Hope many of you don't mind me sharing my recent vacation with you.  For
four days last week my daughter and I vacationed in Washington, DC.  I left
my fuzzbeans in the care of my 19-year-old college student, much to my
hesitation and threat of her life if anything happened to my babies.  She
was pooper scooper and boy did she ever.
 
While in Washington I waited in line at the Smithsonian to see the Hope
Diamond.  We were almost late for our Washington Monument appointment but,
because of the FML and Bob Church, I had to dash into the bones exhibition
to see the ferret bones and such.  I cautiously looked and found them.  I
kept my eye opened for a man with a long pony tail studying bones, but, he
was not there.  Everywhere I looked I would see men with a long pony tail
and think, "is that him?".  Anyway, there was too much to see and wow was it
fascinating.  I did keep my eyes opened at the slightest suggestion of the
mysterious Bob Church.  (What would I say anyway, "Yo there, are you Bob
Church on the FML?", yea right)
 
We made our way to the Washington Zoo and I was not very impressed.  It was
so hot and the animals were sluggish.  The biggest hit of all in the Zoo
though was the otters and the black footed ferret.  The otters were inside
and there were two and they were awake and playing around.  The female otter
looked to be in heat though.  She was swollen and bleeding from her "you
know what".  I saw the bigger otter which I assumed was a male, scruff her
neck and seem to climb onto her back a little.  Maybe she was in heat?  I
don't know.  Anyway, the black footed ferret was asleep and no where to be
found.  What?  I came all the this way and I don't even get a glimpse.  I
was ready to find someone to go and wake him up.  The sign said he was male
and was older.  After much disappointment and walking around to see if
anyone was there, we made our way back to the black footed ferret display.
My ingenious daughter (gets it from me) took her foot and leveraged herself
on me and stood up on this ledge and said "I SEE HIM!" Well, after that
guess who else sacrificed getting thrown out of the zoo to see one little
cute black footed ferret.  He was sooooo cute.  He had spots on his head.  I
didn't get to see his feet, but he looked at me as if to say "what's the big
deal?"
 
It was worth it.  That was the last thing we saw in Washington and it was
the topper to the trip.  My babies were fine when I returned and I know they
missed me.  I didn't get to bed until 1:00 a.m. playing with them.
 
If you get a chance to see this little fellow, it is worth it.
 
Mindy
 
Whiskers, Tiny, Cocoa and Tigger (we missed our MiMi so much)
[Posted in FML issue 2017]