Lots of new folks around and about the forum...many asking how they can put pics in their posts. So I have a minute lol.

PLEASE wonderful new people...try, whenever possible, to post your pictures in the "Gallery" (links are just above the list of conversations and discussion threads). This helps all our dial-up users to enjoy the discussions without having to wait for pictures to load.

I use PhotoBucket (PB)to store my pics so that's the way I'll write these instructions. PhotoBucket is simple to upload to from your hard drive. And it's simple to post into the forum from.

1) You'll have to open a PhotoBucket account(Free). Be sure to make your pictures available to the public so you can post links to your, oh so very full now, album too.

2) In PB click on browse and it will take you to your hard drive on your computer where you'll choose the photo you want to upload. Just click your photo and you'll see it's description appear in the line below. Then click send or save (depending on the version of your browser). Now you can upload picture after picture this way or just one if you want. Then click upload in PB. It takes a few minutes and then you'll get a message that everything has uploaded correctly. Wa-La...pictures!

3) Open another browser window and bring up the GREAT Cottage Gardens forum.

4) Write your post to the point where you'd like to insert your picture.

5) Now return to the PB site. Below each picture you'll see three lines of code. URL, HTML and IMG. Highlight (click in the space at the very beginning of the line of gibberish) the HTML line of codes. Copy it. (right click on the highlighted line then click on COPY from the menu that pops up).

6) Return to the CGF and click the post you started where you want the picture to appear. Now right click and a drop down menu will appear. Click PASTE. You'll see a whole string of code gibberish where you want the picture in your post.

7) Finish writing your post, or add more pictures.

8) When you click on preview message the string of gibberish will turn into your picture.

9) Be sure to click SUBMIT MESSAGE to send it to the forum just as you normally would when posting text only.

Okay....GET BUSY! We are dying to see your flowers!!

And newbies....please never think that your garden is too weedy, small, unfilled, under-landscaped, wrong style or any of the other excuses people can come up with to procrastinate this step with. We are all here for the same reasons. To learn, to share, to help. Next year one of you can do the instructions LOL!

MeMo...who hopes she didn't forget anything