Hi Gail, While reading your most enjoyable message about cow manure, as I was laughing, it brought back memories of my husband's grandmother. (Please note that I changed the subject line and hopefully, the following will not be boring--guaranteed that at the time it happened there was NOTHING boring about it--as with your 'fertilizer' experience!) She lived in California and was visiting us in Texas. One weekend we went camping with some friends. I don't remember if the friend killed the armadillo or if we just happened to find the body? Grandma Rinke had heard they make great purses and she took the body home with us against all my protests. Once we got home I asked my husband to 'lose' it--but this old lady who had been around for a long time, was smarter than we were and (without our knowledge) 'found' it! If anyone has ever been in Houston, TX in the summer, you will appreciate how hot and humid it is and how every one has air conditioners going.....this was before the central air was so popular, so like everyone else, we had a window unit. A few days later, (remember, we had thought we were successful in getting rid of the animal) there was the most horrific odor coming in our house. Investigation of the smell led us directly to the air conditioning unit -- where laying on top of the unit was this carcass -- Grandma Rinke had put it there IN THE SUN so that it would dry out and she could make a purse! Needless to say, Grandma Rinke did not get her armadillo purse--at least not from this poor little critter. Patsy in the Golden State Wine Country