Some good comments by everyone. Hman, while I agree with some of what you're saying in principle, I may differ on some of the specifics. Namely, I'm not certain Amish ground is all that more productive than those that farm conventionally. I know you live where there are a lot of Amish folk, and they have a reputation of being outstanding farmers, but I wonder if their reputation exceeds its worth. The reason I say that is that although I've no experience with the Amish, I do have experience with the Mennonites. They too, have a reputation as very good farmers. Indeed most have a strong work ethic. However, I used to examine their production records (pig farmers) and while, on average their production was above the mean, it was only slightly so. That improvement seemed to be dependent upon cheap labor (their large bunches of children). In the whole scope of things I'm not sure that agricultural model is the best for the planet (meaning the huge volume of people already on the planet). But like I say, I've little knowledge of the Amish, and even less of their specific farming practices. I will say that there are commercial corn growers getting over 300 bushel/acre, which is very productive indeed. One may think that kind of production is burning out the ground, but it doesn't appear to be so. I've seen some of that good corn ground in IL. It's been farmed for decades and decades, and still the richest looking black stuff you ever saw. I think part of the key is that the land was flat, so in the years where tillage farming was the rule, none of that good stuff was ever washed away. Probably the biggest threat to it is urban encroachment gobbling up that prime land. Keepitlow, Well said. However, I might take issue with the the part that our food quality has declined. This is pretty hard to discuss objectively though, because the word "quality" is so subjective. Additionally, it also depends on what years are being discussed. I'm just about through reading a different kind of American history book. It's the first book of it's kind that I've read. Most history books examine the "important" events of history (i.e. Revolutionary war, Civil war, etc.) and spend little time discussing the day to day lives of ordinary citizens. This book is the opposite. It's spends almost all of it's time discussing daily life, and ignores the "major" events. What I'm coming away with reading this book, is the profound struggle to survive before, and during the early part of the industrial age. This idea of southern plantations with abundance, defining the way of life was not the reality for the most folk. Before the modern industrial age the average American life span was amazingly low, largely due to inadequate and poor food quality. Even in somewhat later times, the food quality has seemed to improve. I remember hearing former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz speak. He gave examples of how food quality had increased since he was a kid (no worms in cereal, no worms in apples). I once read Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle" about the meat packing industry in the early 1900s (actually I didn't finish it, it made me too sad. I may go back and finish it some day). Anyway, that book described conditions of meat packing as so bad, that reportedly Roosevelt was reading the book at his breakfast, and spit a mouthful of sausage across the table. From that book came the rigorous meat packing inspections we have today. This is getting a little long. Better stop here.

I certainly don't think I've stolen the cat. There are always posters of lost/found pets at the mailboxes, so I posted them on all the mail centers and in the stairwells of the apartments with e-mail address and phone number. If the people cared about the cat they could have put a collar with a tag on him instead of the crusty flea collar that I found him in. Jasper's vet is just down the street from the complex, so I will go there to see if anyone reported a lost cat. I've been waiting to have him vaccinated and neutered to see if anyone claims him yet, but I have an appointment for Monday at the low cost animal care shelter to get that taken care of. If I spend money on that and then someone claims him, they will have to reimburse me for the expense. They should have done it in the first place. I don't feel like a hero or a theif. If someone calls with an accurate description of the cat and pays me for the medical expense they can have it back. Until or unless that happens, I am going to be a good steward with the life that has been (even if temmporarily) entrusted to me by happenstance or the great Universe or whatever you believe in and enjoy every second of it. Maybe there are people on this forum who would rather me turn the cat back onto the streets so he can get run over by cars or eaten by predators in hopes that he will wander back to his original "owners". I placed an add on Craigs List. I've gotten 3 offers for Viagra and one offer to make a million dollars a month to work at home from a textile shop based in the UK. Then the add was flagged. There is a point at which you have to draw the line. Maybe I should quit my job and just knock on every door in the state until someone says the lost the cat I have found. Then I will be able to sleep at night since I'm such a horrible person! Some people!

Thanks guys! Mike this will be my second year with trees in the room but last year I made many mistakes. Last year they were in old very boggy mix in terra cotta, I kept the room too warm which encouraged pests since I also brought figs, peppers and herbs in with the citrus, and also I never treated for pests before they came in so scale got way out of hand. In spite of all that most came through ok but still needed a lot of recovery time outside. The yuzu is the only one still lagging but it is now replacing its leaves from last year so is otherwise almost recovered. This year I corrected all those issues so I think I am in good shape! Plus I added more lights for the darker areas and am prepared to add a few more if needed. I am also curious about Laura's question on her thread about fertilizing, they all have fresh osmocote in the pots but I think I still need to keep up light FP correct? I have also lost some old yellow leaves since they came inside. Seemed like normal sloughing to me. Love the thornless key lime too Laura! The thing just keeps growing but wont hold any fruit yet. It's definitely big enough, I will have to be patient- sigh!

I don't put feeders out anymore having read that it is more healthy for the birds to get their nectar from flowers, but mine would get mobbed at times; then a very aggressive male would come along and guard it and keep everyone else away. Over time I've planted so many nectar-rich plants with flowers year round the feeders are unnecessary. Besides hummers the common warblers and orioles are nectar-drinkers here. There are enough flowers that the males cannot guard them all and the females and juveniles have plenty. Abutilon, Aloe, Anigozanthos, Callistemon, Calothamnus, Cerinthe, Echeveria, Eremophila, Iochroma, Manzanita, Russelia, Leucospermum, Fuchsia, Tecoma stans, Salvia, Salvia, Salvia, and most especially Grevillea! Greveillea 'Superb' and Grevillea 'Moonlight in particular bloom year round and are mobbed, absolutely mobbed with birds and bees. The meeker birds sneak up and under to feed, hidden from the males who perch up high. Most of these plants also have low-water needs once established.