This is another good day in Frettchenvergnuegenland! We got ferret THOFER-ni (that's THOFER number 2 in Japanese) back to his beloved mistress Carol Toikka after having been a wanderin' lost for the past 3-days in the wilderness forests of the Mukilteo/Everett Washinton State area. This area, adjacent to Boeing's Everett manufacturing plant, is heavily wooded and is known for its abnormally high population of coyotes, as testified by the large number of sightings of coyotes crossing the airfield runways, mostly at dawn and at dusk. Cougar are also present in increasing numbers, since the Fish & Game have stopped the use of cougar hounds by cougar hunters. However, a good predator caller can often get his X-hairs betwixt the eyes now and then. THOFER-ni was adopted from Ferrets NorthWest on May 11, this year, he was born at FNW on July 19, 1997, is a silver mitt, and at the time of adoption, weighed 3 lb 12 oz. Fortunately, being intact (viripotent), robust, and large, he was able to survive his encounters with the wild critters he apparently encountered in the forest during his 3-day adventure. Upon recovery Carol noted that he has two broken canine teeth, and a laceration on his head. Any internal wounds are not evident and will be the concern of Dr. O'Rourke, his Marysville, Washington veterinarian. I've suggested that THOFER-ni's feces be collected on a clean surface and be taken into Dr. O'Rourke. One can only wonder if THOFER-ni had been instead a puny Marshall Farms fur bag instead of a Hob Horribilus, would he have survived? I have my doubts. Carol Toikka called in to FNW on the 17th, reporting that her ferret was lost. Today, the 20th, I received a call from a commercial printing firm reporting a very friendly "I wannabe your friend" grey ferret had wondered into their shop. This shop is just a 10 minute drive from Carol's house; however the straight line distance is much shorter. After checking the lost ferret reports, there was the likely possibility that this found ferret matched the description of Carol's ferret she'd phoned in 3-days earlier. So several phone calls were made to locate Carol thru her mother (not an animal person, she says) and to the print shop to tell them that the likely owner was on her way to ID the ferret. She did; it was; and now everybody's happy. So you see, it's been a good day here in Frettchevergnuegenland, Jawohl! Edward , Der Wahrheitskaempe von Frettchenvergnuegenland dabei Lipinski, or as termed by my friendly vet, "Ferret Nazi" who has been seen wearing a World War 1 German helmet and an Iron Cross affixed to his chest-mounted knife sheath. "Only in Amerika . . . vhat a country!" as said by the emigree Russian comic, Jakob Smirnoff. [Posted in FML issue 2377]