I got some Repels All and put around them and I also got some garden staples to hold them down so the deer won't knock them over when they walk through the bed. I will take these off when their roots grow. I hope the Repels All keep the other things away too. I have squirrels and gophers. The squirrels haven't bothered them yet (too many pine nuts for them to eat I guess)but the gopher ate two of my older iris. Came right through the wire my husband laid down. I'll let you know how it goes. I will be getting more iris later. I am planning on lining the outside of my fenced garden area with them. I am going to lay down smaller sized chicken wire and then put the garden mix I order by the truck load right on top of it. I will lay soaker hoses out because you have to water iris here in California to get them to bloom. Especial now when we are in a drought. I love el nino years here because I get the best Iris blooms then and they stay around longer.

Well the eagles and bobcats do not seem to phaze them.I live next to the lake and have had 4 eagles flying around even circling and they do not run.Every thing else does feral cats, squirrels, and little birds disappear instantly. Bobcats live down here and a mountain lion as well but I think they are pretty much nocturnal here and the goofy birds are up roosting in the trees at night.. Cars seem to be their best predator here so far,at least when they get up onto the highway. If the huney was not allergic to dogs I would barrow one to chase them around for a week.Hmm maybe the fake predator could be an option if I moved it around on the roadside in front of the house. We have been hoping that they move back up into the mountains with the snowmelt, Please please please...Before the vege garden gets put in. LOl, after reading the trapping suggestion, called the game warden, no go on that since we are in their natural range and their population is just reaching a healthy level. bah David,, I do not have much of a grasshopper problem, do you think anyone would notice if I shipped a few down there to be spoiled,lol, not to mention for some reason my other half has decided we need to go back to raising chickens so we have a hundred of them coming in a week or so. Thanks for the help, any suggestions are worth checking into. Mary

Thank you everyone! That was a very pleasant Thanksgiving meal. John, the Gluten-free tempura was made with water chestnut flour and rice flour. Bbstx, cutting the carrot carets was not that difficult, the difficult one was the cutting of the tofu horizontally into 1/16" thick sheets. Wintercat and FOAS, the design of the challah was based on my concept. All probably makes no sense to the experts. The typical making of challah doesnâÂÂt know what to do with the awkward beginning and the end of the braids, so they are tucked under the loaf and hidden from view. I feel that is contradictory to one of the symbolism of challah, which is âÂÂThe wholeness of the universeâ I decided the beginning and the end of the braids should not be treated as imperfections and hidden, and they donâÂÂt have to be ugly looking. The six points also echoes the six points of the Star of David. Twelve humps from the braids recall the miracle of the 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel. Round loaves, where there is no beginning and no end to symbolize continuity. Cathy, "What do you prepare for yourself on a daily bases?" Not much different then the dishes which I have been posting here. Matter not for a party or for eating alone. dcarch

This is the second time I've seen a wild turkey battle, the first one was in early April, 2013. The result was the same - a lot of drama but no bloodshed, and one turkey running off in disgrace. and the end. According to Cornell's Birds of North America online site, "Dominance Hierarchies Male and female domestic turkeys develop a peck order, each sex forming an independent hierarchy in heterosexual groupings. Female hierarchies tend to be highly stable while males' may change almost continuously; degree of pecking in well-organized social hierarchies suggests that flocks differ markedly in amount of interaction among birds and that the behavior may have a genetic basis. Ability to win fights and degree of interaction within peck orders appear to be independent characteristics ( Hale et al. 1969 ). " "Agonistic Behavior In the breeding season, snood of dominant male is extended and coloration of carunculated area of head and neck is enhanced with brilliant red predominating, blue surrounding eyes, and a white “pancake” on crown; colors and extension of snood change rapidly with mood; body posture during threat tends to be lateral to opponent with head held high and facing other bird, beak forward, wings dropped and held slightly away from body, contour feathers sleeked and rectrices partially fanned; vocalization during threat a distinct staccato trill ( Hale et al. 1969 ; “rattle,” Williams 1984e ). Fighting begins with mutual threat and progresses to striking with wings and kicking. Eventually one bird grabs the other's beak or snood and birds entwine necks, pushing against each other with breasts. Fights usually end by one bird gaining advantage and getting beak hold on skin of back of opponent's neck. With this hold, winning bird forces opponent's head to ground, until loser is able to twist free ( Healy et al. 1975 ). Snood of submissive bird retracts and bird moves away. Winner may follow with snood extended, head held high, threatening or pecking submissive bird; winner, if male, may shift to courtship. Males fight more vigorously than females but pattern is the same in both sexes ( Hale et al. 1969 )." Claire