I am in Sweden right now after sampling DNA from some wonderful little ferrets. I was also able to hold baby ferrets, nah nah nah! One jill had 8 kits and they were in the biting stage, so juggling them AND not having my skin torn off was quite a feat! It was worth each and every pinch! I don't have the time and internet to thank everyone who wrote after my last post, so I'll do it en mass here (sorry). Thank you so much for your concerns about my health. Yes, I am very tired, but no, I am not dying. I've just been on the road for 4+ months, lugging luggage, trailing trains, pursuing planes, and even taxing taxis. It is exhausting, but I am doing fine. No worries. My guess is ANYONE on the FML would be tired by now. Still, it is nice to know you care! Thanks! A *LOT* of email asks how I will get all the information from the Ferret Project out to the average ferret user. Great question(s)! Some info I will not have to share, such as the exact DNA results. I am not doing the DNA and while I am involved in the publication of the results, I am not the primary author. However, with that said, AFTER it can be told, I will report everything (all findings and impressions) at symposia, ferret club meetings, and on a web page I intend to construct (or beg someone else to construct). Which brings up another comment common in my private emails. A *LOT* of people are asking me to start an international ferret organization that would bring ideas from all over the world into a single location, fund domesticated ferret research, and hold cutting edge educational seminars. While I insist on trying to use existing organizations rather than starting a new one, I can see there is a need for such an effort. Also, I see myself as more of a "PR Guy" or "Cheerleader" capable of stirring up people to support such efforts; I don't like the idea of being a president of anything, even if for just a short time. Still, if I return and there are enough people interested, I might consider helping to start one -- or incorporate one into an existing organization -- as long as I can shift away from primary leadership roles as soon as practical. Regardless of that sort of thing, I *WILL* be starting a "club" for people who have helped me while on this research trip. I am still working out the details, but I hope to include a page on the web for each ferret I've sampled so people can update the ferret's health and life, first crack at all the new information being gathered, and the a networking plan / chat for group members to communicate with each other. I will also post photos from close to 1000 rolls of film so members can see what other people are doing. I'll place a lot of powerpoint presentations on the site, that sort of thing. Finally, when I mentioned my shoulder bag with Eurail Pass and cash (and other stuff) was stolen, it wasn't a plea for help (as two jerks suggested in private email). It was simply to inform people why I was suddenly slowing down and missing appointments and to explain why. The jerks that emailed me need to get a life; in the meantime, they can kiss my ferrety bum, but then they would probably complain about the taste of my shower gel. There are people you simply cannot make happy, so I take a lesson from my ferrets: bite them on the nose and dance away chuckling! Bob C [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML 6048]