Normally I try to post light hearted but today I can't.
 
I've lost Ammonia.  She's been gone 2 days and I have been ashamed to tell
you.  She got out of the house.  Not her first time.  This is blind Ammonia
who's writeup was in Modern Ferret #22, the one I last posted cause she
wanted to ride in my arms when I wanted to trim trees.
 
She can find places to escape you wouldn't dream of: (I'd like to think a
house is airtight and safe, especially when it's brick and well built) I
have a roof leak roofers are unable to find out from where even after
reroofing, water goes between a wall and the sheetrock got soft, she went
through the wet sheetrock between two imbedded banisters, such a small hole
I liked to never have found it, then she moved on to where the paneling
doesn't quit reach the baseboard in the washroom, she enlarged the exit -
had to be on floor level to find it, and last was where I had duct taped
tight fitting cardboard between the washer and dryer where they could not
get behind it, been that way for so long, apparently two found they can
push under where it meets the floor, the tape goes back into place where
you don't see it and this time was apparently it, they tore open the exaust
tubing to the vent outside.  (Sounds like a mess but it really isn't a dump
of a house).
 
That morning about 6:30 a.m. I put all outside in their yard but couldn't
find her or Prell.  I started squeeking and in a short time heard scrating
on the closet door next to the dryer, opened and there was Prell, mud on
her paws.  I put her outside (front, this opening is to the back) and
started frantically looking for Ammonia.  From there it was the whole
routine of notifying everyone, signs, visiting and such.  There just are
not that many houses right in this area.  She always went right next door
on her other escapes and I was feeling even if blind, she had been out
enough she'd come back.  Two wonderful friends took off work, one just took
half day vacation time and another said she had an emergency at home and
they arrived at noon and stayed til near dark.  I have mostly long term
friends but I know they would never do what these ferrets friends did and
I've just met these since getting into ferrets.  We squeeked til our hands
were sore, went all through the pasture, one friend even saddled up one of
my horses and rode the 44 acres behind me and we half crawled into ditch
drainage pipes, under sheds, til we were sunburned and mesquite bitten to
twice our size.  I dragged the little "woman-made" pond right next to her
exit point of the house in case she had slipped in but No Ammonia.  I
stayed up all night squeeking hoping in the calm of the night, with the
dogs inside......moving every 15 minutes or so to a different spot but I
had no feelings she was near.
 
I have a very hard time accepting I won't see that little face again, for
her to do all the things I wrote about, to stick her nose in my ear, if I
would open my mouth, to stick her head all the way in up to her ears.  I
just can't believe I won't see her, I won't know what has happened to her,
to find her dead would be easier than worrying that after her investigative
instincts are fulfilled, she is tired, and hungry and thirsty and wants to
be in her hammock.  If I can't find her, I would give anything to know she
has joined Skeeter and is safe with him than be out there like this.
 
I have seven others none of which I would want to change places with her
nor she here no less than them, each is different and unique.  When I wrote
others privately or FML I closed with the title of "her Noble Cleaning
Crew".  Even with my seven left, each as precious as her, I can't close
like that right now, not without her.
 
Millie
[Posted in FML issue 2709]