Ferrets are NOT rodents! They are 'mustilids' (sp?),
in the same family as minks, otters, weasels, ermine
(sp?), etc.

Sometimes, they can be 'pesky', but when awake (not
too many hours per day: They sleep a lot.) they are
very playful, giving the cat a tough time now and then.

Problems can come not only from rodents in gliders,
but also from insects and spiders. Our club's L-13
Blanik used to be the normal bare aluminum with racing
stripes, but due to oxidation, we decided to have the
ship painted. Now, it's mostly yellow. Seems wasps
are attracted to the yellow color and in the summer,
we have to keep a watch on wasps getting in the vertical
fin and other places on the glider. Seems like they
like the fin the best.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
LS1-d 'W8'

At 05:00 22 November 2004, Gil Kirkpatrick K3 wrote:
Hmmm... sounds like the Truckee pilot is a candidate
for the popular
British sport 'Ferret Legging':

***
Spectators stuff their pant legs inside their socks
and women pull
their skirts tight around their legs so they won't
become part of the
game. When the time comes for the game, tables are
moved back and
everyone who wants to enter puts a ten pound note on
the bar. Then
they get into a huddle like a football team. When everyone
is ready,
they dump their ferrets down their pants and hang on
to one another.

Within seconds the chase is on with ferrets racing
up one pant leg,
over the top and down the other, not caring whose pants
they are in
nor whether their needle sharp claws are attacking
fabric or bare
skin. The attrition of players is rather rapid as they
dance out of
the ring trying to shake ferrets out of their pants.
The last man with
ferrets in his pants wins. Ferrets are returned to
their cages while
the winner picks up the money and buys drinks for the
house. It's a
lot more fun to watch than a chug-a-lug contest.
***