I shouldn't complain because we really need the rain and are still well behind in precip for the year, but the size and weight of the raindrops this last storm was unusual. Marie normally we don't get such extremes but the past several years have been odd, tornados and earthquakes!!!! The occasional tropical storm and less frequently a hurricane is normal here. Temps and precipitation have been screwy. I guess it has to do with the destruction of the ozone layer and some of it might just be part of a natural cycle. I really don't know. At least we didn't get the golfball size hail that friends a couple counties over got.

Ditto on the compost. Both Turface & perlite create aeration & both retain moisture. Perlite holds onto very little water compared to Turface which is why I use it for cacti & succulents. For small Turface, if say, you wanted to increase the moisture retention in the 5:1:1, you could add some. I'm imagining particles that have passed through insect screen is what your referring to. You could mix : 2 parts Turface, 1 part perlite, that would be good for seed germination or plant cuttings. One important thing I do with these materials, I rinse all the DUST from them. Even after screening there's quite a bit left. If you have a clear plastic cup, make a drainage hole in the bottom, fill it 2/3 of the way w/ Turface & saturate it. You will be able to see how much water remains after it drains & how long it takes to dry out. Rob

Gosh I hope not Rina. The first time i was in Canada was in Toronto. Drove through from New York and there was a riot that broke out. By the stadium or sports arena..whatever you guys call it. I think there was a game going on (obviously) lol, but that's when i really learned how seriously some take football! I think it was in the 70's...or maybe the 60's? i don't remember anymore lol.

I'm still sick & nauseated from the bad combo last night (sunflower seeds & cherry juice & lemonade), Men's Health has an excellent article on how certain medications mixed with certain food/drink can have a deadly effect & toxic: http://www.menshealth.com/health/ 1. Limes and cough medicine. You may have heard not to drink grapefruit juice with some prescriptions, including cholesterol-lowering statins. But limes, pomelos, and Seville oranges—although not the more-common navel and Valencia varieties—also may block an enzyme that breaks down statins and other drugs, including the cough suppressant dextromethorphan ... this includes hallucinations and sleepiness; in statins, you may sustain severe muscle damage. 2. Dairy products and antibiotics. Some antibiotics, including Cipro, bind to calcium, iron, and other minerals in milk-based foods. “This prevents the absorption of the antibiotics, ultimately decreasing their ability to fight infections,” Gullickson says. When you get a new prescription for acne or an infection, ask if the drug falls into a class known as tetracyclines or flouroquinolones. If so, avoid milk, yogurt, and cheese 2 hours before and after taking the pills. 3. Smoked meats and antidepressants. Check the label on your happy pills. If they belong to a class called monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs—brand names Marplan, Nardil, Emsam, or Parnate—combining them with foods rich in the amino acid tyramine can cause life-threatening spikes in blood pressure, says Gullickson. Unfortunately, the list of no-nos includes not only summer sausage and smoked salmon, but also red wine, sauerkraut, hot dogs, aged cheeses, soy sauce, and draft or home-brewed beer. 4. Chocolate and Ritalin. Besides caffeine, chocolate also contains a stimulant called theobromine, says Tom Wheeler, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S., director of pharmacy and pulmonary services at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. (It’s the reason chocolate harms dogs—canine bodies can’t break it down.) Combining all these stimulants in humans can potentially lead to erratic behavior and seizures. 5. Apple juice and allergy meds. Nix the nectar from apples, oranges, and grapefruits if you take Allegra (fexofenadine) for hay fever—at least within 4 hours of swallowing the pill, Gullickson advises. These juices inhibit a peptide that transports the drug from your gut to your bloodstream. The resulting lack of absorption makes Allegra up to 70 percent less effective at stopping your sniffling and sneezing, Wheeler says. Other medications also travel with the help of the same peptide; lay off these juices while taking the antibiotics Cipro or Levaquin, the thyroid medication Synthroid, or the allergy and asthma treatment Singulair, Gullickson says. 6. Cinnamon and warfarin. People taking the blood-thinning medication warfarin—prescribed to prevent or treat clots—have long been warned to keep their intake of vitamin K steady, says Wolfe. This means you shouldn’t change your weekly intake of foods like leafy greens or broccoli; because vitamin K plays a key role in clotting, doing so could affect the thickness of your blood. But there’s another risk. Cassia cinnamon, the kind on most American grocery-store shelves, contains high levels of a compound called coumarin that can thin blood and potentially cause liver damage, says Eric Newman, M.D 7. Alcohol and acetaminophen. Resist the urge to wash down your Tylenol with a cold one—your body uses the same enzyme to break down the two substances. http://www.menshealth.com/health/