Hello from the Pacific Northwest
 
One of my money-making schemes is to get truffles (the mushroom, not the
chocolate) growing in my tree farm.  I had been given a handful of native
Oregon White Truffles to grind up into a slurry.  This slurry is then
diluted in water and sprinkled around the tree farm, spreading spores.  In
time, the friendly voles and squirrels will eat some of my truffles and
spread spore packets throughout the property, helping me become the Queen of
Truffles.
 
So last weekend, I had just processed the truffles in my blender.  They
emitted the typical smell that truffle connoisseurs love.  To me, it's an
offensive "bad cheese" odor.  I can't see how people can eat these things.
Bandit had come into the kitchen and was standing on my feet, looking up at
me, begging to see what I'm working on, and asking if he could provide
much-needed ferret assistance.  I lifted him and put is face near the
container of truffle slurry.  I was careful not to let him taste in case
there's some ferret toxin in this concoction.  He reacted by wrinkling his
face and opening and closing his mouth, all the while sticking his tongue in
and out--as if to wipe a bad taste off his tongue.  I repeated this, and
each time, he reacted the same way.  By this time, Big Bear had wandered
into the kitchen.  I assume my laughter caught his attention, but maybe he
thought there was a dead, rotting carcass nearby that needed his inspection.
I tested his reaction with the truffle slurry and got no reaction at all.  I
tried Bandit again, and he responded as before.  "Get my face away from this
bad stink!"
 
I don't know if there's a lesson in this.  Perhaps anyone planning to market
a gourmet ferret food with truffles should do serious test marketing before
launching the product.
 
Sandy Streit
[Posted in FML issue 1912]