Yay Val for that history. Shakespeare apparently didn't know a weed was "Any plant whose virtues have not been discovered" (Emerson) :) My favourite Shakespeare quote (not too much of a tangent) is "...but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety." Patrick, you have me a little traumatized by the thought of shaking my nine pallet bins instead of leaving them alone.

Hello, A vivid memory from my youth is the wonderful scent of the yellow/white honeysuckle we had. I believe this is the Japanese honeysuckle (not sure) and I know it's a voracious grower and can easily take over. However, I have a fenced area that would be easy to trim and control the honeysuckle. Please let me know if this is indeed the Japanese honeysuckle and if have some for trade. Thank you for your time.

DON'T DO IT! :) There are some other honeysuckles in the garden centres now that are less invasive, and just as pretty. Avoid the Hall's (Lonerica japonica) at all costs. Try Dropmore Scarlet or Mandarin (both L brownii). They'll still need pruning, but at least they won't eat the dog. The Dropmore has been around for a few years, so someone may have some for trade. I don't have anything for trade this year, as I'm in "scorched earth" mode in my backyard right now. I'm looking for a hardy L periclymenum (English honeysuckle) myself.

Tony and John: Thank you. Your input was exactly what I was hoping for. I certainly was not headed in the direction of mind-altering substances. Spirit-lifting, thought-provoking activities are more to my taste. "I never read others while I'm writing" Good point! I too refrain from reading while writing. I've always had the attitude that it would only put me in danger of losing my indentity. I love walking in the woods at night and am inspired by the preditors on the hunt. The fluttering, the schreech, the scattering and then......total silence. John, funny you would mention ending up "in a bad part of town", as I often find myself headed in that direction. I live on the edge. It keeps me sharp. I am known to approach the homeless and talk with them. Listening to their hopes and dreams of a better day. Some I help and others.......well, I know better. Once I jumped a train just to see if I could. What a rush of feeling so alive! Jumping back off again was a little rough going, but I'm still here and can laugh about the crazy things I sometimes do. I aslo agree that kids are great to watch and interact with. I mostly talk with teens, asking them their opinions on life to see where their heads are at. Enough about me. I'd really love to hear more about what others do for a boost. Again, thank you for your responses as this is what I was hoping this forum to be. Positive sharing.