Hi everyone, Well, I am double posting this in 2 forums - I hope nobody minds. As promised, here I am posting about what in the world I've been doing all summer while traveling to & fro Wisconsin. As some of you already know, I work with fish-eating birds: cormorants, pelicans, herons, egrets, gulls, wood storks, etc. My husband and I have been working in Wisconsin for the past 3 years, but we also regularly work in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Ontario, and a few other places. Yes, we are a husband + wife team, working together out of the same office. Many people are surprised that we work together, but it is great. We make a fantastic team, and are often at our best under challenging field conditions. Great minds think alike, and being dear friends & in love sure helps too. (ok, enough with the mushy stuff). So now for a few photos from the vegetation surveys we did this month. Background: We are working on remote islands in Lake Michigan, around the Door Co. Peninsula area. All the islands have nesting double-crested cormorants and herring gulls. Some also have nesting Am. white pelicans and Canada geese. Back in April, we put up some 6 ft x 6 ft pens (we call them exclosures) to exclude the cormorants because they damage vegetation with their nesting activities (too much POOP!). So then we went back in August to catalog everything that grew in the pens, by plant species, and weighed it to also determine biomass. That meant breaking out the field guides, studying up on botany and the flora of Wisconsin, and bringing the plant presses for species we couldn't identify on the island. We compareed the exclosure plots to some "control" plots, which had nothing but 4 wooden stakes at the corners. We had 45 plots to do on 3 islands, plus another 3 islands down by the city of Green Bay that we did simple vegetation surveys on (no pens). It was alot of work, but very interesting. The bottom line: there are lots of nonnative species on those islands, like motherwort, catnip, pigweed, common mallow, stinging nettle and sow thistle. The native vegetation was primarily lambsquarter and smartweed species. Almost done clipping this 1-meter plot: Looking for small plants beneath the lambsquarter The finished, sampled 1-meter subplot Who would even know what this was?!?! I saved seeds to winter sow and see if I can't figure it out. The very last veg plot to measure. You can tell, because we look so happy! A friend found crawling across the plant press The stinging nettle I hacked through to make us a nice trail to get to the center of the island. At least its not poison ivy! Ok, that's all for now. Have a great evening. Katie (heh - I've been working on this post for days!)

Warm temperatures will melt the peanut butter. Let's see: son's enjoyment and appreciation of the birds OR a bit of dead grass? Which do you think is more important? I doubt VERY much that the peanut butter will kill the yard. But if that is a serious issue, you could put a temperary layer of mulch down around the feeder, OR hang this feeder in an area where it wouldn't particularly matter if a 5 square inch of sod was killed. ;-)

Window bumpout...It's what, if the house wasn't already up, I'd ask for. But, I'm sure it's too late. Is the window over the sink at least counter-height? (Probably not b/c it takes more effort and precision to do a counter-height window than one that's "around" 6" or so above the counter.) Laundry Room...we put our W/D in the basement to gain a pantry in the kitchen when we built. It's been over 15 years and I'm still OK with laundry in the basement. When I get older, I may not feel that way, but I'm hoping that b/f we retire we can add a first-floor master suite plus Laundry Room addition out the back of the house...but that will have to wait until our children grow up and get through college. See if the builder will be willing to rough in the hot & water connections and a drain for the washer; also a vent for the dryer, if possible. You'll also need a 220(?) outlet for the dryer. (Refreshed this time!) Did she change the upper cabinet to a full-depth cabinet (i.e., 24" deep instead of 12")? If so, I'd say it's worth it if it's in the budget. MW Drawer...if there's no island yet, why do they have to "make space" for it? It should fit in a 24" cabinet (24"x24") It may cost more, though, for it to be modified to take the MW drawer. Mine had to be. Basically, it takes up the top and middle drawer positions in the cabinet with a drawer underneath. Oh, I think the "make space" comment was to modify the cabinet to fit it. $700-$800 is steep...it should be more like $400 (that's what it cost me and someone else who posted here about it last week). [I've linked to the installation tips for installing a MW drawer in a stock 24" cabinet, i.e., no "customization" prior to what they tell you to do in the installation instructions.] The cost of the electric is probably the cost of the dedicated circuit...I think Code requires built-in MWs be on their own circuit...but I'm not sure. Here's the thing about builders...if they don't want to do something, they often jack the price up so high that either you won't do it (what they want) or if you do, they make a killing on it. That sounds like what's happening here. How are you or our DH's DIY skills? Could you have them install the electric and then you or your DH install the MW drawer? Here is a link that might be useful: Installation Tips - 24'' in 24'' Face Frame Cabinet

If you have recipes that you like that contain beans, try substituting green peas or chick peas for the beans - you could even prepare 2 1/2 batches and add beans to your portion. (How does he feel about lentils?) Get creative with grains! They are so easy. Cous cous, different rices, risotto - you can do a zillion one dish meals with them. You could add prepared meat (e.g.,cooked shrimp) to his portion before serving. Everything that you do with pasta you can do with grains. Lots of meat eaters love wild rice - it is really satisfying. I make the rice and while it is cooking saute thinly sliced celery and mushrooms in a little butter, mix with the cooked rice, pour in baking dish, bake at 350 for 15 minutes (or even longer) - yum! You can experiment on this theme with any grain - the little bit of baking seems to "marry" everything together. Veggie casseroles can be prepared in advance and frozen. I find that freezing in general helps my diet and wallet so that I don't eat unhealthy expensive food out all the time. Making a big batch of artichoke tomato pasta sauce is just as easy as a little one - just freeze in the little bags made for this purpose in the correct portions. Same for soups. Don't forget that old standby, the crock pot. You can make a very hearty stew with potatoes, onions, great bean-less chili for a different taste. Throw everything in the post before you go to work, turn on low or med, dinner is ready when you get home. Polenta pie is super quick and delicious: make your polenta in the pot, stir in any thing you want - diced red/orange/yellow peppers, garlic, jalapenos, a little cheese, any spices, anything not too watery or that wouldn't go with cornmeal. When it's cooked, pour into a greased glass pie pan, sprinkle top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese melts. Cut like pie and serve with salad that you make while the polenta is baking. I agree that the prepared (frozen, etc.) vegetarian foods are just as junky as non-veg. Have you ever looked at the sodium contents? Got this off another website: Vegan "Meatloaf" 1 package of frozen TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein- Ground beef imitation type such as "GimmeLean") 1 bell pepper, diced 1 medium onion (or according to taste) 1 egg OR equivelent in egg-replacer Approx. 1.5 cups of bread-crumbs (Add as you feel needed) A lot of ketchup (the more the better) Defrost TVP. Hand-mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Put in casserole dish, mold to dish. Add more ketchup to cover sides and top( like cake icing). Bake for 1 hour (or until the veggies are tender). Note: When served, it may fall apart, or crumble. This "meatloaf" is best with corn and mashed potatoes on the side! Personally, I love to cook and be creative with food - it really relaxes me. Perhaps since time is a factor, you can start to prepare meals together if you already don't. It's a nice way to be together after a day of work. (If your...