Wowee!! Zowie!! Hot Diggety Dang!! How 'Bout Them Dawgs!! Introducing: Mr.
Odyssius Scholtes Schieman (Odie).
 
Many much thanks to Doug Scholtes at the University of GA in Athens for
allowing us to adopt his much loved friend, Odie.  He is a very nice young
man and I know he is very sad to have to part with the li'l guy.  I know
that his buddy, Pauly must be sad also - what a sweet laid back little
feller Pauly is!  I hope the both of them are comforted by knowing that Odie
has come to live in a loving home.
 
Thanks also to Val McNeill from Sothwest Texas for giving us such a nice
recommendation.  I don't believe I've had the pleasure of corresponding with
Val directly.  I guess you know us from our writings here.
 
Gosh, this is starting to sound like I'm accepting an Academy Award!  One
more 'thank you' and I'll stop: Thank you FML for making this possible.  I
cannot express just how much your support and love means to all of us here
at the Schieman Estate.
 
Now, back to ferts.  I first learned of Odie when I read Doug's letter on
Tuesday's FML.  My attention really perked up when I read that he was in
Athens, GA, 'bout 70-80 miles from here.  Then the shop paged me and told me
that I had to be at the Chili's Restuarant in Athens at 8:00 this morning.
(Insert Twilight Zone theme music here.) I took this as a sign that this was
definitely 'meant to be'.  Doug agreed, we met at lunchtime and Odie rode
home to Decatur with me.
 
Odie is about two years old, a sable (Siamese Sable?), weighs in at about 1
1/2 pounds (about 3/4 Tater's size), has dark pointed guard hairs and is
absolutely precious.  He is very busy and vocal.  Tater does not talk much,
except for when he's playing rodeo rider with one of the cats.  Odie has a
dook for everything.  How neat!  I haven't checked yet for any identifying
tatoos, but who cares?  He's a ferret and Mee Maw and I just love him!
 
I had to make one service call when Odie and I got back to Atlanta this
afternoon.  I didn't want to leave him alone in the truck.  The receptionist
at the place let me park his critter carrier behind her desk.  I never heard
so much ooohing and aahhing in all my life.  You know how southern ladies
are.  She really hated it when Odie and I left.  Her boss was happy because
she kept letting the phones ring off the hook while Odie was there.
 
The introduction of Odie to Tater went really well.  Tater knew that
something was up when I emptied all of his toys out of the carrier this
morning.  So that's where my new tape measure went!
 
Odie's first impression of his new home way, "Hey!  Who wrecked this place?
Have I been here before?  Wait a minute.  That can of deodorant has no right
in being where it is." Tater's first impression of Odie ocurred when the
deodorant landed beside his napping body.
 
Tater yawned, sretched and set about to help Odie rearrange the top of Mee
Maw's dresser.  When he realized that this new critter looked a lot like
him, he tried to exert his dominance.  They tussled and chased each other
around the room for awhile - nothing serious.  Tater did get a little rough
one time, so I scruffed him and told him, "NO!" He spent a fifteen minute
time out in the critter carrier and eveything has been fine since.  They are
both taking a nap right now, which is why I have the time to write this.
 
We'll just have to see what happens when Mee Maw and I crawl in for the
night.  Should be a whole lotta fun.  Guess I'd better hush now so Listserv
won't scold me.  Heck I ain't had so much fun since the fifth grade when
Shiela Tidwell showed me her polka-dot panties!  (They were in her purse,
BTW.)
 
Two ferrets are MUCH better than one.  (Do I hear three?  Quit lookin' at me
that way, Mee Maw.)
 
Paw Paw, Tater and Odie
 
PS: Doug is looking to adopt a laid back, calm buddy for Pauly.  Can someone
out there help him out?  I know that he and Pauly would appreciate any help.
They are both nice folks.
[Posted in FML issue 1492]