Greetings All
 
It seems like forever since we've been able to access the digest!  We had to
go to Fairbanks Alaska for 2 1/2 weeks and leave Peanut with a friend here
in Maryland.  By the third day there, I was so lonely for Peanut that I
decided to go on a quest to get a "ferret fix." I went to every pet store in
Fairbanks (there aren't very many) and even as far as North Pole, AK in
search of one.  I found the only ferret (for sale) at a pet shop about 2
miles from our hotel.  The clerk told me that he was 12 weeks old, but that
they didn't have any documents for him for some reason.  He was a beautiful
dark sable and very very gentle.  He was badly in need of a shampoo but OH
how wonderful he smelled to me!  I took Don to see him later that day and he
played with him too.  Don, being the "thinker" in the family (I'm the
"feeler"..get me near a ferret and I want to take it home!)..  looked him
over with a very critical eye and pointed out to me that there was no way
that this was a 12 week old kit.  I had commented on how large he was for a
12 week old (larger than our Peanut at 8 months).  This ferret never once
opened his mouth, never licked or nipped...his coat was VERY rough.  He had
the two blue dots in the ear and they told me that he was a Marshall Farms
ferret.  Because of the lack of documentation, the rough coat, and the lack
of "mouthing," not to mention the fact that we would have to change planes
three times on the trip back, Don convinced me that this would not be the
best thing to do.  Rather than torture myself, I stayed away from that
particular mall for 12 days..  When I went back, he was gone.  I hope
whoever got him will take very good care of him.  He was such a sweet little
guy but we were a little afraid of what we were getting..  all indications
were that he was a much older ferret.
 
Peanut had a good vacation too.  He stayed with a "critter" person who took
the time to get him out of his cage and play with him two or three times a
day.  It looks to us like he's put on at least 1/2 lb.  since we left.  When
we went to pick him up, Don woke him from a sound sleep and just put his
hand into the cage for Peanut to sniff.  For a few seconds he just sniffed
and then when his eyes focused and he realized that he was smelling Daddy,
he jumped into Don's arms.  He was SOOOOOO happy to see us.  and when we
brought him home, he ran and played in "his" computer room for two hours!
We brought back a motorized "weezil ball" for him.  He was trying to figure
out what that fuzzy thing was doing and just started dooking and chortling
when he saw it in action!
 
He let us know that he had been saving his strength as well for the "ferret
olympics bathtub mat pull." We took him into the bathroom and he insisted on
gettinginto the tub.  He immediately went to the tub mat and began to pull
at the corner.  Every time he'd get about a quarter of the mat up it would
flop back down.  It was hysterical to watch him think about this problem and
how to solve it.  He finally got one corner to stay and went to the other
side and pulled as hard as he could and finally got the mat pulled back so
that it laid nicely folded in half.  Then he went for the other two corners,
but couldn't get them to stay up because of the weight of the other half of
the mat.  If we had let him continue, I'm sure he would have found a way to
get the entire thing up.  We laughed so hard we cried, watching his antics.
 
This morning he let us know that things were back to normal when he started
chomping us for a game of rough house!  Ahhh...it's sooo good to be home! :-)
 
I am gradually working my way through digests to catch up on things.  It
will take some time to get caught up.
 
Hugs and dooks to all..
 
Don,Judi and Peanut
[Posted in FML issue 1644]