Sherry, one thing I've noticed about your garden is how fast your roses grow, and I've read about your soil prep so I know how much you rely on organics, manure, etc. Just the difference in the Natch N pictures makes me wonder if the bloom problems in the second pic were because of fertilizer needs. Your good soil prep and and climate seem to be so conducive to growth, that coupled with your sandy soil and constant rain lately, that I wonder if the N is being depleted really quickly, so something like a fast acting nitrogen is a good fix for right now. Makes me think that your feeding program next year needs more N overall...? I have been using Milorganite; some people don't like it because of suspicions about heavy metals, etc., but my roses sure like it. Anyway, just a thought. just one more anecdote, Hermosa for me started getting those washed out blooms like your NN. I got so disgusted that I cut it down to 6 inches and started feeding it Miracle Grow frequently. It snapped out of it, regained its lost growth and the bloom color went back to normal. That is purely anecdotal, but it makes me wonder if that's what caused the NN problems too. I don't know, just thinking aloud, so you know what that's worth! Love ya, Gean

Try this one for the odds and ends: Preserving: End of the Garden Sweet Pickle Mix This recipe is from "Joy of Cooking Canning and Preserving." 4 medium ears of corn 1 pound young zucchini or cucumbers 8 ounces snap beans 8 ounces carrots 8 ounces cauliflower 8 ounces green and red bell peppers -- mixed 8 ounces pearl onions 8 cups water 1/2 cup canning and pickling salt 3 cups cider vinegar 3 cups white vinegar 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons celery seeds 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 1/4 cup chopped basil Boil corn 5 minutes and cut from the cob. Wash, trim ends of zucchini or cucumber and cut into 1/4" slices. Wash, trim ends of beans and cut into 2-inch pieces. Wash, peel and cut carrots into 1/4" slices. Wash and cut cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Wash, core, and seed bell peppers. Cut into 2 x 1/2" strips. Wash and peel the pearl onions. Combine water and salt. Pour over all the vegetables. Submerge with a plate and place covered bowl in refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. Drain vegetables. Do not rinse. Combine vinegars and spices in a large, deep skillet and boil gently for three minutes. Add vegetables and basil. Bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring often, until the largest, thickest pieces are thoroughly hot. Use a slotted spoon to pack the vegetables into hot pint jars. Add the hot vinegar solution, stirring to mix the seeds and chopped herbs. Leave 1/2" headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Yield: 6 pints. There are also a number of options at the link. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetable Pickle Recipes

I have three cats. Amy, the 16 yr old has been eating Hills Prescription Diet T/D Dental Health for most of her life. You buy it from the vet but the good thing is the last time her teeth needed to be cleaned was when she was two.They are in great shape. The two siblings who are now one and a half, do eat some of the older cats food and their dry food is Royal Canin Indoor Adult Cat. I tried Wellness dried cat food but they didnt like it. To be honest, since I got the younger ones, I think they all are eating both kinds.Which isnt a bad thing. We keep bowls of it out so they can nibble whenever they want. Also bowls of water. The three share one can of Wellness tinned food in the morning. The older cat is extremely fussy, she was a rescue cat from the SPCA and very loving but only to members of this family. She will hop on your lap for a quick cuddle but doesnt stay long and prefers to rest by your head (on the back of the couch) or by your side. It is a serious chore and fight to try to clip her nails, and even brushing her is hard though I can tell she likes it. She spooks easily and if strangers come to the house, she hides. She licks the gravy only from the wet food, leaving the rest. I have tried everything because she needs thyroid medication and it would be a lot easier to slip it into her wet food. I had to give her brother heart medication pills for years (he has since died) and he would practically open his mouth to pop the pill in. No way you can do that with her. We have been giving it to her using a gel on her inner ear because she tolerates that. The point I want to make is to give your cats both dry and wet food. They get stuck in their eating habits and trying to change them can be hard later on. If it ever comes time to give them medication, it would be easy to give it to them in the wet food, which they usually gobble up right away. Plus the extra moisture in the wet food is great for them. If you want to go away for a day or two, you know that they wont starve since they have lots of dry food. All of these cats are at a healthy weight and aren't gluttons. They eat when they are hungry. Check the ingredients of your cat food. I think it is better to pay a bit more for decent cat food because you will save vet bills in the end.

We all share a house together with a big backyard (actually, it's going on the south side of the house, where it's not very big, but big enough to put a greenhouse there (I'm thinking a 6x8 or 8x8). The move is working out slowly but surely. Back to work tomorrow (working three days a week as a dishwasher at a local retirement community-9 to 10 hour days however, but I like it; I also take residents their lunch and dinner orders who want to eat in their apartments). Brad AKA Moonwolf