceiling fan keeps them cool and comfortable in their
hammies. If it gets *really* hot I slip bags of frozen veggies into
their hammies.

I thought that today would be a good day to launder their bedding. We
had bright sun, so it dried on the line in only about forty five
minutes. I had to rush to put some back into the cage when my hubby
called home, needing my help. Could I be ready to take a trip in the
car in five minutes to go buy more new windows? You betcha. We've been
re-siding the house, and replacing the windows when we can with new,
double paned ones that we can get tax credits back for.

Rushing around, rushing around...I decided that I would put one clean
hammie up (the biggest) for the boys before the car trip. I'd put all
the others up when I returned home. Well, I got back home and went into
the computer room, bedding in hand. Were the boys in the big hammie?
No.

The boys were both doing dead-ferret impressions, lying upside-down
on\ their blue plastic cage shelves. The hammie was empty. I can only
assume this was the most comfortable way to sleep, temperature wise.
But they looked awful, paws up, wrists bent in the air, fangs and
tongues showing. All they needed were X's for eyes, like a cartoon.
They were *fine*, but I showed my husband, told him to come see
quietly. He giggled. And remarked that it was so hot that he was ready
to nap on his *own* blue plastic shelf, if that would make him more
comfortable.

Well, I enjoyed the visual!

An afternoon thunderstorm came in and cleared out much of the heat.
The boys are up rompin' and stompin, and so is my husband. He pulled
out the old air-conditioner and installed it in our bedroom, which is
very small. Good. It will cool down better. I half expect to open the
bedroom door and find a big blue slab of plastic on my husband's side
of the bed!

Alexandra in MA

[Posted in FML 6422]