I'm still exploring suet options: last Sunday was a good day at the latest version suet feeder. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is standing on a suet cage or maybe a branch, but eating out of the old pine cone which had suet/peanut butter mix. This is the first time I've seen the Red-belly on the suet feeder - usually it feeds on the hopper or the ground. The Downy Woodpecker is also standing on the upper suet cage, but eating out of that same cage which contains a C&S Almond Treat suet block. The Red-breasted Nuthatch likes the bottom cage, which I think has a C&S Nutty Treat, or something similar. I have another single hanging suet cage on the rose arch with C&S Insect Treat in it. Downies, wrens, titmice and chickadees like this one, maybe because it's well-hidden in the rose canes (which is why I don't have a good photo of it). I'm trying to avoid mixing up my own suet glop, particularly because I don't have a convenient source of rendered suet. The raw suet hasn't been more popular than the store-bought. Claire

Oh My! Jan...another 'Bird Whisperer' in your family. Just to let you know, I tried. I had a fist full of sunflower hearts, offered them in out streatched hand to a group of Chickadees and...nada...nothing...they just looked at me, tapping their little toes...waiting for me to leave. You and Mike (AKA Snow White & Prince Charming) have the magic touch... I like your pictures and yes, the Flicker is a very beautiful bird. I like to see them fly into the yard. With the sun behind them, their wings take on a bright golden/mustard tone as they fly. I love the distinct markings on their backs and that touch of red on the back of their head is remarkable. I feel the same way about the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Both have the power to stop me in my track when I see them. Today is a PFW count day for me but before I could get started I needed to top off two feeders and replenish the suet. As soon as I got back in the house from doing so, I was rewarded with the Yellow-Rumped Warbler, back for some suet. I am also seeing more House Finch and, they look healthy. Just like all of you, I am also getting an increase in bird song...I love it! I'm also noticing that birds are starting to show up in pairs. I noticed it first in the Woodpeckers...another good sign. sooey

Dawn, When they first started here many said it was too far north and the yields were low. I've seen the best looking cotton this summer that I've seen since they started growing it here. Taller and bushy and already getting ready to flower. When they started they had only a very short window to plant in. No chance for a replant here. Now I understand they have some varieties that germinate better in cooler soil. Some of the cotton this year was planted a lot earlier. I know when they started they would plant around June 1st. Now I heard most were done before June 1st. The Cotton Root Rot must be why they moved up here. I was told and know in several of the areas in the South Plains of TX they had to quit growing it because of something in the soil and the gins closed. Many jumped in and grew it when they started and then it tapered off. Last year acreage was way down. But as yields have picked up acreage is coming back some I hear. A spraying accident is a lot easier to take when the responsible person is truly sorry and it was an accident. Once in a while you will get the person who doesn't seem to care and obnoxious. You couldn't believe the way the people that worked for this sprayer talked to those that called. First it was obvious who was involved as we could see the plane taking off from and landing for refill at the airport 1/2 mile away. And then we all knew the farmer who farmed the field and he told us who the sprayer was. First there was the how do you know it was us? Then the you should expect that when you live next to a farm field. And then "the wind has been blowing and we are behind and can't wait for it blow out of the right direction and we have to make a living. Your garden is just a hobby. " I bit my tongue and went on. Not so sure i would today. The wind is blowing over 30 mph again at times and over 90. This is the third day in a row. Starting to think we are going to have another summer like last year. My plants had looked good till noon today. Checked them this morning and watered what I felt needed it. Last night my sister said they lost a plant in a container yesterday. They have theirs on the east side of their house so they have wind protection and shade. When I went out at noon all 3 container plants looked almost dead. I can't figure out why. Those I had sitting in cups in the containers but hadn't transplanted yet looked fine. I transplanted one of them to see how it will do. They were put in the containers about 3 days ago. The soil was moist. A few of the in the ground plants looked droopy also. I thought about spray as the worst ones were all in the same area. Even the ones in the ground. But not convinced that is it. Guess if someone would of sprayed in the wind it easily could of happened. Then while trying to do a few things I broke off another plant. Hasn't been the best week for me. I have got a lot of my planting done and getting things watered good. Supposed to cool off for a few days. The rain last night missed us again by a few miles. I was about to the point when I saw things after dinner to just call off the season. Probably as frustrating a two years I've ever had gardening. It has to get better. I dumped half of last year's mix out of the containers and mixed in new with it. The one I planted today I planted in all fresh MG regular mix to see if there is something wrong with the mix. I did add a handful of bone meal and a little of a mix of cottonseed, soybean and a few alfalfa pellets I had in a bucket. But have done that to every hole I've planted and no problems but in the containers and the plants right next to them. Jay

