Toni, I have somewhere around 800 caudex plants, and have been growing/collecting for about 20yrs. The plant in this photo was my 1st caudex plant that started the obsession a long time ago. It's in the biggest pot I've ever made also, pot and plant weigh about 125lb! You only need to fire twice if your going to glaze your piece. Kiln are electric(what I have), gas, wood or propane. In the photo of the treadle above, that rusty looking arm is what spins wheel. You place your foot on it and push, the arm is connected to the flywheel. Kick it a few times and the momentum keeps it moving even I when no foot action is happening. The wheel in "Ghost" was an electric powered, those are $5-700 range. The kick wheel cost me $80 off craiglist. All the wheel does is spin, your hand, fingers or tools create the shape. The biggest pot I've made on the wheel used about 12lbs of clay, this one was hand built using 25lbs. In the photo above, the plant in the square angled pot is Cyphostemma sietzianum, the other Cyphostemma cirrhosum. Euphorbia squarrosa in on of my favorite handbuilt containers Operculicarya species in another hand built pot Here is a link that might be useful: More photos

Oh yeah, and while I'm on the subject, and since we've just had the hottest June on record down here in Southern Ontario, and "I'm lovin' it", here is my latest 'pet peeve' in the expression category. Are you ready for it? It's "This is God's Country". It's said when one is referring to a stretch of land the speaker lives in or stakes some kind of claim to belong to etc. Well folks, I've got news for you: I've been damn lucky to have visited (and continue to search out) more places in the world than many people will ever dream of seeing, and all and each of them are capable of being called "God's Country" for many reasons. You may feel you're in "God's Country" because the air is fresh and clean, because you have rivers and wildlife and miles and miles of wide open spaces and you may have a point. But a country is what it is - just a "country". It's all "God's country" really isn't it? And anyway, wherever you are, isn't it the "country of your mind" - the place you live in every second of every day -infinitely more deserving of the expression? I don't know why I mention this but I felt like throwing it in. I have a suggestion for you - next time you have a toast, say "Here's to God's Country" wherever you may be, and get out and enjoy it and quit watchin' TV.

Tomato Soup with Roast Beef and Horseradish Panini (Real Simple) 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the grill pan 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried thyme kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 8 slices sandwich bread 8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef 8 ounces sharp white Cheddar, sliced 2 cups baby arugula (1 1/2 ounces) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), broth, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Working in batches, in a blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and horseradish. Form sandwiches with the bread, roast beef, Cheddar, arugula, and half the horseradish mixture. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium heat and cook the sandwiches until the cheese is melted, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Top the soup with the remaining horseradish mixture and serve with the sandwiches.

Yes don't mess with your ecological balance,if you can help it. Poisons can affect things you didn't intend to harm.If you have frogs in your garden, you are doing OK. If you already have grogs in your garden, it may be that you have previously tried, but overdone, the beer traps. But I believe the frogs will recover. (That WAS intended as a light-hearted joke, in case anyone thinks I'm taking the mickey, I'm not) I still think hand collection of snails is most efficient and once the buckets- full diminish, you know you are winning. I thought we were pretty well free of them forever but the lizards have moved on and after a sudden few days of drizzly weather, I have found heaps among the broms and bulbs.