So glad that Hissy has found a good temporary home. I've always loved snakes and have had them as pets since I was a child. Later, when I was in grad school and living in an apartment just off campus, my much younger brother brought a rat snake home from scout camp. Unfortunately, my father, who was terrified of snakes, announced that either the snake went or he would go, so naturally I took him off my brother's hands and installed him in a nice herpetarium in my apartment (at which point I discovered just who my friends were and weren't!) Kaa (as I named him, from Kipling of course) stayed with me until I had to move to another location, at which point I found a new home for him.I would love to have a snake pet again, but now I'm in a New York City apartment and haven't the room it would need. I'm hoping that Hissy will find a wonderful new home. Thanks to you for being so kind in rescuing him even though you weren't familiar with snakes!

Alan...this sounds fabulous!! I love the concept and all you've done with it. Can you show us pictures?? I'd love to see it. Yes, where is this park? Thanks for telling us all about it. I have wildflower asters that were given to me many years ago. They came origanally from New York. I was told they are probably New England wildflower asters. I really don't know if there's a big difference between wild "ditch" asters and New England Asters...anyway - you would be welcome to have some of mine for your garden, if you like. Just let me know. ...Beverly

Andrew...my cherimoya was grown from seed a few years or so ago. Last year I attempted several grafts onto the plant with four different varieties. Only two were successful and one of those, Pierce, is blooming for the first time this year. It only has a few blooms left, so if the ones I've tried to pollinate don't take, then I won't be trying any this year. I have tasted fresh from the tree before when a kind soul shipped me several fruit from his trees. There is really no comparison to what I've found in the store. Better than a sugar apple? Comparisons to date would have to go with cherimoya. Several factors come into play for me, not just taste. Size of fruit/flesh ratio to seeds is a big one for me. I think this is a big shortcoming of sugar apples...IMHO. The last for me is the plant itself. My cherimoya plant is a much better looking plant and doesn't have any of the issues, so far, as I have with the SA's. Sitting down with a large, good cherimoya is heavenly. When there is no mangosteens, longkong, and lychees available, a good cherimoya will ease the spirit.

pjb, Sometimes you cannot avoid them though. I know someone who was turning on his faucet and got bit. Someone I used to work with was doing laundry inside her home and reached down to get some clothes and got bit, they figure it came through the dog door. I went to turn the lights off in my garage one evening and turned the corner in my hallway and there was one (I didn't get bit). Several species of rattlesnake will give you the chance to retreat but some like the Mojave green are just plain nasty. In the 20 years we've lived here I have dispatched more rattlers than I care to think about. My 4yr old g-son was less than 1/2 ft from one. Luckily it was injesting and couldn't strike. DH was weeding one winter and touched the back of one- thank God it was lethargic from the cold. I went to get a sweater one night (7/4) from DH's truck- stepped down and heard a rattle. I had to wait in the dark until it rattled again and then I jumped the other way. That was a 3' diamondback- it was less than a foot away. BTW, that 2 year old I posted about last month. The child is Dr. Sean Bush's little boy. Dr Bush who lives about 1/2 mile from us is the ponytail venom doctor from the TV channel Animal Planet's "Venom ER" show. Jude saw the snake in their backyard and tried to pick it up. Dr Bush keeps snakes, spiders, scorpians etc in his garage (well contained) and Jude thinking this was one of his daddy's snakes that got loose wanted to help. If you ever got bit Dr Bush is the man you want to take care of you. In fact he is on call if President Bush (no relation) ever gets bit at his ranch in Crawford.