Thought a few of you might enjoy this story.  My friend has a great fear
of ferrets--they stink and they bite.  So out of respect for this fear for
the year that we have knoown one another I have caged the boys when we
spend time together.  When I go out of town she looks after the turtles,
hedgehog, dogs, cat, horses and whatever wildlife rescue I currently
have--from bunnies to deer to raccoons( talk about something that stinks
and WILL bite), but I always take the ferrets to the babysitter--who lives
40 miles away.
 
Well, I had an emergency last week and needed to be gone overnight.  So my
friend agreed to change the water and check on the ferrets for me.  To ease
her anxiety we let the boys loose in her presence and as you can imagine
within 30 minutes she was in love with their soft furry bodies and their
remarkable antics.  As she was leaving, she confessed that for the past
year she thought the blue jeans on the floor were the way that I dried and
pressed my jeans--she had no idea they were just another play toy!!  The
boys and I are still laughing!  This happened in the same week that my maid
left me a note saying she had not been able to clean the bathrooms as she
had become so engrossed in playing with the ferrets that the time got away
from her.  Just a reminder they affect our lives in many ways.
[Posted in FML issue 2933]