I got my list posted. Anyone else? It nearing the 11th hour...yet it closes at midnight tonight. Sue oh...KYm...after midnight, would you like for me to close this thread and the one you started in big red letters, so there won't be any stragglers for days/weeks/months? I could include a link to the RR Forum that anyone who missed out on this can possibly join something that is now taking sign-ups.

Hi, You're a lucky dog!! Your property is great. It looks like a paradise for a garden junker to live in. You may want to check out the Links to Member's Photo Albums here on GJ for birdhouse ideas. Search for birdhouses here and on Google images. Start a new post here asking for birdhouse photos and ideas. Any birdhouse that is the type Michaels sells should have a better roof before being out in the weather, as they tend to waste away quickly outside. You can use metal flashing, metal from any type of food or beverage cans, roof shingles or anything waterproof. Just attach right on top of the existing roof. The bigger the roof, the better, so making the metal or shingles overhang beyond the roof edge is better protection from the weather. Here are a couple of birdhouses, and one sign I made. DS made a rural mailbox stand. The birdhouses are just screwed on to it. The sign has a plumbing type chain attached for hanging. The birdhouse with the yellow bird has a chain hanger. You can see that a hole is drilled through the roof just large enough for the chain to pass through. The chain ends are then screwed into the side of the birdhouse, right under the roof. The birdhouse made from a Burro sawhorse has a bicycle gear attached for hanging. There's a link at the bottom to more of my birdhouses. Hope that helps. Linda Here is a link that might be useful: My birdhouse album

jwink 246, I just have to ditto your sentiments. I just joined and I can't believe all the invaluable info that I have already read. It's great to know there are lots of BF crazies out there! tdog, I went to your blog and I didn't know about OE. I raise a lot of monarchs and in the past have had excellent results. But this summer, I'm seeing more of the larva die and I lost a pupating monarch this past week. I'd like to figure out what's going on. So, I may need to get the BF net and catch a couple of the monarchs laying eggs to see if they are OK. I also know I have a major predator problem--wasps. Your blog is great--I'm glad to see another teacher sharing the joy of BFs with her classes. I shared for years, and now that I'm retired, I am making myself available to go into classrooms as a BF resource person. Keep up the good work!! Congrats on your accomplishments. Sandy and Libby (my LC Chihuahua and gardening companion)

The downside to worms and related areas is that it's not like math . Reason I say that is that if a person in Maine gives me (in Arizona) the a couple of the dimensions of a triangle I can give them all the info they will need to find the rest . Not so with worms . There seem to be no gurus . There are no places to find rock solid bet your boots on this sources of info . There's a lot "well , for me here in XXX we can do this or that" and so on . I have searched and am down to just a few "almost" sure fire methods to use worms . I am now getting ready to use euros to live in the soil in which I garden so their poop will help the soil and as they produce more than I need then I will sell them as bait . The produce will benefit me as well as a few bucks from anglers . It seems that raising worms will work but like the word says "it's WORK" . Start small and learn from your mistakes . A friend of mine had to get out of the biz because shipping costs ate him up . He was selling on E-bay and they demand overnight shipping on worms . I'm sure that if you ask enough people questions you will hear some stuff over and over . You can start with those answers and answer many of the others through trial and error . Keep your worms separate so one mistake does not kill them all . Experiment with small groups . This stifles growth at one end but in case of a catastrophy you are not starting over . It's a slow process but at the rate that worms reproduce you will eventually benefit from their sheer tanacity . I would think that 5 years is a reasonable time to give for this type of project . It's a long time , granted BUT I'm reminded of a girl I knew back east . I advised Nursing School . She said (and I paraphrase) "My God , I'm 40 years old . It will take 6 years since I work . I'll be 46 when I graduate."I replied "How old will you be in 6 years IF you don't do it ?" She is a retired RN and enjoying a GOOD retirement . Work it like a school project . Ask every question of every person . When I was younger I was a pilot . We had a little saying . "When I had 10 hours I didn't listen to anyone . When I had 100 hours I listened to SOME people . When I had 1000 hours I listened to EVERYONE." This is something that "might" support but will at least supplement you . The business will be YOU . It will succeed if you make it succeed and fail if you make it fail .