Those shots are fantastic, Kin. Well done. I agree with you. Wouldn't it be nice to find a shade for lamps that could be strung in the garden. If they were opaque white, one could put in different colour of bulbs, and put on a neat show. Maybe I'll have to play with my stained glass pieces and see what I can come up with.

I also have had the pleasure of holding a hummingbird that collided with a large window pane. However the wildest encounter was when my wife and I were reading the Sunday paper on the back deck - just under a h.b. feeder. We were talking and much to our suprise, a male bird landed on the bow of her glasses. She did not move other to slowly roll her eyes to make sure I saw the happening. He sat there for what seemed like a minute looking down into her eye and then flew up to the feeder. 25 years later the encounter comes up when we see the first birds of the year. All of our kids and grandkids have heard the story many times as you might imagine. However I have heard them tell their friends and occasionally one of them will ask her to tell the story again. I guess that LIFE is a series of small/short stories.

My ex works in RFID. The question is at what point is it cost-effective to tag every product (including every green pepper - not to mention what about items sold by weight not per item)? Prices are always changing, volume discounts, etc. so I can see it being cost effective for someone like SC Johnson or Kelloggs to tag each product (maybe they're getting tags for 5-10 cents each now) but produce (other than asparagus LOL) and sticks of gum, smaller manufacturers, etc. may not be worth it so won't be tracked. The scanner scans the barcode, which is printed on the package, not the same thing as a unique passive RFID tag with antenna. So Best Buy is probably tagging absolutely everything but Stop and Shop probably not. Oh, and I hate the "please bag your item" voice too - as I'm trying to fit one or two of my bags in the tiny bagging area in self-checkout at Price Chopper, and it doesn't like my insulated bag (too heavy) or yells at me when I remove a bag once it's full. Wish they all had the "Skip bagging" option that HD and Walmart have. But then again I do most of my shopping (other than bulk paper goods) at small local store where they bag for me (using my bags if I want), no self-checkout. BTW, did anyone read in the WSJ where in DC they're taxing paper and plastic bags in food stores? Is that a pain? Here most stores offer 5 cents off if you bring your own bag (but half the time I forget them, and 1/4 of the time I want paper bags so I can recycle my newspapers in them).

My best friend is going through a issue sort of kind of like this, she had a heck of a time having a child, she finally had a baby girl, because she was a only child and bacause it took so many years to have her, they spoiled her totally rotten. Well she married a guy, they had two (wonderful) children, he became a meth dealer, is now in prison for his (many, many) crimes. my BF tried to make up to her daughter for these problems, took her and her children in. Daughter went back to school and worked while grandma watched the kids, my BF moved and let her daughter have previous home, daughter moved bas.. (I am sorry, current Boyfriend) in. Boyfriend did not want her to have a job, wanted her to be a homemaker, well they fell down on regular bills, decided they had to move and left my BF with all kinds of bills (electric, phone, satellite, things like that) All items my BF allowed to have put in her name. Well those two are constantly fighting (I am talking fists, not just words) Daughter now has a major alcohol problem, they come to my BF constantly asking for money, she gives it too. The problem is my BF has the grandkids (thank God) but if she refuses to give money, daughter threatens to burn the house down, kill her mother or take the kids away. My BF freely admits this is her fault, I told her 5 years ago to cut the apron strings, but she is scared to death of her daughter (BF weighs 100lbs, has epilepsy and a broken neck) she just wants her grandbabies no matter how much money it takes, she wants to make sure they are safe. This is the kicker, her daughter has degrees in Computer programming, Nursing, Philbotomy (drawing blood in patients?) and because of her health issues actually can get Social Security (she has a terminal illness) but she won't do anything and sits on her butt drinking (anything and everything from rubbing alcohol to mouthwash) and being mad at the world and depressed. Please don't let it get to a point anywhere near this, My mother had to do this with me when I was 22 and I messed up on things, she let me fall and by golly it worked! Cut those strings! You love him, I know you do, and this has to be done in order for him to grow up!