Dan-I have always heard that at 2 yrs. old dogs settle down...It was amazing how much he settled down!!! Almost overnight it seemed. In stead of 300 MPH 24 hours a day...he's down to about 150 MPH 23 hours a day...Believe it or not...It was a HUGE difference...He actually lays down next to my chair when I'm in it...or beside the fire...Not pacing around it... By the end of a 3 mile walk, I'm the only one who is worn out... I've got him doing hot laps around the property to wind him down when I get home from work...He can go for 15 minutes straight before he even thinks about settling down... My buddy has a Male Old English Bulldog, same build, look, character and all, his REALLY settled down at about 4 yrs. old. But in all honesty, I wouldn't trade him for anything...Prob the best dog I've even had, and I had some good ones. I lost my 11 year old Golden Retriever this summer...Bailey, the Boxer I got b/c I knew the Golden was getting old. I'll try to get a pick of him up here the next couple of days. Here is a fuzzy partial he weaseled into the other day. We'll see if I can get him to sit still for long enough. Obviously the tree was the focus, NOT the dog... Eliot

Yes, that's what she is. How wonderful to get a picture like that. Mine don't ever sit down anywhere close enough that I can get a pic like yours. Deb in PA

Recently dtd and I visited the Massachusetts Horticultural headquarters at Elm Bank Reservation during the one year anniversary celebration of the "Bressingham garden." The installation of this perennial demonstration garden was one of the largest installations (1.01 acres) accomplished in one day with the help of countless volunteers. The purpose of this garden is to display to the New England community varying plants that could work well in the typically small residential garden. Our visit to Elm Bank was a first for me so my expectations of a perennial garden designed by Adrian Bloom I fully expected to have been limited to perennials with a few annuals filling in some holes, regardless of Mr. Blooms notoriety in the world of conifers. I was however pleasantly surprised to see what I would consider a mixed border with many conifers, and deciduous shrubs, now that I am thinking back I dont recall seeing many evergreen shrubs(perhaps if anyone else remembers they can let us know). Immediately we noticed a different use of low growing plants in the garden, rather than limited to edging between the front of the garden and the path, or encircled around the conifers, low growing plants were used for different purposes and in ways far more creative than I have ever seen. Adrian Blooms affection for Geranium Rozanne was very apparent and might even surpass arbo_retums passion for this flower, but of course this is just one of over one hundred plants he has introduced that are still being sold world wide (Achillea Moonshine , Crocosmia Lucifer, and Astilbe Sprite, ect). Bloom used G Rozanne to tie together the entire 1.01 acre garden by using this plant to create what he called rivers to flow in and around one bed twisting, turning, and spilling into the next. The Elm Bank garden is not the only garden that he has used G. Rozanne to create a river Adrian also completed a garden with a 130 ft run of G . Rozanne in Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. The effect even after just one year of growth caused the visitors eye to follow the river of Rozanne throughout each section of the garden. This path of low growing plants flowing through taller perennials, conifers, and grasses creatively permitted the visitor to appreciate the deep and rolling garden beds much in the same way a garden path cutting through a bed would open the vista. This technique of using low growing plants to open up vistas within the garden bed is certainly a creative way to allow conifers the elbow room (even if only on one side) they might need to shine. Would you consider planting a river in your garden? Sorry about the lousy camera/phone photo but take my word for it "Adrian Bloom" is adorable After one year of growth the garden is beginning to shine I was too busy guzzling down the free wine to snap many photos and unfortunately this section on the garden suffered from irrigation problems but if you take note dry or not the river of G.Rozanne survived and really thrived elsewhere under irrigation.

Jane, Since I was gone so much during December, I just don't really feel I had time to enjoy my decorations, and now I can actually relax and enjoy everything. The big guys came from Big Lots (it might even have been Pic N Save then) it was so long aqo. I have added some rhinestones, glitter, sequins, and the fur around the hat of the white one to glam them up a bit. Karen, I will roundup the rest for a group shot. That storm sure was a bummer! We arrived in Sedona (actually the Village of Oak Creek) Monday evening and the weather was beautiful. We were taking care of some personal business on Tuesday and Wednesday, but did manage to play a few holes Tues. afternoon, and then Wednesday was rainy and cold. There was not that much snow in the village, but we couldn't leave on Thursday because the highways were closed from Sedona to Flagstaff, and from Flagstaff to Holbrook. I would have loved to drive down to see you, but don't have any personal contact info other than your email address and here. DH is not a fan of shopping unless he is looking for something, and he would not have been fun to be with on a shopping trip. I looked at my personal info here and I guess I set my account up so quickly, I don't have anything personal listed there and couldn't figure out how to add anything to it last night. : ( So, I guess it is not easy for anyone to contact me either. I know you have my email address, so if you want to send me any personal info to that email, I would have some information to get in touch with you for the future. Eventually, when we retire, we will spend time in the Village as snowbirds, and then return to Denver for the summer. So, in a couple of years, running down to see you from Sedona would be possible. Nana, I will definitely do a group shot for the rest. I love the sign also, and that is why it stays there permanently. Jeanne, I don't have that nutcracker. I love the sentiment you have added to your photo. I really felt kind of out of kilter being gone so much during Dec. and it made the holiday feel very rushed. I had Christmas with my family on Dec. 19, an Open House on Dec. 20, and Chritmas brunch on the 25th, and getting the decorations, food, and gifts ready for all of that was a mad dash. I know people would tell me to not do all that I do, but that is all part of the holiday for me, and I just couldn't let it go. So, now I am home am enjoying the calm. TTFN, Candy