Thursday, February 17, 2005 (AM)
Seven months later…The "Tail" of the White Weasel (part 1):
It began as a slow morning after broken sleep (night sweats will do that). The routine began. While [Hubby] was in the shower, I began to make my lunch. I started by cleaning up the counter a little and throwing away some used plastic wrap. As I made my lunch, I heard the sound of plastic moving. Ah, the plastic wrap was unfolding in the garbage. Nothing to think twice about. Finishing the lunch packing process, I stopped. The sound had moved. It was no longer under the sink. It was under my work-area. This was something to think twice about. Tapping the cabinet door, the sound stopped. Unsure quite what to do, I waited until [Hubby] got out of the shower to announce that something 'alive' was under our kitchen cabinets. I monitored the sounds while he got dressed. After a bit, I realized that it didn't sound like mouse noises. It sounded bigger and faster. This was closer to chipmunk noises.
I peeked into the cabinet under the sink and something launched. I slammed the door shut and convinced myself to start breathing again. I didn't actually see anything but the white garbage bag... or so I thought at the time.
[Actually, greased lightning on little feet was what it was! Wow! We thought chipmunks could move fast!]
At one point it had hunkered down at the base of the garbage can and was watching [Hubby]. It didn't seem afraid. It even arched up on it's back feet to get a good look at [Hubby], so we got a good look at it, too. Intense black eyes, pink ears and all white fur (tail and feet). I can imagine that this must be where the 'snow snake' story got started with its long, thin tube of a body and intense staring eyes. I'd never seen one up close before. It was really quite a beautiful little animal in its winter white coat.
It lost interest after a little bit and [Hubby] tried very hard to approach slowly and corral the critter, but it was a flash of white and it was gone again. Mind you, it is now 6am and there is just enough time for [Hubby] to get his lunch packed and his uniform on before we have to go to Missoula.As such, this story is "to be continued". We didn't catch it. I imagine (and hope) that it will find its way out along the same path that brought it in. However, we will do a search for it after my doctor's appointment this afternoon... and before [Hubby] has to go to a church committee meeting at 6:30. Alas, never a dull moment... and few moments of rest in between.
P.S. A name for our little "ermine" has not yet been chosen.P.P.S. This could be a blessing in disguise. Where there are weasels, there won't be any mice!
--------------------------------------------Side note: The doctor's appointment was a meeting to discuss the beginning of treatment options for what has since been diagnosed as a complex form of migraine called "Bickerstaff's Migraine", which causes me to have bouts of dizziness (lateral shifting of equilibrium as opposed to 'spins') that, at that time, would go from mere seconds to weeks on end.
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Well, my time is up. Until we meet again...
Godspeed & God bless
