Ping and Puma Discusion

By Alexandra in MA

It is a beautiful raw fall night in Central Massachusetts. The day's bone-cold rain had made the ground give up its rich scents of earth and moss, and the wind blew drifts of crimson and gold leaves along the grass with every gust. They tumble weeded across the hoomin's back yard,and came to rest tangled in the line of blueberry and mountain laurel bushes that ringed the lawn, the wide expanse open to the stars, now that all the clouds had gone. Two small ferrets sat on the wooden planking of the back deck facing that lawn and in full view of those stars, huddled together in a warm fleece sleepy sack, just their heads out and pointed up at the dark velvet night sky. Stars twinkled in that sky. Big red giants. Blazing blue white ones. Twinkling yellow ones.Ping said quietly to Puma "But what does it all *mean*? HSUS. Apis.S.O.S. And PETA.""And DMK," muttered Puma, darkly. Both shuddered a bit at the mention of those letters. The two weren't sure what that one, especially,meant but they knew they wouldn't like the reality, whatever it was.The two were quiet for a time, considering. And in that time particularly sharp gust of wind ruffled the fur of their faces, and each helped groom the other one back to their proper state--Ping grooming carefully around Puma's ears (she was ticklish there) and Puma spending extra time on the fur right on top of Ping's snout, which never quite lay flat the way she thought it ought to. Then the two went back to gazing up at the stars, comforted by the moist presence of one another's scents that the grooming had brought out.Finally Ping broke the silence by asking "Is this a Shelter?"Puma replied "This is a home."Ping continued "But what if our hoomins are hoarders?"Puma repeated "This is a home.""The cat hoards fur mice, you know that he does" said Ping. "He has maybe twenty under the sofa."Puma calmly replied "This is a home, Ping--our home. You, me, the cat, the dog and our hoomins. It's our forever home."Time passed. A sharply etched white star streaked across the sky,and fell on the other side of the world. Both ferrets murmured their pleasure and appreciation of the event.Finally Ping, his dark bandit mask tight with concentration asked more than a little fearfully "We're not going to get rescued, are we? I don't want to be rescued.""No," answered Puma. "This is a good home."Time passed, quietly.Finally Ping turned halfway around in the sleepy sack to face Puma and asked "Are there stars in Ohio?""I'm sure of it," answered Puma."Wishing stars?" he continued."Wishing stars," said Puma "lots of wishing stars just like here."Ping turned around to look back up at the sky once again. "I bet they wished hard in that...place.""Very hard," said Puma."Very hard," said Ping. "And one finally listened."

McKay Ferrets

So 10 McKay ferrets arrived in Florida last night up in Jacksonville, another 10 went to Broward county. I am pleased that Florida has done their part. The ones in Jacksonville have homes for the most part 1 maybe 2 have a home with me. I am pleased with the way everyone has worked on this project. No ferret was left behind.