Sus, Oh but I've always thought that you had a lot of enthusiasm, so I don't think I have you beat there. You're nice to say that though. ;) I know what you mean about biting off more than you can chew. I do that a lot. Well, most of the time actually. I have projects galore that are sitting around waiting to get done. That's great that you're getting into birding too. I've been into that for probably close to 25 years and really enjoy watching the birds out at the feeders. I have bluebird boxes up for the bluebirds and have gourds on shepherd's hooks for the tree swallows. I also get wrens nesting here and other kinds of birds and lots at the feeders. I love birds and of course also butterflies. I'll have to email you sometime about birding. You mentioned sparrows, and I have some things to say about them and some other things. Maybe none of it would be new to you but I'll at least mention some things then. Isn't that odd how you have PVS one year and none the next two! Actually, that has fascinated me about different kinds of butterflies; I'll see them here and then not again for awhile. Well, I hope that you get PVS in 2010! Oh yes, I agree with your about those being like hyperactive kids. If you take the lid off the container, you'd better keep your eye on it because those critters move fast. I had one crawling on the table one day when I just walked away from the container for a short time thinking the cats would stay put. I might be imagining things, but they almost seem to sense when I take the lid off and want to hightail it out of there. Yeah, I raise a lot of Monarchs if you call hundreds a lot. The most I raised was I think in 2007 when I released about 520. This year was 350. It's a ton of work and I want to try to come up with a better way of doing it. You sure get to see a variety of butterflies there. I wish I would get to raise some more kinds. I only saw a Red Admiral here very briefly several years ago. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't have false nettle then. I actually thought I had it here because I have plants coming up here that resemble it but isn't that (don't know what though). So I planted some last year but didn't see any Red Admirals. I'm hoping that I will eventually though. I saw a Common Buckeye here for maybe a minute in 2008 but didn't get a picture of it (dead battery). I planted Verbena hastata in hopes of getting them to lay eggs but didn't see any at all this year. The one I saw last year was nectaring on the Verbena bonariensis. Unlike you, I've never seen any Tawny Emperors here, but I didn't have any hackberry trees here until this past spring/summer. They're not much more than a foot tall, but a Question Mark managed to find them and I raised a few of those cats. I think I've had American Lady cats here every year since I planted some pussytoes that some very nice person got for me. It's kind of hard to cut those leaves off to bring inside and raise the cats in here, so I think I'm going to make an enclosure with some boards and screen (any other suggestions are welcome) and put it over the plants. It will only cover a small portion of the bed. I was thinking I could move all the cats to that area and then move the enclosure as the food supply dwindles. I really don't know if it's a good idea or not, but every year I worry when I don't see the cats on the plants anymore. I think they mostly hide during the day and come out at night though, so I always hope that nothing gets them, but I'd rather be more sure of that with a covering to protect them from wasps and birds, etc. Of course, with as tight as those plants are, I don't imagine that it would be too easy for me to try to find all of the spiders that are on them to remove them. I don't have any overwintering BSTs like I did the past few years because the three that I raised eclosed in the spring/summer. I still have the GSTs here from last year when they overwintered. I think if they don't eclose in 2010, I'll probably take them out of the containers and give them up for dead. Only one of them eclosed out of about 40. I only have 5 out there (in another building, no heat) overwintering from this year. GSTs are discouraging for me to raise because a lot of them die. I feed them rue, but eventually I'd like to try raising them on wafer ash (I just started a couple from seed). I also have gas plants, but they are very small. I hope that my Wild Indigo Duskywings are okay that I have out there bunking with the GSTs. I fed them Baptisia australis and Lupinus perennis, which they are still on but not moving (as far as I know anyway). I've never raised any kind of cats before that overwinter (I mean that the actual cats and not the chrysalids overwinter), so it's making me kind of nervous wondering how in the world they'll be okay in the spring. I don't understand why they don't freeze and die. If they are alive, I hope that they quell their appetites until after my plants have some growth on them. You're absolutely right...every year brings a surprise and I'm so looking forward to this coming year to see what kinds of butterflies and cats I get!!! My head is always so full of plans! You've helped me and I really appreciate it! Cathy

