WEASEL MAIL

a discussion thread on facebook this morning reminded me of an unusual housemate i had during my sophomore year at washington state university. two other guys and i shared an apartment across town from campus, and one late winter day while walking to class, i noticed an alert but shy animal crouched beneath a pine tree. it was a weasel, domesticated and apparently lost. i took it home, and we adopted it for a time. such a cool animal -- sinuous movements, curious, loved to curl up in your lap. we took to drawing a weasel footprint on the backs of envelopes whenever we sent letters, with the inscription "Weasel Mail". he was the hit of the party whenever we threw a kegger for our poor beknighted friends who lived on campus. everyone treated him with care and affection.

i don't recall what became of our small mustelid friend. we probably released him on the university's nearby farm. one cool little dude.