Hi everyone--
 
Well, Amelia, Cully and I made it to Massachusetts and are now back on
line-- I really did miss the FML over the last month or so!  I kept
up-to-date on Kodo through the web page; I'm as saddened and sick about it
as anyone else, and count me in on letter-writing, support stuff, etc.
 
Crossing the Canada-US border with the ferrets was a cinch; if I'd left them
in the truck while I filled out paperwork, nobody would ever even have asked
about them, but I didn't want to leave them for an unknown period of time.
At first the customs agents thought I'd have to drive from the Vermont
crossing back into Canada then over to the New York crossing, because that's
where the vet was that day, but fortunately they got the vet on the phone
and he set them straight.  The biggest laugh of the day came when this
really grumpy agent I've encountered before barged into the proceedings and
barked at me, "What kind of ferrets are those?" Umm, I stammered, there
aren't really different kinds of ferrets, these are just ordinary domestic
ferrets.  I thought he meant like breed, but it turned out he was asking
whether they were "the endangered kind" or not!  Yeah, I harnessed up these
wild black-footed ferrets, chucked 'em in a carrier, and am taking them home
with me to be loving pets... I kept a straight face and assured the agent
that these were not endangered ferrets at all.  The two ferrets, as some of
you may recall, are not close friends, but handled the six hours in the
carrier together very well.  In fact, I observed some interesting behavior;
I'd only put one towel in there, not wanting to fill up the carrier with
bedding, and I watched little Miss "Help-he's-picking-on-me" Amelia shove
poor Cully out of the towel and wrap it around herself, leaving him with
nothing-- poor guy.  I got him another towel.  I'd put a litterpan in the
carrier, which Amelia promptly slept in.  When she needed to poop, she used
a corner of the carrier, but Cully somehow held it all in until we were in
Mass and he had his own litterbox again (I did give him some chances to go
outside-- he seems to be a little too litterbox trained, if there is such a
thing!).  That crazy ferret is quite a character in his own way.
 
ok, one more cute story (Mondays are slow anyway, right?).  This morning as
I put moisturizer on my hands, Cully came up to me and begged for a taste of
it as usual.  I bent down and let him lick the back of my hand.  Amelia came
over to investigate, and after spotting Cully there, she took one of my
fingertips in her mouth and dragged my hand away from him!  I am really
revising my opinion of their interactions...
 
And just to feel like I'm really back on the FML, I'm going to quibble with
Bob C. on a point of trivia.  Yesterday, Bob, you stated that native peoples
did not feed their dogs.  Well, speaking as a former anthropology student, I
can tell you that such was not the case for some Northwest coast tribes, who
caught (and still catch, in some cases) the less tasty salmon species as dog
food.  Inuit hunters also supplied their dogs with food.  However, these
were pragmatic steps (why on earth else would a sled dog hang out all
winter, if not for the free meals), and your general point still stands.
 
Gosh it's good to be back.  I give all my condolences to those in need of
condoling, and wish all the best to everyone,
 
Regina
and Cully and Amelia too!
 
whatever the header says, my email is [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1981]