CLB, Hehe. That's a baaaaaaaad implication maaaaaa friend. Ginny, I must say I did not think of the deadheading and will be sure to add it next year if I am fortunate enough to be chosen again. The NOID was part of the weeding category where participants could earn bonus points. After consulting with the board of directors and the legal staff I have been advised to leave the category as is for the year. instead we have invited a prosthodontist in for those that want or need. Those entering the clearing by mouth event should appreciate this. Speaking of the clearing by mouth event, I was staking off the zones last night and found one zone that has a very large concentration of Canadian thistle. Bonus points will be awarded for completing this zone. After getting to know some of the users on this forum I don't think strangest wear is an event, more a given. :-) SCG

rainy, sorry you are out of work, unless of course you planned and want to be home. I'm glad you have the phone on your list. Best of luck if you are job hunting. gramma jan Seems like riding mowers, rocks, ladders, getting on the roof, tools, uneven ground, hard surfaces, wet surfaces, imbalance, cows, always wanting to save a buck, trying to prove we are strong/good enough to ourselves and others and doing things we should NOT be doing. Lastly are our short memories about carrying a cell, wearing a med alert bracelet or hesitancy about using a walking stick in the garden are particular dangers for us out there. These are things we must remember to keep mothers from worrying, children protected in our care and us safe in our own and otherÂs environments. Fudge, just came back from watering some pots and here is my cell on my desk chair-fell out of my shallow pocket. I guess it will be cargo pants for me too. Where did I put that catalog? My oath: I will not be penny wise and pound foolish, mow, climb ladders without a handle and a spotter or get on the roof. I will carry my cell, watch for uneven ground, try to get more level walking paths, pay attention to things in my path and the handling of my tools. I am please to have lived this long. I will admit I am older, weaker, wobblier, but I am not ashamed of it and will try to behave accordingly. All this I will do for the well-being of my loved ones and myself. gramma jan

The Ring is an opera, I think, not wanting to speak for Carol. But my question was going to be, why see it several times in a row? Must be a great show. I don't know Opera at all. If it means shoes that hurt my feet, I'm not going. Earthly I love your dog from photos I've seen and hope it's just a passing minor malady. Pet her and love her up lots and be assured that she's in our thoughts. Same goes for your son and his arm- the Summer of Pain- for him in a cast. I broke my collarbone when I was about 8 and couldn't swim all summer, it was such a bummer. Hope it has healed well and he can cry FREEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM soon. Earthly, wouldja mind being reeeeeeeeeal careful cutting up all those delicious sounding vegetables from your garden. (You sound like Kay Scarpetta from the books by Patricia Cornewell, whipping up some wonderful adlib italian sauce in her kitchen.) You only get ten fingers to type with you know, and we'd miss you terribly if you couldn't post due to kitchen amputations. Enough of that talk.... So, to be clear, you would serve tomato gravy on pasta, or with meat and pasta? We'd call that marinara sauce. Stephanie, by all means dahlias come in shorter sizes 1-3 feet is easy. Here are a couple of my 'shorties' equally delightful as the taller ones. Aurwen's Violet, bright purple little pompon ( round) only 2.5- 3 ft tall A favorite from Lowes! Impression Fantastico- blooms its fool head off all season long, the more you cut, the more it sprouts: Pearson's Michelle- a prolific little medium orange pompon that would look absolutely marvelous with your posted orangish dahlia. Mine is slow this year and I sure miss its many blooms. Jack O Lantern 3 ft tall, variable orange/yellow collarette- so cute! And one of my current favorites: Kari Dancer- pink/yellow cactus on 3 ft bush Natal- a really dark red, almost black in the center: Karras 150 a lovely white cactus on 3 foot plant: Brookside J Cooley a real champ in the top Fabulous Fifty of dahlias of all time: I finally didn't kill it this year! Foxy Lady, Kind of maroon and yellow, fades to more medium pink- lots of blooms on 3 foot plant. Just one more, I swear! check out the coloration on these petals. It looks just like the deep pink is painted on a canvas of white. This one rotted in our cold wet spring, much to my dismay. Fascination: Are you sorry you asked yet? LOL! There are probably 5,000 more to choose from in the short height range; I just don't have them- yet. There are plenty of what are called "bedding dahlias" too: kind of like mums, many many blooms on a 18-24 inch bush; not so good for cutting, but great to line a path or sidewalk. Oh I can hardly wait til dawn to get out to the gardens! Everybody have a great weekend and think good thoughts for Earthly's poochy, Shirley's son's Kerry, and Dusty in absentia (come back and check in Dusty!), and all those healing from one ailment or another.