Dacaf coffee? Really, Josh? ;-) I don't know... I guess I just always go for the gusto, or something... I couldn't drink decaf coffee, drink a light beer, eat an item because it was low fat, or smoke a light cigarette! If I'm going to go, I'm going to go all out!! :-) I want to really taste my food and/or beverage... and not necessarily consume it just because it's better for me! And before you say anything... ya, I know... smoking isn't good for me, either! It's the last bad habit I have, and I don't do it THAT much! I'm working on it... ;-) Chicken wings are for people who really like to work at eating... they must be, because I can't for the life of me think why else anyone would want to eat the one part of a chicken that hardly contains any meat! I like skin on, bone in chicken drumsticks and thighs, and I like them either marinated and grilled, or breaded and fried, or baked as a whole bird surrounded with vegetables! Seafood and fish are awesome... as long as they're fully cooked! I can't abide the thought that parasite eggs might lie dormant within the flesh... but that's where they might be. Fish and pigs are notorious for carrying parasites. I'd go for the cooked Japanese fish and seafood, but not the raw. Dealing with dogs so much has made me very aware of parasites. I once wrote an article for a breed specific magazine on parasites... the research I did was very eye-opening. And, yes... there are some kinds of worms that humans can get, only one of which is the tapeworm. Fish also contains a little more than trace amounts of mercury and other chemicals, thanks to industrial dumping. It seems to accumulate more in the belly fat of large fish, so be sure to trim all that off when preparing it. In other news... we got some crazy weather last night! We got hit with an ice storm, sort of. It rained or snowed a couple of inches of tiny balls of ice. It was like walking on sand. It was the strangest weather I think I've ever seen! The roads are sheets of ice with a covering of ice balls! It's very slick out there... anyone traveling in it should be very careful! Charades sounds like fun, Al! I haven't played cards or any games in a long time... not since the kids were younger. We're kind of isolated down here... all of our friends live up north. And you guys are scattered all over the country! Funny thing, though... last night, we were talking about a bulb type I want to get, and Old Guy says, "you should get a bunch and send some to your friends... they're always sending you stuff", and I said, "I should... I've got really generous friends, don't I?" And he said, "yes, they certainly are good friends!" So, there you have it... I, too, wish we all lived closer to each other. Can you imagine the fun we'd have together?! Can you imagine all we'd learn together, and what we could accomplish?!! :-) And speaking of bulbs and sending things, I will have care packages for some of you when the weather breaks. Anyway... not much on the agenda today... except hauling more water and chipping ice out of water buckets and horse troughs and poultry pans! I wish the ducks didn't have to bathe so often in winter, but it's what keeps their feathers in good condition, I think. They're incredibly messy! If I can't locate the Day Glo mantis pictures, Mike, I'll be sure to take a new batch next autumn. I noticed several new areas of the gardens that contain egg cases, so we should have quite a nice population this year! Well... it's about that time again... time to make the donuts. Chores call. Happy Continual Birthday, Josh... and a great day to everyone! :-)

My temps here in Erie, PA have been 75 to low 80's. One day hit 90 but it rained. I had rain each of the first 6 days or so. I have not been able to water as much as I would have liked though. It gets 8 min per zone at 5 AM and I do my best to hit it in the afternoon by hand or with an oscilating sprinkler. A water restriction makes me use my homemade inground Hunter PGP sprinkler system under the mask of darkness. I am really happy I chose to use a leaf compost from my township as a topdressing (after core areation and seeding). In the few spots where I missed with it the are fewer seedlings. I think that it is really helping to keep the moisture in the soil. With this being my first summer of educated lawncare, I am happy to be making progress. Thanks again to all of you out there.

Good morning all, Well the great news is that the sun is shining and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate and give us a nice day here. There is a chance of sprinkles later on in northern New England but we should be fine in CT. Im hopeful that I can get the rest of the orchids in the house before we leave for Hartford. Michelle, as I expected, your flower arrangement is gorgeous! I always enjoy seeing what you do with cut flowers. ~~ I cant believe how fast your little cutie is growing! What a sweet little girl. Pretty soon well be seeing pics like this of Ts new little grandbabies. T, wow, you are getting a lot accomplished this weekend. Are you planning on having the new critter shelter done before the snow comes this year? And the thought of fencing makes me cringe! Of course you cant put in a single hole in the ground here without excavating a couple boulders. ~~ Glad to hear your temperatures have moderated. Weve had comfortable weather here for a month now. ~~ You are so right about the day length. The real tell for me is that I dont get any sun in the east facing windows of my dining room any more. We get direct sunshine in here for two months in the summer and its now gone for the year. Bumer. Mary, Oh no about your DH having to give up caffeine! That is such a bummer. Please give him my condolences! I seriously feel for him. I remember discussing coffee with him when we visited this spring. ~~ Love to hear about your making your own tortillas. You are such a creative cook. ~~ How neat Annie is making pickles. Norma, it sounds like you had a productive day yesterday. How much pasture land do you have if it takes you five hours to mow? Holy cow! V, sorry your DS has a sore throat but it is good thing you got him to the doctor before it got worse. ~~ Sounds like you are going to really enjoy that firepit. Ill bet you get a lot of use in the fall? Wish I had room for one. Were still thinking of getting one of those propane fueled patio heaters so we can extend the season outside a bit. ~~ So tell me, whats wrong with the salt shaker in that painting? LOL Marian, thanks! Glad you like the dahlias. Also glad to hear that Tiger is feeling better. What a worry for you. ~~ RE fuchsias, I might just have to send you a Beacon Rosa in the SPRING so you dont have to winter it over. LOL Have you heard from Eileen lately? Im a bit worried that she hasnt popped in here for a while. Martie, sorry about the corn getting knocked over. RE Okra, they do have pretty flowers as I recall. I actually love okra, especially in soups. ~~ Im looking forward to trying out that coffee in Vernon when I get to come down to visit. Saucy, how great youve got your pantry all ready to use. Thats terrific. Any storage is fabulous in my book. Sue, Ill bring a couple stakes down for you. I hope you guys have honed your appetites. It sounds like we are going to have a feast today. Okie dokie, Ive got to get out of this chair and do something productive with this morning. Have a great Labor Day everyone, Deanne

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Very beautiful lady there. Try for the seeds. I've just started planting amaryllis seeds this year. Germination rate has been excellent with fresh seeds. I have even managed to germinate some old seeds. The link has another link in the bottom portion of the text. I used the info on sowing and germinating the seeds to get started. (Don't know why I'm giving you this info. You probably know how to do all of this anyway. Maybe someone else looking at your photo will want the info.) Here is a link that might be useful: Amaryllis pollination and seeds