Before we get off the topic I wanted to throw in my 2 cents about Ferrets 2000. First, I can't say enough about the fantastic job that Randy did in organizing the conference, along with Paige, Barrie, Olympia, Amy and all the other Ferret Aid volunteers. It is an incredible amount of work to organize a get-together like this, and everything was wonderful! The trip to the zoo and the lecture on black footed ferrets was very informative and fun as well. Bob C looked so natural in his Hawaiian shirt that large exotic birds followed him around (I believe I have a photo to prove this). I know other people have raved about the speakers, and I agree 100%. Troy Lynn gave a wonderful and heartfelt presentation; Gary put forth a lot of very good food for thought; Tom Willard imparted some very interesting nutritional information (I learned some things about cats too); Chris' talk got me thinking even more about regional collaboration among shelters. Bob C's thoughts on behavior, caging, and keeping ferrets intellectually stimulated were excellent and I hope he gets the chance to publish them. Listening to Bruce Williams speak on ferret diseases would have been worth the trip alone. I hope his talk comes across well on the video, as it will be a valuable resource. Although I'm squeamish about blood and ferret insides, I found that his talk combined with the slides really clarified a lot about different diseases. The hotel and food were wonderful too, and Lily (my dog) had a great time meeting people. It was very touching that 2 shelter ferrets, Tugger and Phoenix, died during the conference. I know that both of them received a lot of love and the best of care while they were with Randy and Paige. I also enjoyed meeting Randy's wonderful mother Deanna, and wish for her continued good health. And finally, I was very happy to meet Harley. Sometimes when reading about Harley I wondered how much medical treatment a ferret could take. But meeting him in person I understand how Randy has often said he has a very strong will to live. This ferret could not have been more alive and joyful, and he seemed very happy to be included in the festivities! A very special spirit in a ferret body. I am lucky to have been able to attend both FML get-togethers. I came away from both of them with the same feeling--how wonderful it was to meet other FML people. Some people I knew from their posts and from emailing them; but there were also other people whose names I didn't recognize who I enjoyed meeting just as much. I also think it is a bit humbling and I know that I would think twice before criticizing someone's post after having met them in person. I highly recommend it. I also combined this with some vacation time and enjoyed the trip to and from Massachusetts almost as much as the conference itself. The Finger Lakes region in New York is magnificent at this time of year with all the late summer wildflowers and fresh grapes. I also spent some time in Geneva NY and Lily got a chance to swim in Lake Seneca--are there any other Hobart-WmSmith a lumni on this list? Thanks to Bill Williamson for telling me about Brenda Miller's delightful ferret supply store in Naples NY on Lake Canandaigua; Brenda also runs a ferret shelter and is wonderful to visit (ask me for directions if you're going that way). We also took in Niagara Falls (I highly recommend this if you've never seen it, especially the Canadian side, which also has beautiful gardens). On my way into Canada, I was bringing a lot of things to sell at the conference for the Mass. shelters and Mass. Ferret Friends. At customs the young guy thought I had too much stuff for a short visit, and wanted to know if I was trying to move into Canada. :-) I also enjoyed the interesting Ontario custom of placing a preliminary street sign about 100 feet before the intersection so you could tell what street was coming up. This is most unlike Massachusetts, where half the streets aren't labeled at all. I also think you are much less likely to get run over in a pedestrian crosswalk in Canada than in Massachusetts. Cars even stopped if there wasn't a crosswalk, which I found highly unusual. All in all, I enjoyed my visit very much and hope the momentum for the next symposium will keep going. Ronnie (and Lily too) [Posted in FML issue 3181]