I have a cast iron wok. It's a very different animal used a different way from classic wok hai. Mine is the Le Creuset, which is similar in shape to the Lodge. The inside conforms to the classic wok shape, and the outside has a flat bottom with a small diameter. A steel wok is lightweight, heats fast, cools fast, gets tossed around both for quick cooling and mixing ingredients Lifting it off the flame reduces the heat but it continues to feel the flame so long as it's held over it.. An iron wok is heavy--no one handed tossing--and remains on the induction at all times so that the energy continues to flow. It takes a long time to heat up and a long time to cool down. Because there's such a small amount of the substance in range of the induction field, it's more efficient to heat it in the oven and transfer it to the stove when hot. It's not a bad idea to heat something else on the element you'll be using before you move the wok both to not be combating the cool of the surface and to prevent thermal shock. You can pick it up by the handles to toss things, but generally, like when adding a sauce, you use a paddle with quick movements to toss the ingredients instead of lifting. The good news is that the mass of the iron doesn't cool quickly as you add ingredients so it recovers pretty well. You can learn the correct settings to keep things at the level you want. Frying in the cast iron wok is great. No popping of splatter hitting the fire. :) Same with steaming, though steaming over a wider, shallower pot will work better if you're not already using the wok for something else. There are also semi-woks, or whatever they call them, in cast iron. That's basically a flat frying pan with high rounded wok-like sides. That could be the best of both worlds in terms of heating on induction. It doesn't give you the classic motion of stir fry, but the kind described above doesn't really either. The semi-woks aren't really designed for wok frying and steaming, but those are tasks you can achieve in other ways with standard cookware.

Enjoy your weekend, Anne. Give our regards to your sister ... I hope tat she can change her outlook to being more positive about her current situation. Hi MarieND, I was surprised to hear that you were near Windsor ... as I thought that you live in North Dakota ... which, last I heard, was quite a long way from southern Ontario. Maybe the tectonic plates that lie under the continents have been moving again! Actually, Windsor is south of Detroit (well, south-east), that surprises many, but the Detroit River runs south-west in that area, between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. If you have a Road Atlas, check the south-western end of Ontario or the Michigan map, especially Michigan cities. Did you get the same snow that southern Alberta and Saskatchewan did a few days ago? Said to result from weather disturbances in Montana and Wyoming. ole joyful

I live in the north shore of Massachusetts. I installed a Cercis Canadensis - Rising Sun Redbud last October - a 5 gallon container tree in a full sun area of my front yard - where there is decent drainage. Made it through the winter with no problems, and the tight lavender buds popped in April . The bark and branching is a light grey and it all appears to be healthy - all branches are still pliable. The tiny lime colored leaves that appeared after budding have now morphed into larger, darker leaves. Watering has been a consistent once / wk process, but we did have some pretty intense rainfall about a month ago. I began noticing slight drooping and wilting of the leaves right before the heavy rains we received. Since then, it has been dry and warm, and the leaves have gotten more wilted and curled. At the recommendation of one of our nursery managers, I tried soaking the root area. There has been no improvement, and the smaller leaves are now drying up. No spotting on the leaves or signs of leaf decay, and no insect issues.. If it weren't for the drooping and wilting of leaves, they'd look completely healthy. In other words, the color and structure of the leaves are fine. The Rising Sun Redbud is a relatively new cultivar, so not much to go on re. diseases, insect issues and tree care solutions... My first inclination was that the tree might be suffering from root rot or a root fungus - based on the wilting and curling of leaves. I checked the soil around the root ball, which is cool and moist, but not wet, and there is none of the distinct smell you commonly get with root rot... When soaking the root area, the water pooled then drained fairly quickly. If anyone has any information on the Rising Sun, this particular issue, and a possible solution please pass along.. Many thanks!

Paula, the jokes are great. I especially liked the happy pair and the destination one. Yes, I clicked on the other one too! I have two Earth Angels. This one is in a pot. and this one is in the ground. El Nino wasn't growing well for me in a pot. I trimmed back the euonymus bushes (on the right) and voila! there was a place to plant it now! I didn't get a good shot of Elegans this year. I think the leaf on the right got damaged by falling branches. The other leaf was attacked by a cutworm. I found him! Here is Emerald Necklace, upper right. (I don't like where my husband sticks the solar lights!)