Stay tuned, my dear friends, for you're about to receive a letter from Paw Paw and a lecture on the temptations of John Barleycorn and the temptations of Eve... (With aplologies to the Hombres - if you rembember them, you are an old fert like me.) NOT!!! Would you settle for a letter from Paw Paw? How ya'll are? Don't I glad to hear from you? I guaaaraaanteee!! Aieeee!! (Dangit! I wish I really was a Cajun. The closest I can come is the fact that a Frenchman, from France, married my Cherokee great grandmother. Oh well, at least I'm a true mongrel.) There are several things on my wee brain tonight and, If I can remember them long enough to get them tippled (sorry, I mean typed), I will tell you about them. Dagnabit, Lucy! I am diametrically opposed to your theories that modern man arose from the inbreeding of primitive apes with your dang lion. Tell Aslan to go back to where he came from and not to return until he means business. Say what, Mee Maw? Wrong list again? Oh yes. Where was I?? Seriously, folks; thanks for putting up with my silliness. It really is hard for a writer to simmer down after a hard two hours of writing and try to make sense about important things. I finally finished my prologue to the book that is already half-way wriiten, sent it out for comment and hid under the bed. Guess what? Folks really like it. I just be go to Heck! Stay tuned to the bookstore nearest you. Turning now to FERRETS (put that in CAPS so BIG wouldn't reject this post after reading only the first few paragraphs), I am flipping and rejoicing about several things. Foggy and Dayna: Hang in there, little dude. You are in good hands. Many much thanks to Dayna for making the rest of your life possible. I must admit that Dayna wrote some very strange letters a few days ago. I'm chalking it up to exhaustion. She has shared some of the stories she has written with me. She is a very talented writer and great lover of all critters. She deserves all the love and support that we can give her. Speaking of great hearts and wonderul ladies, my thoughts now turn to Kelleen Andrews of FANG. Her efforts on the behalf of our fert-buddies are tireless and often without reward - other than the wonderful feeling it gives her to do this, oftentimes, unrewarded work of love. I am proud to be a member of FANG. I really wish I could do more. I encourage everyone to support FANG in any way they can. Send them a donation or, at least, order more tee-shirts than really you need. BTW, I like Ela's suggestion of putting the FML logo on the back. Joy to the world! Speaking, again, of wonderful young ladies, I must tell you about a very special woman whom I have met on the FML through her loving mother. Her name is Mindy. She suffered a regettable accident at the moment of her birth. Many cruel persons would look down upon her because she is not quite the same as the rest of us. To anyone who might feel the least bit of discomfort in accepting and loving such a person, I say, "Get thee behind me, Satan. I will have no part of you. " I am looking forward to receiving my first letter from her very soon. It may take her awhile to write it but I am very patient man where love is concerned. I know that some of you 'college kids' are thinking, "What is the Old Fool rambling on about now?" Trust me. You will understand someday. I pray that it does not take you as long as it took me. Someday, you will understand. Please don't ask me for any further details about Mindy. She loves her parents and she loves her ferrets very much. You may write to her in care of me if you wish. I will be honored to forward any letters to her. Innocence is a true treasure. It is a very difficult thing to find these days. Think about it.... Guess I'll have to tell the story about Tater & Odie getting locked into Mee Maw's secret drawer next time. Guess I'll also have to postpone the telling of their first experience with flea powder. Yes, I brang the danged insects home. My white surgical stockings were black with the dreaded critters after I made a service call at a lady's house who 'owned' 15 dawgs. Sorry that I got 'preachy' again. Guess it's just in my blood. Many much loves, Paw Paw [Posted in FML issue 1579]