One way to space small seeds so you don't have to waste time thinning them later is to do it at your kitchen table. I'm sure you've seen those expensive seed tapes for sale, but it's easy and cheap to make your own, using just strips of newspaper (it breaks down faster than computer paper), a bit of flour/water glue, and your seeds. Cut or rip (with a ruler for straight edges) a sheet of newspaper into strips 3/4 or 1" wide. WRITE the type/variety of seed on the strips (a Sharpie is good). Mix a spoonful of flour with water to make a thin "gravy". Scatter your seeds onto a saucer and spread them out. Take a pointy artist-type paintbrush and dip it lightly into the glue, then touch it to a seed, then transfer the seed to the paper. Repeat. Know your spacing. If your final spacing for say, carrots, is 2", space the seeds 2" apart. Let the strips dry separately without additional heat (heat can easily kill the seed). Roll them up loosely. If you're SURE they're completely dry, you can put them in plastic bags, but if they might be slightly damp, put them in small paper lunch bags to finish drying (and so they won't mold). When ready to plant, just lay them out and cover with the recommended amount of soil, press to make good contact, and water carefully with a light spray. Sue

My havahart trap is really hard to set, never caught anything with it yet. It was mainly to get birds, chipmunks and squirrels OUT of the house. Well, I got them out using a variety of tricks. The last darn bird got in twice, would not fly out an open window or door, flew all through the house. The cat didn't help. So I got it cornered in the bathroom perched on a holder for a hanging planter, opened the window, and shut the door. Got up in the night once, careful to get in and door shut, it was still up there, ignored me. Evidently by morning it felt safe enough to escape which it did.

AAAAAAAMEN! and a resounding Hallelujah! We completely feel your pain here in Northern Ohio. We've had lakes on our property for over a month now, and no, we never did put a water feature in so it's mother nature's newest addition to our yard. The lawn is so tall back there surrounding our new lakes and we can't get the tractor back there to cut because it'll just sink down into the muck. My compost pile is under water too... can't even think of what that'll be like to turn this spring... ugh. We had one and a half days of dry weather but the winds were so bad that it was too dangerous to work out in the yard due to falling tree limbs... sigh... Finally had some dry time today and managed to get the front and part of the back grass mowed but it's still a mess out there. As I finish typing my note here, guess what? It started raining again! (Sniff, Sniff, SOB!!!) Please pass the tissues, it's raining from my eyes now :(

What is wrong w/ these people? Sheesh. I was so upset because down here, the grads only got 4 tickets to graduation, so I had to sit DN #1's graduation out. And these people could have gone, but chose not to? They knew about it, I assume? Is your ex just a complete weirdo? I don't think I'm up on the whole story. Anyway, lots of credit to you for not being an obstacle in this attempt to reconnect w/ his paternal family. I'm afraid, given the history, his efforts may be in vain, but it will be nice at the end of the road to know he didn't drop the ball. Good luck to DS - you ought to be proud. Dana