Woody....I have had those sickly tomatoes some years. Seems to me, no matter how well you take care of them, some years, that is what you get. I need to get a photo of the two measly little tomato plants we have this year. Foliage looks great, but they are about 2 feet tall with a hand ful of tomatoes each. I will have to do better next year and hope for more sun, less rain. As I think I already mentioned, the brugs didn't work out for my benign neglect style either. [g] Gardenbug....amazing that you have such a large garden but weeds look the same in your garden beds as they do in our garden, just more of them I guess. I don't have that burdock, I don't think. Has that got a taproot? You must have some great soil to grow weeds that well. :-) What you call twitch grass doesn't look like the perennial grass weed we had. We had a grass with long white roots, that the more you pulled it, the more of it you got. Every little bit of broken root you left in the soil would be a new plant. One year we made the mistake of rototilling to get rid of it, before we realized we couldn't have done anything worse. The only thing that stopped that grass weed, was smothering it for a year. I was actually getting ready to ask on the forums what people's experience has been with flagstone paths with thyme and other creeping plants. I love that look when it is weed-free and I don't want to create a big job for myself. One of my problems with that approach is that I have clay soil and thymes don't like me unless it is in a raised bed. I had the idea that the only way to really have that work is if you place all the plants like 3 inches apart through out the entire walk so they will grow in quickly and suppress the weeds. If you have a long walkway, that would be a lot of plants. Expensive. Also, not sure how it works in the shade, in clay. Not a lot of plants that can grow in those conditions between pavers. With the clematis, my one clematis, doesn't look that great after it finishes blooming either but it is in an out of the way area that I am not always looking at. Any chance you could cut the foliage back to the ground after blooming and still get flowers the next year, and a fresh crop of foliage for this year? I thought there was at least one group of clematis that grow and bloom on new wood. I suppose that is giving yourself another job though. I will try to take a photo of our veggie garden pathways that have the fabric on them and see what you think. I've done that some years with the veggie starts never making it into the beds. Very sad. :-( But life is full of twists and turns and the best laid plans of mice and men.... Well...I hope you can come up with a few things to change for next year over the winter, that will make you feel you are able to keep up more. Other than inviting all the Idylls up to get things ship shape...I can't think of more ideas. lol IU6? [g] Hey, we could all take a turn. :-) [Kathy...looking over the photos...I was wondering how did you plot the curve in your front walk, hose? It came out really nice. :-) pm2

if you want to know what tree frogs eat .. or when.. and you promise not to wet yourself.. go out at night.. and look at the walls of your house.. or the nearest vertical surface ... i think they are cool ... the rest .. but for slugs/snails .. come on.. its natures way .... relish them.. consider them a bonus show in mother nature .... of course.. every year we have some plague roll thru ... one year.. bad lady bugs.. one year cicada .. one year JBeatles ... so what.. the plagues come and go ... rarely.. if ever.. if you can come to some understand with your inner freak .... you just let them be ... the worst for me ... is cleaning up sticks ... and grabbing an otherwise harmless [i really should not be sharing this.. lol].. garter snake .... i have been know to scream like an 8 year old girl and run across the yard like my shorts are on fire ... thank god i have 5 acres.. or the neighbors would have had me committed years ago .. now there is a pretty picture.. lol ...but once the hair on my entire body sets back down.. i just go back to what i was doing.. and the snake.. if not caught in a branch 10 feet up a tree .....is one his way .... and usually all i hear is some snakey mumbling along the lines of... 'what was that all about.. i was just laying here minding my own business' .... anyway.. i digress.. wildly .. apparently ... lol the real problem.. for an IPM .. integrated pest management standpoint .. is that treating for one thing.. usually throw natures balance all out of whack.. and you might end up creating more problems than you solve .... relax.. come to terms with it all .. and get over it.. [and please dont repeat that story above.. that is just between you an me.. lol] ken

Thank you ladies for all your kind comments! Sno, my DM will be making/bringing her delicious butternut squash soup for our Thanksgiving meal and I plan to serve it in the pumpkin bowls. Sno, Mo & Luvs, I also like that rooster, my first one but I feel a "collection" coming on.... Jamie, I liked the pumpkin bowls as they aren't as big as the acorn ones but felt the orange might be too loud. We didn't get to have a special dinner tonight either as DH did not get home when expected - unpredictable life on the railroad! Cass, thanks for your input...and for making me feel good about posting so many pics! Shee, the mosaic vase/pillar holder and matching candle holders are all from Partylite (candle home party company). My aunt used to sell it and I had A LOT of parties so I got things at pretty good deals - still expensive though. You can still get those pieces, called "Global Fusion" collection, if you are interested. dd50, oldalgebra and Shee, you are so right about feeling right at home here with people who understand what it is like to play for hours with our pretties. Shee, you have to just have patience, a few members of my extended family are now starting to ask me to come help them with some seasonal decor although some of the others just can't imagine spending the time (or $)on it! Mo, I think you are right in the acorn bowls looking more elegant probably because of their colour and maybe because I put the faux grapes hanging out of them. Can't wait to get my darker fall plates this week and then plan my Thanksgiving table. oldalgebra, I bought the acorn bowls at HomeSense last year. I believe you have HomeGoods in the States which is similar. I only got two bowls as I have 8 of the pumpkin and I just wanted a couple extra for when I have my dinner parties for 10. I can't remember how much they were, not bad though or I wouldn't have gotten them. Luvs, as you know, that is what makes the playing take so long, moving one item here and there and then scrapping it altogether and putting in a new item for a different look...oh so much fun! Jaybird, I'm never "bored" on this forum either , so much to enjoy! DD

Beautiful! You specified it's Smokey hills in black glaze. Omega has a onyx glaze. Is this with the onyx glaze or ebony brushed finish over smokey hills?