Hi Sue, Your falling behind there kiddo! LOL Just kidding. My target for picking my first ripe fruit is sometime in the first two weeks of May this year. Trying for a full two weeks earlier than last year. I started my extra early varieties on Jan 20th and started all the rest of them Feb 28th and finished up seeding today 3/2/11. Some from todays seeding should be ripening in the second week in June and beyond for the mid-season types. Most of these are sales plants. I'm not going to sell something that anyone can purchase at walmart you know. Whats the point. I want them to experience some early picking and come running back year after year. Don't forget about the little micro-climate around the south side of your house or a fence or wall. All perfect places for a coldfame or portable low-tunnel. With the use of a low-tunnel next to the house then later on moving the low-tunnel down the hill to the inside of the high-tunnel I'll be ready to plant in the ground by mid to late April. So with this unheated system I'll have to again prove to myself it can be done with no ill effects to overall production and all the negative comments of the nay sayers just roll out one ear to the other. The proof is in the pudding I always say. Without my current system Memorial Day weekend was the traditional planting date which meant for ripe fruit towards the end of July into August (if memory serves me correctly) and that was using Early Girls. Some years were down right terrible. Bob, Your a full zone warmer than me and have a hoop house for gosh sake. There is no reason for all sweating! Make yourself a low tunnel on wheels made of 2x4's and cheapo plastic and wheel the sucker in and out of the garage!

A few years ago me and my buddy were taking a late night drive in Lenox, Ny (it is in between Oneida ny and Canatosta Ny). We were going around a curve in the road when i saw a camel/dark tan colored big cat next to the road looking to cross. I thought I was crazy until my dads buddy who lives 5 min from sighting told me hes seen a couple around on his way to work. Now i have a more recent sighting on Lake road in Oneida ny. My grandparents live on that road and one day I was fishing oneida creek behind their house, there is about a mile in between the house and the creek with very thick woods. I was just fishing when I looked down and saw a huge cat like footprint in the mud at the creek bank, it looked pretty fresh so i decided to walk downstream towards Oneida lake. I walked about a half mile downstream until i saw a big cat identical to the one i saw on Buyea Road. It was moving very swift and quick, something ive never seen before. I watched it for about 10 seconds until it dissapeared into the woods. Mountain lions are far from ”extinct” in upstate NY. I believe there is actually a good population. There is so much hilly land up here and alot of deep woods for them to hide.

Good (and cold!) afternoon! I've been missing in action while putting into motion plans for my immediate future. I turned in my resignation on Monday. Director refused to accept it. She's telling me that I'll be back. But, I had already decided to take time off from working, period, to finally have my knee replacement surgery. That is now scheduled for March 7th. Only one knee needs it. The other one has a kneecap problem which will be dealt with at another time. I need to drop a few pounds between now and the 7th to make recovery easier for myself. So, I've hit the SS way hard and heavy. I've been invited to a Girls' night out with some of the other teachers tonight at Gloria's, a Salvadoran and Tex-Mex restaurant. Wish me luck SS'ing there! lol Zig, it's so nice to see you here again. Jen, I'm glad your girls are on the mend. Winter is always a rough time on little ones. BJ, I admire you for being able to work in the funeral industry. It takes a very special person. Dee, sounds like you and your dh may have a very special evening coming up! Suzanne, I know the job is still hectic, but isn't it nice to have one you like? Maddie, sorry your dh is under the weather. Hope you manage to enjoy your enforced weekend at home. Raeanne, Marci, Donna, and Besh, it's always a pleasure to read your posts. Oh, Patti, where are you? Well, heading for a quick nap before my big night out on the town. I'll be up past my usual bedtime. LOL Take care and stay warm. It's supposed to drop to the 20's during the night here. Brrrr!

Hi Chelone, What's with the listing of your magazines? Was that meant for this thread? Or are you saying that all of those are your cause for belief that "deregulation in banking has encouraged the shocking lending practices that have lead to the present circumstance."? I'm sorry I screwed your name up. I'm usually pretty good about that, and historicially I've been "on the money" with your's, I think. No worries, no offense taken (the mix-up, as I stated, is so extremely common outside of written communications that I'm virtually never offended by it... no even when an offender points out in hindsight that she *MEANT* it to be offensive at the time ;~) I'm either thick-skinned, or thick-skulled (depending who you ask) that way. My own philosophy about investing (WHEN and how) is very different than your's, Dave (sorry again!). I believe in retiring debts efficiently before the term. What do you believe in when the term is too short to efficiently eliminate the leverage, in respect to a person's actual life (not the arbitrarily set term of the loan)? My own portfolio has seen a downturn, but not a terribly precipitous one, frankly. Mostly, I think, because I have paid my major debts in full and now have the option of directing current contributions (that would have be directed to debt/interest payments) to longer term investments. If you look at a comparison of a pre-funded sum growing on a compounding basis (even minus the interest charges considered if the funds were from leverage,) versus a "drip-funded" scheme of the same monthly payment... you'll apparently be quite surprised at how dangerous the "eliminate the leverage, then drip the investment" strategy actually is. I am reasonably certain you will find fault with it all. I'm OK with that. I know that the properties I own are owned "free and clear". I know also that my portfolio is reasonably (within my "risk toleranace") conservative relative to the times frames I have in mind. I'm glad to know you are blissful. ;~) "Broadbrush" is workin' just fine for me. I'll keep that in mind when I see future claims or statements, and pull in the reigns of my accuracy expectations. Here's to your blissful seasons; that you are confronted by no surprises you weren't anticipating, and that you remain safe without having to be aware! Dave Donhoff Leverage Planner