Rob - allright already! I'll follow you. There is nothing so exiting going on in my neck of the woods, but the sun is shining and the oaks are getting green and the grass grown so fast one can see it get tall. I am trying to teach garden manners to Gussie, not doing too well so far, she is still shy enough that she just goes to lay on the deck if she realizes shes been (gently) corrected. No matter, compared to the way she was, she's a happy dog. There is a lot of construction going on in the hills behind me, so many people are building on property they own, but had not developed for years. I think it's the new solar technology that has been a big incentive, as that area is off the grid and solar is much more available and easier to set up and maintain. Street people in town, may street people, mostly young, schlepping back-packs and accompanied by a dog. There was a group in town, sitting inside the large roped off square in the middle of town, one was playing a guitar and they actually had a small camp-fire going, I am sure eventually that fire was discouraged by someone in authority. Generally they are tolerated, as long as they don't panhandle aggressively. I am off to do some more weeding, planting and mulching, another month and all I have to do - I hope - is deadheading and watering and sitting under the grape arbor, sipping iced tea and enjoying the fruits of my labor.

"NO" is not semantics. "NO" is "NO". If driver's licenses are so easy to counterfeit, then *don't do it*. or maybe you should ask the girl's father or mother or a teacher how old she is. If you can't find out, *don't do it*. This is really one of my very hottest hot buttons; Years ago, a friend was raped. She was studying in her dorm room during Christmas vacation (almost no one else was on campus) when a student from one of her classes knocked on her door & asked if he could borrow her notes about something or other. She opened the door...& he raped her. She reported it to campus police, who made a report (!). She called her mother, crying hysterically; her mother called the police, & the assault went to trial. The defense attorney asked her if she hadn't unlocked the door. yes. "Aha! so you *invited* him into your bedroom!" & what was she wearing? a flannel nightgown. "Aha! so you were in your *nightgown*!" Barbara broke down in hysterics, the guy walked, & Barbara left school for nearly a year; when she returned, it was to another university. When an assailant is believed & a victim is disbelieved simply because the guy is a guy & the girl is a girl (& this is almost always the case, especially in sexual assault), there's something terribly terribly terribly wrong. It's especially distressing to hear the "victim is guilty until proven innocent" in the year 2010; Barbara was assaulted in 1969, & attitudes have supposedly become more rational, enlightened, & accurate in the intervening 41 years.

Wish we had pictures of the KT gathering at LK Grace's home here in B'ham. Elaine from NJ flew in and stayed with me for several nights and Tadpole came. Fun. Lana had a lo boil.Country Bumpkin came, Koda, Gabby, Nita, Buzzard, etc.

Oh My Goodness, donna oh...what a great idea and what a GREAT picnic that was. So good, in fact, that there are a few KT'ers still there, still dancing and still eating! Sorry I had to leave so early. I was so enjoying all of you, the games, the Karaoke not to metion the pumpkin cheescake, but us old ladies need our beauty sleep. Well...to be honest with all of you, I was not feeling all that great. I thought it might be a bit of a bug but it turned out to be all that potato salad that I had, you know, the one I brought form the deli. Whew...hit me like a ton of bricks! And talk about rocket fuel... But, not to worry, all is well today. They let me go home after I agreed to remove what was left of the salad from the picnic and send it down to the CDC in Atlanta for testing, which of course I did. Now, I am sure that I was the only one who ate that salad but just in case...if any of you think you had some and are not feeling 'great' today, not to worry...just stay home today, drink lots of gingerale...just let it run it's course... ;) . As for me, all is well. The ER staff was just great, kind and helpful AND they say I should be back on solid food by tomorrow. So, donna oh, again, great idea and great picnic. I hope the clean-up committee was able to function after all thse yummy brownies I saw them eating. The Sheriff sure was interested in those...giving them the sniff test and all. What did you put in those things, jel48? They sure were a hit! And REMEMBER everyone...What happens at KT'res picnic, STAYS at KT'res picnic... sooey