Thanks for the notes of encouragement regarding Jaydee Fidget. How kind it was of you, Old Dux to remember his name. He is still holding on. And yes, he is certainly a loved member of our family and is often my only companion late at night when the 109s are on the prowl and everyone else including our tomcat is safe asleep in their warm beds.
It is silly I suppose to become so attached to a little four-legged critter, and I do not knowingly anthropromorphize, yet he does occupy a place of importance in all our lives bringing us much pleasure. We in turn feel a responsibility beyond just that of pet and owner. In fact, if anything he owns us. If he doesn't become dehydrated he should pull through.
Zerosan:
How nice it is to hear from you again. Thanks for your good wishes for our ferrets recovery. Ferrets are much too often still considerd "exotic pets" by many over here. There is far more "ferreting" done in Britain than here in the states. We are not allowed to hunt with them here and some unenlightened states even ban them altogether. Still they are catching on as pets just behind cats, dogs and birds. Good grief, it is about time because they've been domesticated longer than the common cat! Most vets here have learned to recognize them on sight in the past decade. I'm told that ferrets cost ten times as much to purchase over here than in Britain.
Please do honor us with another adventure. I always look forward to reading your stories and miss them when you go on these long spells when we do not hear from you. Keep a lookout on your extra mailbox from time to time because we will remind you that you need to visit.
Here's a little story I hope everyone will read and enjoy. Ok, that's two things and so I guess I'm expecting about 50% too much.
A Lovely Light
The summer sun, now quite low over coastal England gave a lovely light. This seemed especially so from a vantage point of 20,000 feet. Old Sol was just before setting, the earth below was in darkness, still its waning rays turned the drifting clouds over the Channel from white to a gorgeous golden yellow. Red Flight was desperately engaged with a sky full of bogies so no one noticed. No one could spare even a moment to enjoy the sun�s beauty if they wanted to remain alive to see it rise again. The crackling noise filling one new pilot�s canvas covered earphones made no sense to him at all. Everyone seemed to be screaming all at once. It was like listening to a different language yet certain words were recognizable. $%$%&*@@ break right! Look out he�s ^&^(%$^$$#$# and firing. Then one voice suddenly broke out of the mud in a scream that nearly took his head off. For God�s sake Jamie break! Recognition came swiftly after that but it was too late.
Sitting there quietly in the lengthening shadows that were settling over his home�s rooftop, a rooftop that was quite high for him but, in fact, 20,000 feet below the battle, a young man called Toby strained his little neck to watch the knot of serpentine contrails high above. He knew that each contrail represented a plane. They were high enough to be glinting in the sun, thus they remained visible although the shadows of night were quickly spreading their way. All at once there was a flash that was followed seconds later by a distant boom. Showers of tiny sparks and one brilliant point of light began falling slowly earthward. Brighter and brighter the falling point grew as Toby held his breath.
At 20,000 feet the battle was not going well for Red Flight. Bounced on their weary way home after another battle they had lost three more of their number including Jamie Smythe, their newest replacement. Outnumbered two to one by a mixed bag of 109s and 110s Red Flight�s Spitfires were being hard pressed just to hold their own. Then suddenly from somewhere above and behind them a flight of Hurricanes led by Flight Leader SNAFU joined the fray making it an even fight at last. SNAFU�s flight was made up of seasoned pilots with much combat experience so this along with short 109 fuel supplies shortly began turning the tide in favor of the RAF.
Each Hurricane pilot picked a target. SNAFU himself mercilessly fell upon an unsuspecting German pilot flying a 109 with what SNAFU later described as a silly cartoon mouse painted on the fuselage. His gritted teeth were painfully jarred almost to the point of cracking as an angry SNAFU gave the enemy several blistering 10-second bursts with all .303s blazing. As the 109 danced in his gunsight SNAFU held on to the enemy�s tail like a rabid Pit Bull. Hits sparkled all over the engine, hood and out across the port wing. The 109 began a climb to the right with SNAFU sticking to him like a deadly shadow. Another burst of .303 shells brought black, oily smoke trailing back from the engine of the 109. The German plane now began to shudder as its speed slowed. There was a loud bang! Fire engulfed the entire engine, cockpit and tail section as the stricken 109 rolled upon its back and fell burning at both ends, flickering brightly into the gathering darkness below. What a lovely light thought SNAFU, thinking of Jamie.
Down below, young Toby had just caught his breath as, in the distance, another bright spark lit up a nearby cloud and began falling to earth. As it fell it tumbled and changed to all the colors of the rainbow. It burned brighter and brighter and then suddenly it went out as it passed behind the shadowy trees across the dark lane. There was a loud crack that shook Toby�s farmhouse and a fierce glow became discernable amongst flickering shadows between dark tree trunks. �Mummy! Mummy, Toby called out to his mother who was now standing on the ground just below him with a worried look on her face. �One fell just there, across the lane, Toby pointed. It nearly shook me right off the roof... but it gave a lovely light.�
My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light!
�First Fig�, by Edna St. V. Millay
------------------ "Blessed are they who expect nothing. For they will not be disappointed." - Edmund Qwenn, "The Trouble with Harry"
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 06-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 06-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 06-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 06-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 06-25-2002).]
