I will definitely post bloom photos! It should be soon... I have the one orchid and one hippi in the process of opening. We're right around a zone 5b and a zone 6a, so the winters tend to be milder than when I lived further north... I grew up and spent most of my life in zone 4b, which is a bit colder and snowier! Illinois is a long State, so it has quite a few zones! Trust me... I, too, would love to move south! This particular litter of pups proves out our supplement theory... Maia has had nothing but natural homemade feed and supplement since before SHE was born! Her mother was fed a natural homemade diet, so Maia has been getting the best since conception, through gestation, all through her youth, and now into her own pregnancy and subsequent whelping... the previous dogs of this breed averaged 4 to 6 live pups, or thereabouts... and here she is with 9! And a first litter! And all are healthy... no deaths at birth! Of course, this would never happen in the wild, hunting and nutrition being what it is... but when we add up all the evidence, feeding a natural, balanced diet is so much better than plain store bought kibble, which amounts to junk, basically. And... Maia was conceived when her mother was quite old. She passed away about a year after Maia was born... of natural causes. She was old for her breed. Anyway... my point is... we've been studying canine nutrition for decades, and have recently perfected our formula for supplement. We've run test after test, and Maia is part of the proof. It is wonderful to actually see a dream realized! As a stepmother of three, I could never imagine raising more than say, 4 or 5 children... but not all of the same age! That would be way too much for me! Imagine what Maia's system must process... she must eat enough to provide herself and her pups nutrition, she must clean up and process their waste... it's an incredible amount of stress on her interior organs! I actually prefer small litters, but I'll take whatever she gives me. They all will have good homes. And then, Maia will rest for a few years. Money is not why we breed. Don't forget to post a photo of your Phal, too, allstars! I'd love to see it!

Plant trade at my home, 3 May 3:30-6:30. 7001 Spring Leaf 78249 Everyone is welcome, so bring your friends and family. No pets though, as mine (though they will NOT be out) will not appreciate the gesture. If you have nothing to trade at the moment, gardeners need many things to support their plants and will trade for those things also. This is an eye-to-eye trade, no tickets, just good conversation and old fashioned trading. Seed boxes welcome too! I have a few tables and surfaces, but extra card tables or such will be appreciated. Extra plants for those who have no plants to trade are always welcome too. Any plants that you do not wish to take home, will be adopted out, or given to Schultz House. Good homes will be found for them. Pot Luck: If you would like to eat here, just bring something to share. I will have picnic plates, flatware and napkins available, and I think Carol (Bloomin' Buds)is bringing ice chests. Note: This is a trade only, if you would like pieces or parts of plants in my yard, I always happily share, but it must be arranged separately for another time before or after the trade. No digging or snipping during the trade. 2nd Note: If you haven't had your walk yet that day, come early; the new Leon Creek Park Walk/bike path has an access only 1 block away. It is a paved 10' wide accessible walkway that makes for a quite pretty place to walk/ride bikes/blade/ board. Let me know if you have questions, suggestions or .......... Vivian (vnelson2@satx. rr.com)

Many architectural salvage places don't list all of their inventory on their websites, and some carry a lot of hardware. If you google "architectural salvage near (city)" you will get names of businesses. I have not tried them before, but Discovery Architectural Antiques in Gonzales, TX, is huge--I plan to use them as a source of last resort for matching my rosettes. Old House Parts in ME and Historic House Parts in NY also come to mind. I think they all do this through email.

1. A large stack of unread books 2. A bag of cough drops 3. A 27" television