Thanks so much and so timely!!! I just reopened a bag of mulch, found this and didn't know what to do about it. Thanks! I did Google and here's a couple of really nice sites y'all might enjoy: Dog vomit slime mold : The Chicago Gardener http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/chicago_gardener/2007/06/dog-vomit-slime.html Slime Mold Photos http://waynesword.palomar.edu/slime1.htm

Our kids usually go with their biological dad to their grandmother's on Christmas Day. One year my wife and I, left with the decision about whether or not to fuss with a large Christmas dinner, decided to make the drive north to some acreage I have on Lake Huron that we use for hunting & recreation, some 70 miles away. We decided it would be fun to spend a few hours feeding the dozens of birds I'd tamed to the hand there, and then enjoy a nice Christmas dinner on the way home at one of our favorite restaurants on the shore of Lake Huron. Well, on the return trip we discovered that not only was the restaurant not open, but that neither were there any other eating establishments of any stripe open - not even a Subway; and The Lord knows we passed enough of those in our little jaunt. We ended up returning home & thawing a quart of frozen (but at least homemade) spaghetti sauce from the freezer and dining on that. Two good things came of that day, aside from the joy of feeding the birds. We ended up with a good story to tell that always offers a laugh, and it raised awareness of our situation to the level that we ALWAYS get invited to Christmas dinner at one of my sibling's homes. ;-) My teacup (sugar maple) tree, located on the property and another interesting (green ash) tree with a burl Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. Al

Finn did SO great yesterday. He's so brave. Watching your baby go limp (with anesthesia) is terrifying. But, we got some good news. His severe inflammation is down to mild, which means his current meds are working, which means he won't be moved to the "heavy hitter" meds (immunosuppressants). He does have a fistula and will probably need minor surgery, but that's further down the road. He had a tough time with recovery and was in a lot of pain right up until dinner time (procedure was at 10:00), but when he snapped out of it he SNAPPED OUT OF IT! He was up running around with his brother, eating, etc. He even wanted to go to school today. I'm so proud of him it makes my heart ache.

Yes, hence "pied a terre". But even for that purpose it is too small. LOL, Chispa, who knew cockatoos need baby sitters? Last year at a charity auction, we bought a weekend at a 3br apt with a rooftop terrace on the UWS. We found out too late (upon arrival) that it included several cats and ... chinchillas. Chinchillas are nocturnal. And they use these things that are like large hamster wheels. And they squeak. Oh and I'm allergic to cats. It's a good thing it was all for charity. We didn't even try to sleep there and ended up booking several rooms at the Ritz Carlton all the way down in Battery Park City. We never said a word, not wanting to offend the owners/donors (who were out of town). So then we had to taxi back and forth to feed the animals all weekend ...