Nice picture- I'd like to tour that ship.

Well, for what its worth, Eddie, the sleeping Beagle, is the first and only dog I've ever bought (at young son's encouragement). All the rest were from acquaintences or were pound puppies. I firmly believe muts/pound puppies, etc., are of much better temperment, dog in and dog out, than most pedicured dogs now days.

Very impressive photos! I love the one with the cosmos and the morning mist.

Well, each pest naturally has its likes and dislikes where environment is concerned... spider mites prefer dry conditions with low humidity, while pests like fungus gnats are attracted to moist, humid conditions... but I wouldn't call the Gritty Mix "dry" by any stretch of the imagination... unless you're allowing it to dry out to the point where it's desert-like, and there's not even moisture in the form of vapor available. Since container growing puts us in control of what happens, I've found that using a more porous medium almost forces me to check my plants more often... because I'm watering a little more often, which in turn allows me to catch any pests BEFORE they become a problem. It's a lot easier to eliminate such a problem when it's small, as opposed to one that's been allowed to remain and become so much of an issue it begins to noticeably, visibly harm the health of the plant. So, with that in mind, I haven't had issues since changing my growing methods. While I'm watering and checking new growth, or removing any older, deceased leaves, I'm also doing a visual check for any other problems, including pests. The majority of my plants spend all warmer months outdoors, sitting on a deck in beautifully dappled sun/shade... quite naturally, larger outdoor spiders of different types tend to move in and keep my plants pest free. I allow a few to stick around and help, and then kick them out when my plants are brought back inside for the colder months. I just rinse off any webs they've built, and they usually skedaddle off to find another home. They're usually smaller crab spiders, orb spiders, or little wolf type spiders you'd find outdoors... nothing nasty, just helpful in a garden setting. I try not to use chemicals if I don't have to... though I do keep a 2 in 1 systemic around just in case I need it. I'd rather worth WITH nature.