Collecting all wildflowers here, as I didn't have much of a garden this year. Wildflowers going to seed here include an ornamental (or wild) grass with a very pretty influorescence (I don't know my grasses at all), tall thistle, boneset, eupatorium coelistinium, a pretty medium height small-flowered white aster/fleabane - most all of these are in the "weeds" category, but I'm hoping when we get a more permanent location, it will have an area big enough for a wildflower area. In bloom that haven't gone to seed yet - a gorgeous honeysuckle - smells divine, jasmine-y, and sweet autumn clematis. I'm working on identifying some fruits, too - I scarfed a couple that are drying that are size and color of kiwis, growing on a vine in the woods. And I plucked an orange-reddish one from a tree in a meadow yesterday - not ready to pluck seeds from yet, but just for id - which DH thinks might be a persimmon - too cool! Anyway, I have to grow all these first before trading them - the flowers all have the potential to be invasive, and the 2 fruits I don't want to trade unless I know for certain what they are - don't want to trade as edible anything that in fact might be poisonous.

My husband installed four rooms of Somerset Color Collection oak hardwood strip flooring about a year ago. It was recommended by our flooring salesman at an independent local store. He said Somerset is a fairly small company and they manufacture a consistently good product. He was right. We had only one unusable strip out of 2,000 s.f. The lengths were varied with a lot of long pieces. The Value Collection and Color Collection are similar. I believe the color choices are the same. The Value Collection has a bit more in the way of mineral marks and a bit more shading variation. Here in Michigan, we paid $3.59 to $3.99 per s.f., because of varying Somerset sale prices. My husband prepared the subfloor carefully to be sure it was flat, left expansion gaps as Somerset recommended, and he had no problems at all. It was just time consuming. The floors are beautiful. Good luck if you're still deciding.

We wanted walnut, too! And all the acacia just didn't look right to us. The price is also makes it an easier buy! We had oak floors in our last house - 90 year old oak floors and they were beautiful. I loved every ding, scratch and creak. DH and I decided we "know" oak and also did not want to put down wood that may be a trend. It is too large an investment to make any mistakes.

Susan, thank you for your generous prize package. I really feel like a winner! So many wonderful prizes. I apologize as I am not sure when it arrived as hubby and i packed up and went down to North Carolina and rented a cabin at a KOA. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we stayed an extra night. The seeds, the bulbs, flag, coloring book, coffee tea and more are all wonderful, (the coffee will be served tomorrow). I had a great time in the swap and you were an awesome host. Many thanks again!