We say "pop" up here, but "soda" is gradually creeping into our vocabularies. Soda used to just be that stuff you'd put in cookies and biscuits to make them rise, or in the refrigerator to keep it smelling nice. From old old stuff I've read, I gather it used to be "soda pop", and then for some odd reason it split off differently in different regions. Other than the soda/pop thing, it's kind of funny-- the accent of the southern part of MN is different from the northern part. I really noticed it when I moved down here. Even though the people are mostly two or more generations removed from Europe, the people's accent where I'm from (land of Eino and Toivo jokes) has more influence from the sounds of Finnish, and the southerners' (Twin Cities and south- land of Ole and Lena jokes) more from Norwegian. If you hear somebody with that stereotypical "Minnesota accent", they're most likely of Norwegian descent...or putting on. It's uncommon enough that I can definitely notice it when I hear it, don't ya know. You betcha! ((Just for the record, the jokes mentioned are mostly just silly, and they don't ridicule any particular aspect of culture. IME they're told, more often than not, by Finns and Norwegians themselves.))

I've used "purchased" pine bark mulch with great success, on and off, for 20 years. There's no dyes, it's generally already composted (no worries about sucking nitrogen out of the soil), and it holds its shape through the rain (it will compress over time). That allows me to build up drip rings around the roses. The really nice thing is that it has NO detrimental effect whatsoever with piling on the canes at the center of the rose. This allows you to keep the bud union and stronger canes buried and protected (in the face of years of erosion). Where to get it varies, but usually Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes. The free stuff certainly costs less, but you have no way of knowing what's in it, whether decomposition will harm the canes, or whether it's going to suck out the nitrogen. I've seen many mulch piles that sit and smoke from the composting heat - literally. That's the opposite of what you want to put on the rose canes.

Hmm - both excellent suggestions. Wild Horses has been on "my list" for a while, so even if it's not the one, it may be time to get it! I'm inclined to think that Nefertiti is closer - hadn't thought of that one (and it's a Munson - even more of a draw!) From the road it really looked like the eye was blood red. I thought of Todd Monroe, but the shape and size were all wrong. And, of course, it was just an impression.

Ostentatious stuff - I know who I am, and don't feel any need to impress anyone. Frivolous stuff - when one approaches 80, with a housefull of stuff, (plus garage) one doesn't need more stuff. We in North America and Europe have abused our kids and grandkids ... ... we ran up huge gov't. debts when times were good, and, while Canada has had a balanced budget for a time, the U.S. is still running huge annual deficits, as well... ... we under-funded our pension plans and many are short of funds, plus there are soon to be many more pensioners, and fewer continuing workers to pay into the pension system. We've used up precious energy like it's going out of style: it isn't. But what have we found as alternative(s)? We've polluted air and water. The atmosphere is warming, and whether or not it's a natural change, or we're largely or even slightly responsible ... we can't do anything to alter natural change ... all we can do is alter our actions (and if natural causes are also, or mainly, at work ... altering our actions is the only thing that we can do to alleviate the situation). Some claim that the very continued existence of humankind is close to being at risk: there may be some justification for that claim, distasteful as it may be. We've fished out the seas. We've paved over high quality farmland ... and are running short of food. However, we've chosen to divert substantial quantities of foodstuffs to produce (some say wastefully, inefficiently) ethanol to help fuel our vehicles ... while we've begun to have food riots in several places because the impoverished people can't afford the higher prices. Many of them will be coming here: we can't build a fence high enough to keep them out ... most come by air. While prices of goods have been rising in North America and Europe ... wages haven't (for all but the top 1- 2% of the population), so our standard of living is falling. But many, refusing to accept this, are borrowing using their value of their houses to continue to live at former levels. Question: When they are downsized and forced into early retirement and unable to find comparable employment, with the equity in their homes largely used up ... ... how do they plan to finance their retirement? We're closing a couple of vegetable and fruit processing plants, plus a soup manufacturer locally, and ripping out peach trees that serviced them. Going to bring apples and peach jam (probably soup, also) from China, where stuff can be made cheaply. Yeah - using what for fuel to operate the ships? But there'll be shorter voyages to the east coast, using the nearly ice-free North-west passage. [[End of rant]] I'm getting ready to depart this life ... feeling rather ashamed that we haven't taken better care of this world that God entrusted into our hands. I hope that you all have a happy, thoughtful, fruitful week. Offer a smile and a kindness to the people that you...