Let's keep thinking positive thoughts. Sunday night is still a few days away and the forecast low can fluctuate up and down a lot between now and then. I'll cover everything I can if conditions warrant, but I've already decided I'll only cover one of the three pepper beds--and the one I will cover is the one that is producing most heavily. I picked all the large peppers, but left a lot of babies on plants in that bed. In the other two pepper beds, if they freeze, they freeze. I cannot protect my pole beans. Well, I could do it by putting row cover up along both sides of the trellis and folding it over the top and pinning it closed with clothespins, but that's more effort than I am willing to expend. I will protect the bush beans. Can you pile up leaves or straw or something over the portion of the winter squash vines where those three melons are? I've done that before in November when I actually had fallen leaves to use. Leaves really aren't falling here yet because it is too early, but I'm going to pile up hay on top of the part of the winter squash vine that is on the ground. The part on the trellis may get covered, if I figure out how. I have Agribon frost blankets and I have heavier moving blankets that are really heavy and might bring down the trellis..... In light of the approaching cold front, I pulled out all the hanging-basket style cherry tomato plants that were growing in the cattle trough. They still were producing and blooming, but I just really wanted to put the back-up lettuce plants in that trough so they can get established and grow. I already have lettuce in the ground and in three large containers, but I wanted to do something with those leftover lettuce plants, and I had a lot of them. I still have cherry type tomato plants in two molasses tubs and SunGold in the ground, and I'll cover up all those. The tomato plants I removed had produced well all year, but were looking pretty tired and ratty, though still covered with fruit. I picked about 2 or 3 gallons of cherries from them, and then put the plants out at the deer feeding area for the deer to eat. I hope they like green tomatoes. It has been a long, hard garden year, Carol, and y'all had that horrible storm plus the hail on top of all the other wild weather. I can understand why you've had enough! I'm stubborn and so I will protect the warm-season stuff and try to keep it going until at least November. Apart from that, I've put in a big fall garden with lots of cool-season stuff and the grasshoppers have been eating everything down to the ground. I'm grateful for these 2 back-to-back cold fronts and hope they KILL some of those hoppers so my cool-season stuff stands a chance. Apparently, at least in our garden, grasshoppers prefer Wild Garden Kale from Wild Garden Seeds and Purple Sprouting Broccoli above all other cool-season veggies. I had some success hiding the Even Star Farms Smooth Kale from the hoppers by planting it between taller rows of purple hull pink eye peas, and did the same with Falstaff Brussels Sprouts by planting a row of it between rows of bush beans. I'm not sure if hiding those cool-season crops between rows of warm-season crops is why they haven't been nibbled, but I think it might be. Carol, I have the most green Seminole winter squash I've ever had this late in the season but they just sit there and refuse to break color. It is driving me crazy. If they freeze before they ripen, it is their own fault for being slowpokes. Oh, I forgot the Sugar Snap Peas or, as they now are known here, the Grasshopper Chow. They've devoured every plant down to the ground. I am so happy to know that somebody enjoyed eating those pea plants, but wish it had been our family eating them instead of those grasshoppers. Dawn