ok, here is the deal I have no more standing wine cups. I only had one packet and I notified the person, that I wish to trade with. I have plenty of morning glory seeds. I have e-mailed everyone that e-mailed or posted here. Please let me know if I missed anyone. Robin's came back as no such e-mail. Odd, I replied to the e-mail that she sent to me. I have a total of 7 packs of wild red morning glory seeds. If everyone that contacted me about them, trades with me, I will have 3 packets left to trade. I will update my trade page to reflect that. Mary

This is a great forum and I've learned a lot from it. Thanks to all those offering their "expertise"! :O) I have been a septic user for many years, but up until 4 years ago, my husband always took care of all of that. Now, I live alone and I've been given lots of confusing information about keeping my septic system healthy. I believe I have a 1000 gal septic system here with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. I always try to use environmentally correct household supplies and I have a front-loading washer and dryer. I also do not use a dishwasher or garbage disposal. There were two of us here for the first 3 years I've lived in this house, and now there is just me. I believe my septic was pumped when I bought the house in Dec. 2010, so it's been 4 years. I have used Rid-X in the past, and not that often, maybe once every 4-6 months, can't remember. And the last couple of times I used active dry yeast, which the last time was about a month or two ago. After reading all of the information here, I'm thinking I don't really need to add anything to my septic tank, as I don't put much, if any harsh chemicals into it. I'm hoping I can wait another year or two before I have to have it pumped out. Money is pretty well fixed here. LOL! Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate having forums like this one, and knowledgable people on it, to help those of us who don't really know s--- from shinola about it! LITERALLY! LOL! You all have an awesome day! :O)

Yes - Eheim is a brand name. I have three! (one for each of the large tanks in the house) I picked one up on sale at Big Al's Fish (website listed below). Another I got on sale at a local fish store. The first - for the cichlid tank, I got a full price. It was when this newer model had just been put out. I did start with the economy line. The filter is great!! But like I said - priming it is a pain. They do have a device, but it can really be a hassle. I guess I decided I'd rather pay more for ease than go crazy everytime I needed to clean or change water (you know how if you're doing water changes you kinda forget and then let the water level go below the intake tube? And then you gotta get the pump going again!!) So I replaced my economy line models with the Pro II series with the priming button. The Aquaclear filters are also VERY easy to start. Easy to clean, easy to maintain. And again, like I said - extremely affordable. Especially if you can find it on sale (Drs. Foster Smith have sales on them periodically!) I remember the last time you were doing your research before buying. So it's good that you're in the planning stage and it gives you time to do your research. I had picked up the marineland w/ biowheel for an indoor pond set up that I would put up every winter when I'd bring in the pond fish. I've since long ago stopped bringing in the pond fish once I really enlarged and deepened the outdoor pond, but the marineland filter worked really well. But that's where I learned what a pain it was to clean. I was constantly slopping water around when I'd remove it to clean it out. I liked the biowheel feature. That winter indoor pond set up had two filters - the marineland and an internal pond filter. You know how dirty koi and goldies can make the water! And it was only a 60 gallon set up. It sounds like you're saving money on the stand at least - so maybe you can splurge a bit on the filter? Whatever you decide, definitely hunt around and see what the going prices are. Like I said, I picked up two on sale. Another online site that I've used (aside from Big Al's and Foster/Smith) is That Fish Place. Sometimes they have good sales, too. Oh - and also Carealot Pets have good prices if they carry what you want! (the variety of stuff they carry is limited, but the prices on what they do have are really very good!) www.carealotpets.com www.thatpetplace.com www.drsfostersmith.com If you are going to use live plants and decide on Eheim, I do suggest in getting the Pre-filter as well. It really helps in keeping plant debris from going into the cannister and then needing to clean it more often. Here is a link that might be useful: Big Al's Fish

I've vacationed at every one of them. All the above suggestions are good ones. High altitudes and Summer sun = a huge need for major sunscreen, hats that work, not just look cute, to keep the sun off your faces and heads, good sunglasses, constant hydration. Drinks like Gatorade hydrate while giving you back the electrolytes your body has sweated out . . . and make no mistake that you will sweat out here. Our air is just so dry that it evaporates sweat much more quickly than at more humid places. Nose bleeds occur more often because of the higher altitudes and excessive dry air, so bringing along bottles of Ayer will definitely come in handy. Dress in layers because the nights can get very cold, despite the heat of the days. Here where I live in the mountains of New Mexico, we have an average drop in temps of about 30-degrees between 3PM and 11PM during the Summer months. Smallish canvas backpacks can carry your needs, without causing excessive weight or sweating. Loose, sturdy clothing in natural, breathable fabrics. Sturdy, comfortable hiking shoes (or at least good sturdy tennis) are a must . . . with socks! Avoid sandals, especially at Bryce, Zion, GC and Sedona outside of the town. Speaking of Sedona, a place we LOVE to visit, Oak Creek Canyon is our favorite place to stay and The Silver Saddle at The Cowboy Club (for gourmet Western dining) and the Oak Creek Bar & Grill at Tlaquepaque for the best burgers (by far!) in all of Sedona, with a great setting overlooking Tlaquepaque (pronounced ta-LA-kay-PAH-kay) . . . not to mention, their delicious, award-winning, home brewed beers. Wishing you a wonderful trip! Lynn