I stick with our sunsets too. The pictures on spaceweather are awesome. Last night I watched the ISS and shuttle and at the same time the first couple of fireflies of the season showed up. There is a message somewhere in those 2 entirely different lights, I just don't know yet what.

Thanks Seil :-) I wonder though if Julia Child has a more consistent size across climates, it's small to medium down here. Whereas Buck roses change--according to the Buck rose website Carefree Beauty is a small shrub and ARE in TX says medium to large?? I should post to the general forum I think.

I've noticed a slowdown in the bird activity here at the feeders, except for one day we had a snowstorm last week. Then there were lots of birds, I couldn't believe it when there were 7 Downy woodpeckers near the suet cage at once. One guess - they could be pairing up and seeking nest sites? If they find one, they might have to stay close and defend their territory for the breeding season.

Patty - what you describe is exactly what my SS was doing last year. Picture the long canes wirosarian has in that great photo (lovely garden scene wirosarian), just bunched up under the trellis for safekeeping. 3' high ad 4-5' of floppy cane is what she had last year. This year it's more like 8' of floppy cane, but that definitely seems to be her growth habit. I can't see her being a hedge (even though mine might look like one) unless you had a set of hoops under it to prop up all those floppy canes at the desired height. Yep, land sakes alive - she's a sprawler - nothing happened except she was feeling happy and verrrrrry relaxed. Annececelia- you think I'd FEED that monster? I'm not getting within a foot of it until it stops eating the landscape. Seriously, I rarely get around to feeding my roses anything but alfalfa most years, and I don't think SS has ever gotten any. You must treat yours right to keep her mannerly. At least until your back is turned (da-DUm, da-DUm, da-DUm...) Cynthia