Blow,blow,blow! Are we having March winds already? It was so noisy last night that I got very little sleep. Tommy went out before I went to bed, and I kept listening for his attempts to get my attention to let him back in. It was 2 AM before the noise I heard was him. The hover on our chimney came lose on one end, a few days ago, and was the big part of the racket. Naturally Nolon is no longer able to tend to such things, so no telling when it can be fixed. Prairiemoon, My DH's health problems are mostly from old age. He is 80! He has had heart problems, but that seems to be okay now. He has a very bad back, and emphysema. He also has frequent memory lapses, and mood swings. I am 74, and have battled the Fibromyalgia Syndrome and osteoarthritis for many years. I am the 'queen of Googling', ( smile) for answers to my health and for the meds that I take. I am only taking 2 prescriptions regularly...my blood pressure med, and a rather strong pain med. I have got it pretty well regulated, along with the OTC meds and supplements that I take. The OTCs are for high cholestral, low potassium, allergies, acid reflux...etc. ( I keep telling my friends that I am a factory reject and need to be recalled! ) LOL I really do not think I am depressed. I don't have those type symptoms. Discouraged often, but not depressed. Beautiful swan pic...:-) Marie, I enjoy all your pics of the new family, and I enjoy your DH's humor...:-) The idea of him bronzed is a hoot! Weird...but funny...lol. I saw a red tailed hawk on my way to town recently, then on a later trip, there is a dead one in the highway! I can't think it was hit by a vehicle, and hate to think someone shot it! What a wonderful thing for you and your DH to do... purchase 'half a house' for the new family. I am thinking you are as thrilled with all the 'newness' as your dear grandson is! How wonderful for all of you. We never know what tomorrow will bring. LOL about the old boyfriend's picture. Mary, I liked your "Holland" story. A lot to think about . I love the 'dragon'. Wish I were ambitious enough to make one! I am glad the missing girls showed up and were okay. And I am espacially glad Annie wasn't with them! LOL, V. I have had dreams of unseen friends also ( but then, you have seen many of 'us', and had the pleasure of having a bunch at your home). I can identify with the tiredness from some dreams, also anger or sadness. I have never been to an Opera. A theatrical group puts on shows in Harrison, but I have never gone. Once several of my aquaintences were acting in one. I almost went...:-) Eden, I never did tell you how happy I am that your mom's tests came out good. I hope she is feeling okay. Michelle...such a handsome family!(Both yours and Ricks.) The newlyweds are 'beautiful'. The groom reminds me so much of a dear friend that is a bank manager in Harrison. His nickname is Cub , and he is like a cuddly bear...(smile). Martie, I guess I am pretty strong, else I wouldn't have made it this far. But then, you know from whence comes my strength. Deanne, I haven't been commenting on all your ezcellent bird pics, but you know I consider you a master at all you do! Cindy, I really do not mind winter, but it has become increasingly a challenge with the wood heat! I do admit long dark days can get to me, but I have pretty much learned to 'tune' them out. Stormy weather, regardless of the type, invigorates me. I agree on your analysis of the 'youthful spirit'( Been there, done that!) ;-) That is strange about the PictureTrail pics. That is what most of us use. T, I love your wintry scene. Honey, I hope your funk is lifting. I hope you saw my answer to your xmas cactus question. Ei, I am still enjoying 'your' orchid's blooms. They are hanging right in there. Norma, has the artic express reached you? You are fortunate that the firewood debris is in your basement. Mine is through the breakfast room and into the livingroom. Our aging stove has taken to down-puffing, and blowing ashes out of the draft door! ( Actually, it is probably not the age of the stove, it is the shortness of the chimney. It needs another joint on top! ) I love the BD pic you posted for Taryn. Where is that? Drema, that is great that your DB is improving. I can hardly imagine the heartaches. It's so good that he is close so you can visit regularly. My old Jade plant surprised me with a few blooms this winter. It had never done that before. Woody, I think I am due for more MRIs . It's been several years, and various new problems have came up that xrays don't cover. I will be thinking of you and yours, and praying that you get a good report. I like the sweater. I hope your DH will at least wear it around home. It doesn't look like a target to me. :-) I hope you find the perfect helper. I made another trip to town today. With the incoming bad weather I needed more stuff than I got yesterday. I think we are pretty well set, regardless of what comes! The wind is still strong, but warmer than yesterday. I wore one of my new flannel-lined jeans. It felt good! Marian

If not hardy there it's an academic point for you but as indicated already Irish yew is a tree, eventually much larger than what the nursery called a mature size. When talking to people trying to sell you plants keep in mind that they are often afraid of scaring you off, may then tend to understate growth potential. What, exactly constitutes a mature size needs to be defined before you can be sure you understand what was intended. Some seem to think the 10 or 20 year size is the mature size. This is not nearly the full normal span of a tree or even many shrubs. Ultimate size is a different concept. Another factor is variation in results between sites (including cultivation regimes) and climates. At any rate with a yew growth is so slow you are not going to be overwhelmed, and could instead get tired of waiting for one to gain some height. And yews lend themselves to pruning.

Fine webbing plus stippling, dirtiness and browning = bad mite problem. Or similar issue. Look for the pests with a magnifier, ask at a garden center for suitable control products once they have been identified. If you are in the US you can probably get help with identification and control strategies by taking samples of affected parts to your local USDA Cooperative Extension branch office.

While I love the photos of natural wild gardens, I doubt your neighbors will. They do have more periods of downtime regarding bloom than you might expect, and they do look very ragged in their "off" season. We live near a natural prairie area and it is pretty for only a few short months in the year. I usually suggest ripping out huge clumpy overgrown shrubs, but I think you could leave the two at the ends. Then get rid of the short hedge and the plants flanking the porch. Consider enlarging the porch so more than one person can stand on it. Then have a landscape architect who knows their stuff to work up a plan for a blend of native species and garden perennials that can keep you in blooms over a longer span of time. When blooms fade you can count on a few strategically placed annuals to add color while the rest of the landscape is in its more dormant stage as far as blooms go. The pro should be familiar with your state's native plants that will be easier to maintain themselves. BE WARY OF INVASIVE SPECIES - I speak from experience!!!