Thanks for such nice sentiments! Deanne, come anytime! Nick and I scoped out a new breaky/lunch spot this morning...and it's a coffee house, too! I need you to take a picture or two for me...I can't seem to do it justice. Denise, I get borrowed views because I border the conservation lands. It does restrict what I can build/do but my last lot was a tenth of an acre. Cynthia, I like the idea of grasses! The kids can't hurt them with their lawn games! I might just put a turtle on my hive thanks to you...would've never thought of it, but it will be reminiscent of my 'tufa turtle which is growing old and missing a limb :) I did not get to paint today as I had unexpected, and totally fun, company! Eden, my photos don't do justice to my containers. Remember the year I did "periwinkle" everything? This year I'm going au naturale from the basement :) Chelone, you're too kind. Jake and Sarah will be good stewards of the Earth...I am confident in that fact :) No less than 4 turtles were "worried" over in the last week... Woody, white is the traditional color, I guess. Bees don't "like" black - think dark colored bear destroying your house for honey! White also keeps the hive cooler in hotter climates. In class they suggested buying whatever color was in the "messed up" bin :) Marian, LOL about the nursing home...you'd be the one out there tending it! You take care of business just like my grandma and you keep a fine house....no talk about nursing homes for you :) I would like to see your hot water plant this year :) I think you had a different name for it.... Kathy, I've never used a rototiller before. A good garden fork usually does the job. The soil here is surprisingly friable compared to TN soil and I'd feel bad cutting my earthworms in half :) One might need more than one afternoon beer after that job! Thank you all so much for your nice comments :) Saucy

I'M LOOKING IN THE MACOBOY BOOK AND BOB HOPE STAMENS DO NOT LOOK SEPARATED LIKE YOURS AND THE LEAVES DON'T SEEM TO BE SERRATED LIKE YOURS BUT, AS I SAID, I'M LOOKING AT A PICTURE IN A BOOK.

Well, No rain here but there was some down the road aways guess 2 miles from me grrrrrrrrr. I did however get lots of water heater water last night on the lawn and the living room carpet........Garage was flooded. So it cost me 800.00 bucks to water the front lawn last night, carpet cleaning and garage floor cleaning for a new water heater :( I'm hoping they will take it off my water bill? Still working on sucking up the water in carpet.

I wonder if those of you that have made these traps could post a photo of them? I am looking at making a bucket type one outside the pond. You dig a hole, put the bucket in, cover the bucket with a material and put bait on it. When the turtle tries to get to the bait it falls in the bucket. Kind of makes sense to me but he is in the pond 98% of the time! I am going to use meat and berries as the bait. I'd like to see what kind of traps etc. you guys are thinking about. Thanks. Bulldinkie...how lucky you are to have swans! They are so beautiful.