Like the other Texas members, I do NOT feel your pain. Large areas of Texas have been declared eligible for disaster relief because the extended heat and drought have wiped out farm crops and cattle forage. Those big round bales of hay sell for around $80 dollars apiece, and they feed about ten cows for about two days. I feel a little guilty about the water usage (from our well) that it takes to keep our large yard alive...there is a vivid line around the yard that shows where the sprinklers stop---green on one side, brown and crunchy on the other. We have a large pond, and I often think it would be very interesting to have a motion-activated camera out there at night, to see the parade of desperate wildlife. There is a deer that brings her twin fawns out to drink and search for a little grass on the far side of the pond from the house, in broad daylight now. Guess she can't wait for dark in these temperatures. I don't much like hummingbirds (I know, you bird-huggers are horrified) but I finally put out feeders for them after I saw a hummer trying frantically to get his beak into a collapsed morning glory bloom. Nothing is blooming outside the yard. It'll be interesting to see whether the winter brings opposite extremes. Laura

Thanks, guys! And the fun part of it is, my latest setup still has the squirrels confused, though I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough. Maureen, I adore fox squirrels. We had some at the golf course about 2 blocks from where I live, but I haven't seen any of them for months now. I fear they may have been hit by passing cars. (Or golf balls? Eeek.) The only thing I didn't see from my garden today was the shuttle...too overcast. I tried and tried, but couldn't even catch a glimpse between the clouds! Marcia

Good morning everyone! Aaahhhh Louie! Where can I begin? Since his arrival he has knocked over just about everything. Eaten 1 of our snakes (now, I can't confirm he killed it, but I did see him munching on it yesterday...can I say eeeewwwwww) And, he has single handedly mowed down almost all the flowers of my floating hearts. I did see him taking down my water celery last night. I want to be upset with him, but, I just can't. He's so little. Maybe a foot long. I told the kids he's like having another toddler running around. You just have to fix everything after he's finished with it. Bunzy (our paint turtle) and her two new paint turtle friends who showed up a few weeks ago, Bubba and Penelope (the kids named them, lol) all seem to be getting along just fine with each other. They were the only one's I was worried about. I'm going to try to get some pictures of him tonight. Last night I was feeding the fish and watching the turtles come up and eat the food. I was to zoned in on watching them that I started to get that weird feeling like I was being watched. I turn my head and there is LOUIE about 2 feet away from my feet munching away in the water. He is NOT afraid of people, lol! Sheri, LOL,I have no clue where he came from? We are close to the Seneca River. I say close, maybe a mile away, and our neighbors have ponds in their pastures. I don't know?? I can't imagine something so little traveling so far? Shirley, our "flying dinosaurs" have been making their nightly appearance as well. The herons aren't afraid of us either! The kids run at them yelling, they just walk to the other side of the pond. I put a couple of shepherds hooks down there with garden flags thinking moving things blowing around might scare them...nope. Hubby got me 2 beautiful heron statues last year for Christmas to scare them away. They stand right next to them, lol. The iris' did have a great spring! I did have some problems with rot afterward. I don't know if it was the crazy cold we had or what? I have a few die off completely. :( The ones that survived are multiplying like crazy. Your daylilies are so gorgeous! How large is Big Bird? I am picturing a very large flower head :) Col :) Yeah! It made it!! So happy!! I hope the Hawaiian Surf made it okay too? Since today is Friday, I've decided to call 2 BINGO WORDS :) THE BINGO WORDS FOR FRIDAY ARE: ALIEN'S STARDUST and OGON WOGON OH MY BINGO WORDS CALLED: 1. FLAMINGO TWISTER 2. DO THE MATH 3. TURTLE TIE DYE 4. TINTINNABULATION 5. ALIEN'S STARDUST 6. OGON WOGON OH MY'ERS: Shirley (brittneysgran) AND Alana (poisondartfrog) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER frankielynn AND Sue (sueguanzon) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~frannkielynn SENT~~~ Kathie (sinbadsmom) AND Jayeanne (pinkiris) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~ Jayeanne (pinkiris) SENT~~~Kathie (sinbadsmom) REC'D~~~ Sheri (panhandle_seed_swap) AND Cinnie0 SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~Sheri 1/2 SENT :)~~~~Cinnie0 REC'D~~~ Suzanne(hibiscusfan) SENDS TO Colcol Colcol SENDS TO Vina (flowergirl34) Vina(flowergirl34) SENDS TO Suzanne (hibiscusfan)~~SENT~~ Tomorrow is the last day to mail for our swap. I hope everyone has been in contact with your swap partners. Or if you made arrangements to mail a little later. If you haven't heard from your partner at all please let me know. Have a super Friday! vina ps. Tomorrow is the 50 mile long garage sale around here. It's amazing!! Kids are having a pool party today and tomorrow its all garage sales, lol. Iris: Ambrosia Fool

Hello, I am Monica Sudds. I would like to respond to this string of messages. Quote: "Monica spoke with Lee Langsly in the medical issues department of SC Johnson Wax, the maker of Glade Air Products. He was quite helpful and showed concern. He also cautioned that there are warning labels about pets on some of their products." This statement is NOT my words. This part of this article is completely incorrect. Do Not use this information above as a quote from me. He never said anything at all about pet warnings on products! Yes he tried to absolve the company of wrongdoing. It was I who requested testing. Lee Langsly, not only, did not say there were proper warnings on the products, he said they would NOT PUT THEM on the products due to extensive costs and having to fight organizations like PETA for animal rights testing. I've always felt that warning should be on the products so that our companion animals, mostly of the avian species, were not put into jeopardy. But, it appeared at that time that the cost of warnings & changing labels was not worth a concern about their consumers pets. I did continue my "crusade" to save our parrots, small animals, elderly parents and infants. He threatened me with a lawsuit. I was ready, but obviously this did not happen. I told him if he could prove his product safe or put a warning label on then I would stop requesting it and warning people. I still have the original article that I wrote on this subject, that first appeared in newspapers, and parrot/bird organization newsletters and magazines around the US and overseas. It almost seems daily, more and more products that are dangerous to our birds, small pets, elderly family and small children are being produced. I say now. Find my original article on the internet. Do NOT believe that I thought at any time that the company was helpful or showed any concern. Do not read bastardized articles of what I originally wrote on this subject.