Hi, all-
 
I was asked to check up on a little guy who has been here for a while.
His name is Jigs, but he prefers to be known as Boo-Boo.
 
Well, Boo-Boo is hanging his hammie with his Business of Slim and Luna.
The three of them love to swim, not all ferrets do!  Their hammies are
all hung on a little island in a calm, fresh water pond completely
surrounded by a pine forrest.  The sandy island is only maybe fifty feet
from the shore.  It is exactly big enough for eleven trees and nine
bushes.  I counted!  The hammies all hang from the scrubby little
branches of one particularly large blueberry bush.
 
Boo-Boo, Slim, and Luna have made good friends with a family of otters
that shares the pond with them.  (The otters are also members of the
weasel family.  We have a certain number of them here, but they are very
shy, and rarely mix with others.) The three ferrets and the otters often
go snorkeling together in the shallow water by the shore.
 
Boo-Boo said to tell his Mommy Angie that he is very happy here, with his
old, and new friends.  Some day, a long time from today, he wants to show
her his island home!  Slim and Luna really look forward to that.  They
started talking excitedly about how they could have a sleep-over with
Angie some day.  The otters are even willing to weave her a hammie from
pond reeds!  (They are very clever with their hands!)
 
I met a little guy named Sidney.  I was a bit worried about him, because
he doesn't know anybody here.  I didn't want him to be lonely, or afraid.
This side of the Bridge is a long way away from the love he knew with his
Mommy, Sarah!
 
In cases like this, I often introduce a singleton like Sidney to a group
of wild black-footed ferrets.  The Wilds are highly social,and the family
is the center of their world.  They are great believers in adoption!  No
singleton need ever be alone, here!
 
Well, the Wilds met Sidney and they fell in love with him.  They took
turns smelling him carefully, and they introduced themselves one at a
time.  They even introduced Sidney to the littlest of their kits.  Before
long, the kits were giggling and dooking as Sidney carried them in his
mouth by their scruffs.  They love finding an adult who will do that!
I can see already that Sidney is going to be very popular.
 
Last night, the Wilds threw a party for Sidney.  There was a wardance
competition, and a drum circle.  Some of the local domesticated ferrates
attended, too.  A newcomer is always made to feel as welcome as we can
possibly manage, here!  I wanted to ask him a few questions about his
life, but before the party was even half over, I found Sidney sound
asleep.  He was curled up in a soft, fuzzy mound of sleeping kits with
the sweetest little blunt snouts and soft balck feet!  I'll catch up to
him another time.
 
I met a real character named Draco.  His Mommy Tracy didn't exaggerate
one bit.  He really did come across the Bridge in his little red velvet
"Super Draco" cape!  (I'm not really sure if he is going to be able to
strap on his wings with that cape on or not.  Well, we'll get to that
later.)
 
Draco's Business of EZ, DW, and Snapper came with me to greet him.  There
was lots of excited dooking and sniffing!  The first place that Draco
wanted to see was the Fruit Bar, so off we went.  As if I ever need an
excuse to go to the Fruit Bar!
 
We gorged on rasins and bananna chunks, apple slices and little melon
wedges.  You should have seen Draco's face when he bit into a pineapple
chunk!  You know that lick-lick-lick face that we ferrets make when we
get a little sticky vitamin concentrate?  The stuff that makes us squinch
our eyes shut when we eat a little bit of it squeezed out of a tube?
Well, his eyes squinched shut, and he frantically lick-lick-licked trying
to get the sour taste out of his mouth.  Pineapple isn't for everybody.
(I never touch it, myself.) Oh, did we laugh.  Finally, someone was
kind enough to lead him over to the Giant Bowls.  The Giant Bowls are
clustered close to one another on the ground.  One is full of cold water,
and one is full of cold milk.  Draco chose milk.
 
Later, the five of us sat in the grass and talked about their Mommy
Tracy.  They have many lovely memories of her.  She gave them so much
love!  Someday, a long time from now, they will be together again.
 
Well, back to work!
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4374]