Every year there are two Ferret Frolics in or around Seattle, hosted by Ferrets Northwest (with Ed Lipinski of Mercer Island doing most of the organizing). Basically, it's just a day in the park where everyone brings their ferrets and plays games and has fun. There are games--the tube race, the ferret wheel, yawning contests, swimming contests, prize for the cutest ferret, etc. There is literature and sometimes a few kits are for sale, plus there's a vet (usually Dr. Bierbaum from Issaquah) doing low-cost health checks and vaccinations. It's typically a lot of fun, even when the Seattle weather doesn't cooperate and it rains. I really enjoy meeting a lot of ferrets and their owners. Last ferret frolic that I attended, I bought the Furo Ferret Behavior book by Fara Shimbo (I forget the exact title), learned about Waardenburg's Syndrome (a genetic condition characterized by a badger-like white stripe on the head, wide-set eyes, and profound deafness), and diagnosed a lady's ferret as having Waardenburg's. She was amazed when I asked her (after having just met her very cute ferret) if he was deaf. The early Ferret Frolic (in June?) is in Kirkland; the late one (August?) is on Mercer Island. Contact Ferrets Northwest for the real dates. Good Luck! Dennis [Posted in FML issue 1112]