Good Morning! Thank you for the many emails and calls that I have received with concerns about our shelter and the kids left in our care due to the storms of the past couple of weekends. If I have not returned your call or email, please forgive my delay but I can only answer so many while working and when I go home after work, my attention is solelyfocused on the ferrets. So, I am a little short on time right now. But I will answer each and every one....promise. I have not yet communicated with Sisters Grapetail in Nashville but I was told that they are fine, barely missed the flooding. Perhaps they have taken ferrets in from their area and need some help. I have heard from Susan in Arkansas and she has taken in the following because of severe storm systems and tornados hammering her state: 2 ferrets from a family in Little Rock who not only lost their home to a tornado but also a family member. 1 stray ferret found wandering in a yard in the Ft. Smith area following the storms. 2 more ferrets found following the strong storm system last night. I agree with Sue, I wish these storms would just quit and go away. Enough already! There are nine counties in Arkansas that have been declared disaster areas by the federal government. Please check with Sue and see if she is also in need of assistance. However, the storm system that passed the AR, southern TN, and northern MS area yesterday, caused fatalities and destruction in Oklahoma and Kentucky. My heart and prayers go out to those folks out there and, please again, if you know anyone in those areas, please check on them and see if they need help. So many counties in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee have been declared disaster areas and so many people have been devastated by all of it. Lost not only their homes and possessions, but people and pets have been killed. It's not just about me and my kids at Raisins, its also about Nashville and Grapetail; Arkansas and Sue doing her very best to help the ferrets in that area; central and southern Mississippi; and now Oklahoma and Kentucky. I pray that God be with all of them in this time of great sadness. This is Maren reporting from Hernando, MS, just south of Memphis..... and hoping like the dickens that storm systems are through so that the World BBQ Festival will go on as planned this weekend on the River -- someone is bringing me some BQ!!!!! yes Ma'am! [Posted in FML 6695]