Tally - I think that sometimes we have to allow ourselves to have a little break emotionally occasionally. You have been through so much since the hurricane last fall. It seems you have kept a smile on your face (although I haven't seen your face - but only through reading here) and you keep going. You probably needed to "lose it" for a little while and probably feel better emotionally releasing all that tension. I think anything we do to get our minds off our "daily grind" helps keep us all going. Gardening, pulling weeds, watering the vegetables, pulling weeds, feeding the fish in the pond, pulling weeds, oh . . . did I mention pulling weeds? My mind can wander and contemplate on many issues and solve many problems while I am busy pulling weeds. I am in my own little universe when I'm in my yard and garden. Children are another source of happiness and sometimes stress, but mostly happiness. I have three boys and they eat a lot, pass gas and laugh about it, burp and laugh about it, and it starts all over again. I know some of those things are nasty, but boys love to laugh at their bodily functions and sometimes it makes me laugh too. Then there are those moments where they will say or do the most amazing things and it will make me stop and appreciate them more - even with all their gross bodily functions. My faith also helps me meditate in prayer and figure things out. Like freshair was saying, the hymns can bring it all back to what is really important - trying our best to be like Jesus. Exercise also helps. It releases those happy hormones and makes me feel a whole lot better throughout the day. I know that I would feel pretty crappy if I didn't get my regular workouts.

Liking pansies: don't think about it Tom :oP I tried some, they don't like me ;o) Never saw such an easy dying plant LOL ! Bad luck ? ;o) Well...."Brace yourself, God will help you" or something like that... About my 'coeur de Lyon' - it should be its name, except if I change my mind - SCOOP ;o): it's really too cold to say if it's perfumed but I guess it won't have any. Let's wait until spring to be sure. Yes, it does have runners and many :-P You should try 'royal elk' my favorite one (light scent -not always- but giant flowers). I can't hardly wait until I try 'Emile Prévot' (prévot or prévost ? can't remember) another sororia X odorata hybrid. You're totally right, most of 'Governor Herrick' types look like more odorata than sororia: why ? Sometimes it seems that those kind of hybrids take what's the best in both according to the season. 'Mrs Pinehurst' (I enjoy calling it pinedhuitre with a friend of mine, just easy to have for a french spoken guy and funny nickname, pine d'huitre = small dick in French - I can't stop kidding, sorry) is wondeful and unique with its blue/purple face. By the way, you can find it called odorata 'pinehurst' in nurseries here: except in color, it's quite like any odorata even if it's scentless. I don't like much 'Governor Herrick'...however it's hard to make the difference from 'pinehurst'...petals are strangely shaped I think, maybe a bit like viola canadensis...when a violet goes to the dogs, it looks like a pansy ;op Take care - Thierry :-)

Interesting thread... no sign of the innards lying about elsewhere was there? Or you didn't stumble across a stomach or some other part some distance from the rest of the carcass? Not sure if this applies to birds or not, but many times a cat will reject the stomach of prey animals and sometimes other organs as well, even going so far as to leaving them some ways from the "kill". Housecats will do this with mice, and I have read that cougars/bobcats will even do this in large prey such as deer, even to the degree that it is a diagnostic tool when doing predation determination. Still leaning toward hawk on this one, but just thought I would add this to the pot. And I second Elly's apologies for any of you with more delicate sensitivities...but such is the nature of forensics.

Hello my friends! This week has been positive in many ways. Thank you for thinking about me! I've been 'offline' for forums and surfing alot for quilt ideas, christmas crafts and just mentally 'colouring with my crayons'. My dear great aunt told me I look fat (she does everytime I see her and it's funny actually - she's 96 so I give her lots of allowances for quirkieness). A young doctor came and was very unsuccessful trying to make a mold - geez at her age her jaw continues to shrink down, skin grows over. Now I have to call and arrange to have the senior doctor come and try again to make a mold. She has her lower teeth - I thought they were lost - but they are loose. It has literally been 5 months since I have seen her. I don't know where time flies to but it flies some times. Seeing her makes me feel closer to my Mom, in bloodline only. Mary is a sweet old gal. I should see her more often and I think I have been afraid to get close because over the years, as a great aunt, I've not really been a major part of her life. I would normally see her once or twice a year while growing up. She has another nephew - my uncle - he is extremely unwell and has never bothered with her at all. At any rate, I should pop in to see her a little more often. One day she will be gone and then it will be too late. Mary has made us family quilts, baked for us and carried on old family traditions because that is the life she knew. We talked about canning preserves on my last visit and gardening. Most of her 'marbles' are still with her at 96 - I should be blessed to do so well at that age. Yesterday I had 2 bank appointments for my Mom's estate with my sister that I don't get on with. I have been learning and working on 4 things: don't take it personally don't assume be impeccable with your word do your best By learning not to assume I did not toss and turn all night worrying about what my sister might have to say during our bank appointments. She is not speaking to me and is in her own world. Too bad. I keep trying to be polite but I get short, rude answers. Her body language still exudes anger, superiority (I think) and negativity. I feel sorry for her. When we left the bank she did not thank the person nor shake their hand - just left. I was embarrassed by her behaviour given she is now a 'director' in our federal government. My parents never taught her manners such as this. The banking officer appeared nervous - maybe because my sister was so short with her answers, seldom smiling and just needing a slap up the head at 46! I shook their hand, thanked them and smiled - I also rolled my eyes at one point. Couldn't help that. Unreal. So I continue to try to be a better person. I don't have to worry about letting go of her in my life because she is shutting out the communication unless necessary. Ah well, that is her journey. I hope she finds happiness somewhere. Today I'm sitting in bed - clothing all over the bedroom. Pulling out summer clothing for laundry and packing and restoring my fall/winter wardrobe. Fall cleansing and watching my dvd set of The Pallisers (Masterpiece Theatre). I love the period costumes and saga. One day I hope to purchase the north american region of The Duchess of Duke Street. I have the UK and can watch it on my laptop but it's not the same as TV. Also I have homework from my shrink - complete a quiz on depression (I'm feeling more and more positive about life again) and think about what I would like to get out of my future visits together. I've lucked in meeting a doctor who finally makes me feel comfortable. So, if I can sort a few things out in my head - one day, one step at a time, I am hoping to return in the right frame of mind for my fall/winter dietary clean-up. I've gained about 8 pounds but that's fine. It will come off when I'm ready to take more care. Anyhow, I should get going - I can't see my bed right now for clothing and I should get laundry going. Sunday is our cheapest rate day for electricity - laundry. Will catch up on the posts later! LOL to all my pals, Peggy