Can't agree with you on the statement that "a lot of the people here aren't really obsessive plant collectors". On the contrary, I think most of us here are obsessive (some might say disturbed, lol) plant collectors. Maybe we are just modest about it ;-) No reason to feel bad about asking someone for a trade that has more than you do- there are tons of generous people on the gw trade forums that are more than willing to share their bounty with others. And, speaking as one myself, collectors are quite tickled when you show interest in their plants ;-) There are no set-in-stone rules about where you post something, but I tend to think that it is polite to post ones question in the proper forum (unless it is devoid of all life/gets few visitors). What would happen if everybody that wanted to trade started asking on forums not specifically devoted to exchanges? The folks that wanted to just talk Perennials or on-topic chats would be pushed out! Certainly wouldn't want that... Anyway, not trying to be pushy or anything, just giving my opinion ;-) Happy Gardening CMK

If there IS ever a Nevada site, I'd like to submit the following for an FAQ: 1) No matter what you have read, no matter what someone told you, no matter who that someone was, it won't apply to YOUR garden. 2) Forget everything you know about gardening and start over. Plants that shouldn't grow here will thrive. Plants that should grow well here will wither and die. It will snow in July. You will have warm weather in January. It will be 80 degrees the day before it snows in July. Except if Nevada weather does its usual unpredictable thing and then none of the above will happen as I specified. 3) If you aren't crazy from gardening in Nevada, you soon will be. Lisa

Talk about an eeeeerie feeling! *insert Twilight Zone theme music here* Had dinner, settled in front of the computer with my coffee and after reading email I clicked into Decor Forum....WOW....I've never seen that happen before. Two topics and the rest is a long, white, blank page. Is this a somewhat semi-regular occurance on the decor forum? Just last night I posted on the Computer Forum to ask about the really frustrating Macy's Pop-up Ads on the Deco Forum (and a few other sites) every time I click my mouse. Great big Red Macy's Ad smack dab in the middle of the main forum page and then with every click of the mouse the same Ad every time I click. I noticed today the pop-ups have calmed down on all the other sites except here at GW. Maybe it's not my computer after all? Oh well. I'll hang out here with y'all if you don't mind until the problem is resolved. *smile*

Funnelweb, I like your approach! We have a similar attitude. I remember a few years ago we had a snake in the backyard. I only saw it partially once in the old chook shed as it scuttled away very quickly. I thought "god what the heck is that" and then figured it must have been a blue tongue as we had quite a few of those. Then one day my son's school friend was here and they got a good look at it. The friend was all for killing it as he used to live on acreage down around Berry and reckoned that when it gets to breeding season they (snakes) get agressive.. but I reckoned it wasn't doing anyone any harm and indeed it had only even been seen the once, and frankly, I'm flattered it likes our place, so I issued a protection order for it. we have some frogs and some water and the old chook shed has a nice northerly facing concrete floor and stuff in it to hide under. Sounds like pretty good snake apartments really! There used to be an aviary and chooks in nearby yards, and these attracted the mice, but those are gone, so the food supply may not be what it once was, and I don't think snakey is till around. I have been doing a project re family photos recently and had a disappointment. We have an old family story about my grandfather walking along and stepping in a taipan which was curled up asleep minding its own business in the long grass. Snake jumped up into the air in fright. Granfather jumped up into the air in fright.. the family story went that snake went one way, grandfather the other.. but then going through my mothers photo album, there's a photo of my grandfather holding up a dead snake. Mum says, yeah, that IS the snake from the story. .... sniff... I liked that story better when I thought the snake lived to tell the tale. As far as I know the only fauna permanently living in the old chook shed at the moment is a rather large and impressive red back. When I found her she was a beautiful specimen. Red backs made excellent pets. They are quiet, timid and provide food for blue tongues. Sure you don't want to go sticking your finger in their gob, but I reckon that's about what you'd need to do to rile one up.. and im our experience the red backs aren't stupid, they do their best to choose places you don't interfere with too much and set up their web out of the way there. They are lovely little creatures.