Ah yes, the bullsnake... we have them by the tons! They get a little aggressive when disturbed, but they're practically harmless. They do eat garden pests, so I leave them alone... but that doesn't mean I have to like them! I much prefer the beautiful praying mantises we have all over the garden beds! I do hope they made a lot of huge egg cases for next year! The few bulbs I've gotten this year have been beautiful... large sized, firm, free of any rot or fungus. I can't complain at all. Last season, I ran into a few that required a little cleaning and minor surgery. Easy to accomplish, and once healed, they performed fine. What I did learn last season, was that the medium we use needs to be porous and able to dry out between waterings. It's the combination of too much moisture and the decomposing soil that makes a perfect environment for fungus and molds to grow and thrive in. There's a certain balance of fungi and bacteria in a garden environment that is sadly lacking in a container environment. I switched mediums so often last year that my husband thought I was going off the deep end! All that experimenting was well worth it, though... I found a very good balance of medium ingredients, which very closely resembles a bonsai mix. The ingredients are mostly inorganic and don't decompose... they don't compact as quickly as regular potting soil, so the roots don't suffocate. I haven't had a rot or mold or fungus problem since I began using this new mix. I think adding a bit of Captan to every bulb I pot up helps, too. Bulb flesh is so tender and prone to rotting that it was worth it to me to search out the information I needed, and switch mediums until I found what works best. It's also worth it to me to water a little more often, because I know I've got healthy root systems on all my bulbs.

Shirley, I think I am still going to order my plants. There is no way in this world you can grow a stuttgart canna in south Texas. They are a bogg plant, that cannot stand any sun. I fell in love with it when Barry posted a picture of his on the brugmansia forum about 5 yrs ago, he was in Md, and had nothing but problems with burned leaves. Since I am not ordering plants, I think I will be ok. They have only positive feedback since January, if I do it now I think it will be ok. Timing is everything, I'll let you know as soon as I get my order. Barbra

Oh my God, Stacie!! That is horrible. Thank heavens you are okay. How did you ever have the presence of mind to turn off the car?? I am so glad that you have nothing worse than bumps and bruises. Those damages to the car are awful. Once I skidded off a road in icy conditions and hit a telephone pole. I totally blanked out from the time I realized I could not control the car until it came to a rest and I was somehow sitting in the passenger seat. Everyone -- please take a vow to be very careful. So what's the new car?

With regard to the violent shaking during the spin, it sounds as though the shipping bolts have not been removed. When the unit is that loud the bolts are still in and continued used will damage the unit. Steam wash is not going to be dramatic as if there were dry ice in the machine. Are you using the light in the drum, you should be able to see steam w/the light on and there will be a trickle of water from the recirculating nozzle. Your owner's manuel must be one of the new ones because mine has no mention of door being "dangerously hot". The door on the machine will lock to where you cannot open the machine AT ALL during the steam and sanitary washes because of the potential for injury. (LG's explanation) After the steam wash cycle and clothes have been rinsed in what equates to be warm water and with a spin of 1300 rpm's you are not going to have piping hot clothes. After the steamfresh cycle the clothes will tumble after the steam has been applied, so it goes to reason with no additional steam being applied coupled with the tumble action the clothes will cool. Do a search on this forum for dynamic level which is vital on all FL's.