G'Day! - i found the data on heat, and it seems the matterial is less important than the colour. i know martins really prefer their houses white, but will use other colours too. (Maybe i can get away with a thin wash of green-brown (acrylic?) paint? Just so they're not so obnoxious a glaring white.) - Most songbirds can access a house with no persh just fine; they alight on the rim of the hole. "Robber birds," such as crows, are more likely to raid if there is a perch. - Drainage holes at the bottom. Yes indeed. Ventilation holes at the top, on the other hand, may do more harm than good IF they might let rain drip in. Very bad. But from what i'm reading in birdhouse building instructions, overheating doesn't seem to be a problem. - Still looking for a good list of "who prefers what size openings." i can't wait to see soem bug-eating birds using these gourds and faux-gourds! - Happy gardening, -vlad

Have you looked at the shelf stable almond milk not in the refrigerated section of the grocery store? At my local publix, and I think at Walmart, they have the small (8 oz I think) cartons of both regular and almond milk. Usually for about a $1.00. I really like the chocolate almond milk in that size carton as I don't drink much chocolate milk. I buy the half gallon size almond milk from the refrigerated section and it keeps a really long time. Use it almost exclusively for cereal. I have found that Horizon Organic milk in the "cardboard" type container keeps much longer than milk in the plastic cartons. The expiration date on it is much longer too. And it usually is good beyond the expiration date.

Silk soy is the best!! i am addicted to it... i actually have it in place of a snack most of the time. and every morning for breakfast I also buy the Vanilla and the Plain. I actually have been telling my friends about it... and i dont usually get excited over such a small thing, but the Carbs are relatively low, and the protein is higher than regular milk and the non-lactose milks.... I use Silk soy with everything that calls for milk.

I use the bacon drippings for the corn I get out of our garden. I use a knife and cut the kernels of the cob, then slant the knife slightly and "milk the cob" being careful not to get the husk, and put a little bacon grease in with the corn and cream and cook SLOWLY, stirring often so it won't scorch. Add a little salt to taste. Then get a mess of butter beans cooked with hog jowl, chopped. Sun rippen tomatoes on the side, sliced. Cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, salad w/sugar apple cider vinegar, Hot southern buttermilk bisquits with real cow butter. Fried okra, and creamed yellow squash. Top it off with a blackberry cobbler and fresh churned ice cream. You don't need any meat. That is a summer meal and it all started with FRIED BACON. LOL. And that's the way we do it in the South.