Hello FML --

People keep coming over to commiserate about Julie's death -- (!)
and (!) to ask how Rico is doing.

It is very very nice. It's part of the culture here (Ethiopia) when
people die. Our case is completely unusual, since it's animals that
our neighbors and friends are giving sympathy and concern about.

Pets aren't common in Ethiopia. Most cats and dogs are workers -- guard
dogs, rat killers, etc. Seeing people warming up so to ours and our
ferrets makes me especially happy.

Pet ferrets are completely new here -- and are initially seen/disliked
as rats. But once our friends see them, most see them as benign and
interesting, and some find them delightful.

We live in an inconvenient area, and most people do not have cars, so
the trips people are making to come to console us involve a lot of
effort. Other people phone -- one young guy who's working in the far
west of the country spent some of his scarce money to doit. A man in
his 50's who lost a dog he loved some months ago was crying on the
phone and will come to see us soon.

[Posted in FML 6709]