Thanks Cher, that's much appriciated =) Ken - Most definetely, I'll get some better pics this week and post in a new thread. I have a semi round bed to the right of the arbor that I'm working on for fall plantings. Right now I have roundup down waiting for the grass to die. coniferjoy - You never know... I'm not sure how large this project will get 15-20 years from now =)... If I run out of room in my backyard, it'll be time for more brush cutting lol. I have another 200 x 500 feet on standby just incase. I actually took my yard back 50 feet just to make room for those beds. I'm relieved I didn't spell any of the other names wrong. Will get Wingle's Weeper fixed.

Sam, DEvon, and Peachykeen, Those are heavenly places to walk and such great pictures. I've been unable to get on the gallery for the past month. Devon, I really will have to come back to Palos Verdes someday. I'd like my kids to see it. When I was a kid living in Palos Verdes, we had a favorite place to hike which we called " Tom Sawyer's Canyon". It was very rocky and we named a lot of rocks after stuff in Tom Sawyer. There was a big drainage pipe which we called "Injun Joe's Cave". We'd walk through that, very scared and feeling very brave and daring. ( kind of dumb..I bet there were rats in there but it was so dark). Palos Verdes is full of great places to explore. I keep thinking CA must be too crowded now but when I went back about 14 years ago there were still a lot of wide open spaces. Thanks for the pictures! Linda

I found this thread by accident and am very happy that I'm not the only person in the world who doesn't like dog - or any droppings for that matter - in my yard. We live on a corner and it amazes me how people will allow their dogs to run 20 feet up into my yard on one of those 'wonderful' retractable leashes. To me that's trespassing, plain and simple. On more than one occasion I have flung open a window and shouted quite loudly 'CAN YOU KEEP YOUR DOG OFF MY GRASS PLEASE', and then slammed the window shut so they got the hint that not only didn't I appreciate it but let them know they could be seen. I mean, what is it about windows, they think you can't see out?? And I don't care if they pick it up, it's STILL there. If you doubt me, go step on the grass where someone has just 'picked it up' and then sniff your shoes. Nice, eh? It's still on the top of the grass and you're gonna track the smell everywhere you walk. My favorite is what happened recently - I walk a treadmill in the evenings after dinner when many people walk their dogs, and I can see out two windows, one on the side of the house and one in the front. One evening I see a couple come walking two big dogs, a couple I've seen before, not every day but off and on. Never really paid much attention to them, I just see them through the window when they go by. On this particular night I'm walking, and I see them coming back from the end of the street, and I saw a bag in her left hand and thought, Oh, well that's good, at least they're one of those walkers who picks up. And as I'm looking at them - and this all happened in a matter of seconds - she suddnely turns towards her husband (which meant she was turned away from my house so I'm just seeing her back), she kind of leans in towards her husband, like she's saying something to him, then straightens back up and continues walking. As they continued walking, I notice a bag at the edge of the neighbors grass across the street and immediately looked at her hand. No bag. So here you have someone who probably picks it up but then will simply drop the bag somewhere so they don't have to take it home. As hubby said, not only is that a really low thing to do, it's littering. So I got in my car and followed them to see where they lived - which was in a completely different neighborhood than ours so obviosuly they come to OURS to do this - and then after dark I retrieved the bag and 'returned' it to them by tossing it up onto their driveway. I was really hoping it would still be dark when they left for work in the morning and they would drive right through it. At any rate, no one has seen them since, which I would hope is because they're too embarrassed to be seen on our street knowing they were caught doing something so unkind, and also because they now know WE know where they live. And like my husband says, we're pretty sure this probably isn't the first time they've done this, they just never got caught before.

What a beautiful baby and what great work you are doing, elly_nj! I am not certain why you are so sensitive about people remarking on not being able to foster...I get these comments ALL the time as I foster kitties...I cant tell you how many I fostered ...more than 80 I currently have 3 7-week olds, and a nursing mom with 7 one-week olds...I am watching the little guys grow up with their nursing mom, and I know it wont be easy to give them up when they are old enough to go into adoption program... But, I know that soon after space opens up and I am ready for another foster, there will be foster babies and adults waiting It is a common and quite normal question and I think people mean more of "great job" than "cant believe she is able to let this puppy/kitten go" Truth is, most people CANT foster...for a lot of reasons, because fostering is a HUGE sacrifice - emotionally, financially, time-wise I tell people, in response to this question: It is selfish not to give an adoptable animal up...It is selfish to think about my feelings in the situation and it is selfish to not foster if the main reason is "not being able to let go"...I would be very selfish if I kept the kitten I fostered - because I wont be able to help dozens that could come after this one... Fostering is a huge sacrifice...