Hi!  I have been ready all your post for the last couple of months.  This is
the first time I have posted.  So I will start by wishing everyone a Happy
and Healthy New Year whether you have 2 legs or 4.
 
I was sitting here catching up on my reading of the FML for the last couple
of days and thinking how great it would be to be able to take the family
(Husband John, 9 fuzzies and 3 Rotties) outside to play in the snow.  We are
melting at the moment, 36 degrees C.  Tomorrow is supposd to be 38.
 
By the way, we all live at Woodside, which is in the hills about 45kms
from Adelaide, South Australia.
 
For those that are interested we do go out hunting for rabbits with our
babies at times.  But usually only in the cooler months.  It ius much too
hot to do in the summer.  John has just returned from our property on the
otherside of the hills from Adelaide and it was well over 40 degrees up
there.  And that is where we go rabbiting.  Although there isn't as many
rabbits around now as there used to be.  They have released calicivirus over
her to try and reduce the number of rabits around.  They cause untold damage
to the bush and properties.
 
When we go rabbitting we do not use "guns" at all.  We use nets.  Either
ones made of wire netting "chicken wire".  or woven ones with a draw string
that we lay flat over the mouth of the burrow amd the rabbit when it races
out causes the string to tighten behind it.  This way you catch the rabbits
alive and there is no danger to anything or anybody else.  Sometimes on
large warrens you may need between 20 to 100 nets.  On these warrens you
would use up to 8 ferrets all working at the same time.  Other times you
would only use 1 or 2 at a time.
 
Our ferrets are (or will be) workers as well as pets.  The reason I say will
be is that we only have 1 at the moment that is older than 1 year old,
"Baby" she is 3 1/2.  The others are only young.  "Captain" is 1, he is
Baby's mate their family is due 11 Feb.  They are both Albinos.  The others
are 2 panda hobs as yet to be named, they are 4 months old, 4 sables, 2
males and 2 females, "Mopar" and his future mate is "Minx", "Rocky Raccoon"
and his future girlfriend "Cleopatra" and my only silver mitt "Silver Lady"
they are all 9 and 10 weeks old.
 
We have had ferrets now for nearly 16 years and woke up Christmas morning to
find our 6 1/2 year old "Miss Muffett" had gone to the big hunting ground in
the sky.  I miss her antics.  She was the daughter of one of my past
favourites, "Lady Jayne".
 
To "Opal's" Mum our hearflet condolences.  I have shed a few tears for you
both.
 
I have just realised how much I have babbled on.
 
So  I had better go and spray the family, to help cool them down.
 
Thanks to every one for the help and enjoyment that I have from The FML.
 
Sandy
 
PS I must ask - when you all speak of raisins are you talking about the
dried grape type?
[Posted in FML issue 1813]