Jean, not sure how big the little guys (and gals) would be after a year, but here's some info from this site - "After mating has occurred the gestation period for raccoons is 60 to 73 days. Then the females give birth to one to eight cubs, with an average of three or four cubs. At birth the cubs are helpless with closed ears and eyes, but they open after 18 to 24 days. The cubs nurse for a weaning period of 70 days, and the mother still continues to give protection up to one year (Fox, 2001). At this point the yearlings will disperse for up to 75 miles to find their own home ranges. The time that the mother and young spend together represents the most significant bond in raccoon social behavior, but it ends after about one year (Graham, 1997)." Maybe you already knew all of that! It could be that the young'uns are off on a new life adventure. :) Brenda

Keep in mind that when vinegar is used as a herbicide, the contentration is fairly high, and you're supposed to use it when the sun is out. Many things that are fine or even good for plants are toxic at high conentrations. I've given a fair amount of vinegar to shaded weeds, and they were fine (they didn't even flinch). I imagine a little calcium acetate on the plant isn't going to hurt it. Fertilizer foliar sprays generally aren't done when the sun is out, and the concentration is very low. So, you're unlikely to kill the plant, unless you use the wrong ratio of fertilizer to water and/or apply it in the sun.

Some interesting reading, that bean vs no bean stuff. I guess if you accept CASI as the authority, then true Texas Chili does not have beans. CASI seems to be based in Texas by the way. The words to the song below written by a Texan make his opinion pretty clear as well. So add your beans if you wish; many folks do, apparently even in Texas. But these are just two out many examples I found that would suggest that the no-bean "rule" has plenty of history in Texas and is not just some wacky idea dreamt up by non-Texans. If You Know Beans About Chili, You Know That Chili Has No Beans by Ken Finlay, singer, songwriter, and owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse (a music hall in San Marcos), written in 1976. You burn some mesquite And when the coals get hot You bunk up some meat And you throw it on a pot. While some chile pods and garlic And comino and stuff Then you add a little salt Till there's just enough You can throw in some onions To make it smell good You can even add tomatoes If you feel like you should But if you know beans about chili You know that chili has no beans If you know beans about chili You know it didn't come from Mexico Chili was God's gift to Texas (Or maybe it came from down below) And chili doesn't go with macaroni And dammed Yankee's don't go with chili queens; And if you know beans about chili You know that chili has no beans

I've been reading waaaaaaay back to the beginning to see what I missed. I missed some gems! I can't believe the bear activity you all have. In NH we had an occasional experience, but they stayed very hidden. They're practically house guests for you all! I have seen more foxes this year than in the past years combined, probably. It's Foxaloooza around here. Gregg, I LOVE all the baseball teams. That's hysterical! That's a very bird-friendly yard. Coronum, congratulations on the Evening Grosbeak. I know that was an exciting day. The pictures are beautiful! I've got some hummers and am trying to keep those feeders clean. Need to refresh the bird feeders. But, the big news is we have a nest, no ID on the bird yet but the beak is curved, with four babies which is placed far too accessible to the cats. I can't believe they've lasted this long. I check periodically and for a while was afraid the parents had been eaten, but they eventually showed up. They built the nest about 4 feet off the ground in a rhododendron that is sparse on one side, making the nest very easy to see.