"just because it is colder in Iowa doesn't mean it is colder everywhere else." Oh, How true. March 8th my wife and I left Iowa for an extended stay in Florida to try and get warm. Eastern Iowa had been in a cycle of Rain, Ice, Snow every 3-4 days since before Christmas. We just wanted to go south and get warm!!! We hit tennessee day after they got smashed by a blizzard. Went on to Gatlinburg, there it was 50-55. Went to Savanah Ga. It was 60 and rain there. Went down to Venice Fl. 60 and high wind. Couldn't dive because water was so turbulent you couldn't see your guages. Ft. Lauderdale and Deerefield Beach wind off the ocean was 40+ mph and temp not above 60 or so. Went over to Freeport Grand Bahamas for 6 days. Temp never got above 65 most of the time it was 50-55 and rain 4 days out of 6 it rained and had high wind. Tryed diving one morning and the waves came up so badly once we were out and underwater, the dive master came down and called us in and it was almost impossible to get back on the boat as the boat was rocking in 6-8' seas. 21 days gone and only a couple of them did we see 70+ temps. Got back to Iowa and we went right back into the winter rain ice snow cycle and we are still in it right now minus the snow. Still cold enough to freeze outside some nights yet. I just want to be warm. I will gladly put up with 90+ temps and 90% humidity. I am tired of being cold. I would like to break a sweat for a change. Of course the old saw still applies: "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still" Here is a link that might be useful: For those who wish to keep the debate going, ample fuel here!!!

Well, I am still here, I spent the day at the doctors offices, and hospital with my son. I did not get home until 6pm, and I was too tried to drive to the coast. I am so glad I was off so that I could be there for my son. I have my car packed and ready to go, I am leaving as soon as I wake up. I have left instructions with my hubby to do a porch check every day when he gets home. He has been given instructions, and he knows what to do in case Santa comes. Barbra,

Ahughes (or anybody else), if you're interested in a trade or SASBE, check out my exchange list... Esh-ga, thanks for the good wishes on the winter-sowing. So far done 65 containers, including 38 native species and several cultivars of native species. Its been fun, and I can't wait to see how well things germinate and grow! Winter-sowing affords the opportunity to grow lots of natives that would be difficult or impossible to get at nurseries, or exorbitantly expensive to buy as plants. I bought lots of native seeds (and a few non-native) this winter and offered extras on the Seed Exchange forum. There was a lot of interest in native seeds, which was nice. But I was dismayed to see people trading invasive species like Euonymous alatus (burning bush) or Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven). One poster even explained on her exchange page how she grows Oriental bittersweet and keeps it contained on a trellis so it's okay! Yeah...only if she strips off every berry...if she saw how it's strangling native trees around here, she might change her mind!

We had a hot dry summer but making up for it, we have been having a beautiful fall that started earlier than some years with very little freezing. We have had only two nights drop a bit below freezing. I'm not surprised at how well things are doing. My entire yard has been a mass of color and still is. People who don't live here would think going by some of the things said that Oklahoma is an unending natural disaster area. Its not. We have predominantly more nice days than bad days each year and we nearly always have a great fall. Seems like the bad days get all the attention lately. I love this time of year. The trees are gorgeous here in the city and the weather has been stupendous. Most plants have snapped back nicely except some that prefer cooler climates that couldn't take the hot summer. You couldn't ask for a nicer place to garden than in Oklahoma in the fall and we have had many good summers, not every single year, but more good ones than bad in my memory. We are used to comparatively mild winters and at worst, have a couple bad spells or the temperature drops down in the single digits or less a few days. I can think of a lot of places much worse than Oklahoma to live in winter. I once lived in North Carolina and I really missed the Oklahoma wind the whole time I lived there. The wind never blew there. I prefer the Great Plains and I think the good outweighs the bad.