I almost always have several "investigators" on my lid. On the days they aren't any on the lid, I see evidence that they have been there. It's normal for them to move around a lot. The majority of them should be down where they belong, feeding. I always get a kick out of seeing a balled up mass of them feeding on some tidbit. I've found that cabbage, cauliflower, and green peppers can smell quite strongly for a few days. They'll decompose quicker if you shred them up in the food processer first. I now tend to add those particular items in smaller doses, although I didn't really have a problem with them getting nasty. One time I had a bunch of green peppers go bad,so I fed them shredded up to my worms. All I could smell when I walked in the room was green peppers for about 3 days. Go easy on spaghetti, cereals, or flour products. Add those in small quantities. The worms love them and get quite fat eating them, but too much at once will make your bin smell pretty badly for a week or so. They tend to get gluey, and unless you like sewer smell, go easy on it. Freeze portions of those and dole them out gradually. I usually mix them in with chunky pieces of celery and carrots. I always put a thick layer of shredded newspaper, (or other paper), on top of all the food. Then I sprinkle some water on it (lightly) to moisten it. Keeps the flies, etc. out of the bin. It's very satisfying when you finally harvest your first batch of compost. It's also fun when the worm family grows and there are all sorts of ages of worms in there, from tiny, tiny, babies to big fat adults, and everything in between. I noticed a lot of the worms that roam around in the lid, etc. appear to be what I would classify as teenager size. Sandy

Good Grief...you have had your hands full, on top of far too much this year! I sure hope things settle down so you can enjoy the two big holidays, and end this year on a GOOD note! 2011 has really been a bad one, worse than I can remember in a long time, for so very many people. This must be the year of Murphy's Law. I hope your son is ok. Scary to have someone so young with high blood pressure and enlarged heart. Tho that seems more and more common with young athletes now too. I am glad the you got him to doc to find out what's going on. He will always be your baby, I've found age doesn't matter one bit. (my Jason will be 39 this Nov, but he is still mine.) Isn't it funny how we worry so much about them when they are LITTLE, and end up getting grey hairs and more worry just when we least expect it!! Being a Mom is sure a tough job, huh? I can't imagine keeping a Pug on crate rest....but I bet its very similar to keeping a Whippet on one. I'm not sure who's more miserable, them or us. LOL. I hope you and Remi get thru this, and poor Mickey having heartworm. When things settle down you definitely NEED some Me Time. Be good to yourself. I wish I could offer some help, but only have prayers and a shoulder to cry on (email anytime). When you feel like screaming, DO it. Take a pillow, go out in the yard, and yell into it till its all out of you! (Screaming in the house just upsets the dogs, LOL.) Hang in there, Girl. hugs, Karen

Hi patches 02, Are people in your area required to have a dog licence? Is the fee larger for a female ... and a lot larger for one unspayed? Are they required to renew it annually? Is the fee substantial, and are there rules about number of dogs, gender, whether they've been "neutered" or not? Do you have an animal control office in your area? Will they come to your place to capture a dog running loose? If so, what do they do with the animal? Is there a substantial fee for trapping and collecting the animal, plus maintenance while in the shelter, plus penalty/fine? Few folks around here who want to let their animal run loose may choose to have animal control pick up their animal more than once, as that initial experience provides them with a substantial education regarding the financial unwisdom of letting an animal run loose. Local animals are to leave their own property only on a leash. When I was a child, my uncle, who lived on a farm on a rather quiet unpaved rural road, had a dog, which was a Border Collie cross, with medium long hair, I think, that would run after every car that came down the road - which was a rather infrequent occurence in World War II, when it was difficult to get permission to buy a tire, and gas was rationed. Their son had an air rifle, and they placed it by a post beside their milk house, which was between the house and the barn. Whenever they heard a car coming down the road, they'd run for the gun, and as the dog made a run for the road, s/he'd get a pellet somewhere in the neighbourhod of the back end. It didn't take the dog long to learn that chasing cars was not a good idea. If using an air gun would not be permitted, would it be possible for you to use a whip on the dogs? It would likely be possible to sting them a little without causing substantial pain, with skillful use. After about one experience, though, as soon as they saw you, especally with the whip, they'd stay beyond your reach ... but without leaving, unless they chose to. What about getting an animal trap from animal control? Woulde it be lawful for you to use it? And if so, what would you do? The dogs are too big to lift the cage and haul it to animal control office. Would they come and collect the dogs, then charge a substantial fee to the neighbours before they could take their dog home? If you have a front-end loader on a tractor and can find a 400 lb. block of concrete, maybe it'd be a good idea to suggest to your neighbour that if he lacked inclination or capability to confine his dog(s) to his own yard, that he might come out some morning, ready to go to work, to find that block dropped behind his car, making it impossible to move it, so he couldn't drive to work. Or away for the weekend, etc. If he were to call the police, asking them to charge you for being a nuisance on his proerty, you could explain to them that the train ran both ways on that track. Good wishes for success in finding a suitable solution to the problem. ole joyful

PART 2 he has spread lies about me all over town, has people look out for me and call him when they see me like I'm some kind of criminal. I've never been arrested or in trouble with the law. never was dishonest with them. matter of fact my honesty has been anmd still is used agaiunst me. his son is a dope head, has been arrested,for domestic violence, grand theft auto, breaking and entering, drugs, u name it. I still deal with the abuse because I need my adopted mom for a place to stay. I feel like a pile of dung for having to depend on her. its impossible to be independent when your making 10.50 hr. With a growing boy in school and fiance is hashing out problems with SSI as he is unable to work. and because she is brainwashed into thinking she needs him, he has control and messes with me however he can, yet i cant think of a way to kleep him away from me and quit messing with me. He set the pool pump to go on for 5 hours everyday and locked it and did the same with the sprinklers so we cant change it. I pay the water and electric bill. He's got the whole world it seems like convinced I'm on drugs. that infuriates me because no one sees that he's being dishonest and unreasonable. they all know his son is a skrew up and a drug addict and that he's been in all sorts of trouble. and I'm not yet they believe him. I wanna know where did his credibility come from? y are his friend and he's so stupid to believe him and not question his mean nasty things he says in such a mean nasty way about a child (when I was) and when he still talks so bad about me now, and to mainly the same people, now that I'm an adult and doing my own thing y don't they ever question him? I mean come on, it's got to get old at some point, this crazy white hair man running around can't keep my name out his mouth. y he is so hell bent on proving to the world that im a skrew up??