Dear Gentle Readers,
 
This morning, I saw my life flash before my eyes.  No kidding.  One minute
I was happliy scooping up 2 beautiful ferrets and covering their sweet
little heads with kisses, when suddenly my nose started to burn, and I
could feel a foul flood of air wafting about my face.  I froze, trying to
determine from which direction the gas assault was coming from.  It had to
be from one of the two innocent-looking, still yawning ferrets that I had
in my arms.  I held precious little Thor out at arm's length, her sleepy
eyes half-closed as she kissed my fingers.  The air continued to feel warm
and foul, and I knew that Thor had poofed on my shirt.  I leaned over to
put Thor down, juggling the other plump fuzzie, Bear, in my arms.  Bear
then proceded to roll over in the crook of my elbow so that he was belly-up
and let go the largest, hottest POOF I've EVER imagined- and it went right
up my nose.  Point blank.  I actually felt a pain in my chest as I inhaled
Bear's poof.  Everything went dark.  Felt like a horse had kicked me in
the chest.
 
I staggered about the kitchen while the 2 ferrets danced at my feet,
probably congratulating each other on their grand poofs.
 
We have several ferrets here that can poof, but as a rule, only one or two
of them will poof maybe once a month?  And only when their playing gets
out-of-hand do they usually poof- not when they're first waking up, all
cute and stretching and yawning.  Two nasty point-blank poofs at 5:30 a.m.
were almost too much for me.  A poof overdose.  Saturated in poof.  I think
I even SAW Bear's poof.
 
I barely survived.  My hair is frizzled, and the wallpaper in the house is
peeling, but I'm alive.  Hopefully the plants can be revived and the dogs
will come back.
 
I swear I could hear all of my ferrets snickering.
 
What a treat.
 
Glad to be alive,
 
Marlene B.
Richmond Ferret Rescue League
[Posted in FML issue 3198]