The limiting factors that determine the largest vessel and type of vessel are the depth of some of the canals and the height of the lowest fixed bridge that a boat must pass under. A safe maximum draft, which is how deep a boat sits in the water, is five feet, for saftey. Some of the canals have a minimum depth of 7 to 9 feet, under ideal conditions. The maximum height is under 19 feet above the water line, so as to get under safely a bridge in Chicago that is over one of the canals there. One of those canals that Chicago built to divert dumping sewage into the Great Lake. (history lesson) Heard rumours that a couple of college kids did it one year on jet skis. Bet they set a record time for quickest trip around the loop. Also, the trip during the northern part is strictly high summer, to take advantage of the short warm season there, when weather is calm. Also the larger the boat, the higher the overall cost of the trip. Big displacement boats require much more fuel to make the trip than a smaller boat that planes. For a trawler around ~45 feet, with adequately sized engines (plural) the estimated fuel cost for the trip with prices around $3/gallon is $6,000 for the trip. My boat, with a relatively moderate sized motor of 70 hp, will have an estimated fuel cost of less than $2,000. Also, the bigger boats cruise economically at about 15 mph, whilst at the same fuel consumption my boat will cruise at 30 mph. I'm doing my homework, to see if this is feasible anytime soon.

In a way I have found the carelessness in placing hostas in landscaping has been useful for my education. I have learned from errors. Our City Hall building in my community has zero trees on the property. There is a narrow dirt strip on the south facing wall with a four evenly spaced hostas along the edge abutting the asphalt parking lot. The hosta are Frances Williams. Amazingly, they keep coming up every spring and by June 1st are nothing but cripy waste. We have two wonderful parks on an island between the Kankakee River and a millrace. There are many shadded areas under oaks and the water table is less than 2 feet in many places near the millrace which is at above dam level. It is ideal for growing hostas, and wouldn't you know it - not one hosta in sight. We have a new director for our park district and I am planning on speaking with her about beautification plans. If the PD will provide some labor I will volunteer management services. I visited a jobsite, a high school in the CPS on the far SE side of Chicago. Bordering both sides of the main entrance walk were hostas in full sun. They were Sagae and in late July a bit washed up looking but not crispy at all. Sagae is one of the most sun tolerant hostas I have. But in general I usually wonder where professional landscapers have learned their trade when it comes to the use of hostas. You sure can tell the doctors offices where automated underground watering systems are in use. The best commercial use I have seen regarding hostas are associated with skilled nursing facilities, and the Brookfield Zoo has a few fantastic hosta beds. Les

froggy, why not take the "glass is half full" view of this? An ecotourism approach would serve to make more people aware of the importance of ecological restoration projects. Participants would learn how restoration is done and where it is done; they would learn some interesting facts about the plants and animals involved, and they could come away with a better understanding of the importance of this work and the need for funding. As a result, the professionals would have more opportunites and therefore be better paid. Back in 1988, my husband and I went to an outing sponsored by the local Nature Conservancy chapter. At that time, I was unaware of ecological restoration. As a result of that simple half-day walk in the woods, the following has evolved: 1. I became a volunteer at the site. 2. I took several classes, including a series of restoration classes taught by Steve Packard. 3. My husband and I eventually bought property with some natural areas worthy of restoration. 4. The payoff to froggy - we have hired some professionals to assist us! 5. I have become a board member of a local environmental group. While restoration work does need to be overseen by someone who understands what they are doing, I think there are a lot of opportunities to train volunteers on specific tasks and then use them. Consider this: start the day with breakfast and a lecture on buckthorn - why it is a problem, what it looks like, how to control it. Then out to a wooded area for a few hours of buckthorn removal. After a lunch break, the group moves on to another wooded area that has been cleared of buckthorn, and they see the end results of their morning's work. That evening, a lecture by a rep of a non-profit group that supports such restoration efforts. This would be along the lines of educating the participants as to the group's mission, not a blatant pitch for dollars, but of course the appropriate info would be in their packets. Substitute your local ecosystem and restoration problem accordingly. Some of those people will leave and become supporters of the cause, and eventually more professionals will be hired. Some of the people will go home and find similar projects in their own back yard, and still increase the opportunities for professionals. The more the word is spread, the better. Yes, there is a seasonality factor. But remember, tulip time in Holland is big, as is cherry blossom time in Washington. No one makes those trips in August. Seasonality does not mean it can't work; it just has to be scheduled. V.

Thanks Wayne. Dave, if I had thought about it, I would have. Sorry bout that. I may go back Saturday or Sunday, and if I do, I'll find a nice for you. I bought a couple of feeders for the two that I have now, and the larger snake immediately wolfed his down. I was a little surprised that a newly aquired wild-caught snake would be so ready, but I figure he hasnt eaten since October. I waited two weeks also, just to make sure he was nice and hungry. The other one, however, is turning out to be a picky eater. He barely showed any interest in his mouse, even when I cut open the brain. About an hour later he shed (which made his colors look even better), so I thought maybe thats why he didnt want to eat, so I tried a few more times, but he wouldnt even look at the mouse. Guess I'll try again in a week. Oh yeah, I'm planning a trip to Kankakee and Vermillion counties to try to add prairie kings, bulls, and fox snakes to my lifelist on either the 21st or 28th of May (probably the 28th) so if you have time, we should meet up. I didnt realize that I was only 75 miles from those places.