thanks, dave! whatever they are specifically, they were everywhere, but this was the only one that would stay still. i think it was 4-6" including the tail. there were also, iguanas and geckos. i just love geckos. i am also not sure which kind they were- they were medium to bright green on top with light orange underside. @4" long.

I don't know at all, but as a teacher of plant ID I can tell you those two photos are of two different plants. What either of them is, I couldn't tell you. The "margins" (outer edge) of the leaves are different, the one at the top has smooth margins, and the photo at the bottom has margins that are serrated, like a saw. Also the veins are different. In the photo at the bottom the veins are very straight and parallel. In the top photo, not so much, and much less distinct. The problem with the word "amaranth" is it is kind of like "cress" as it describes a whole family of plants. For example, celosia, which is a garden flower, and the weed "pigweed" and the food plant amaranth are in the same family but they are different species. Beets and spinach are also in that "family" although the name has changed so it's not actually called the amaranth family anymore. So from a botany point of view, spinich is also an "amaranth." And to further confuse things, amaranth is also the name of a genus, which is a smaller subgroup of plants than a family. Botanists are really crazy people with too much time on their hands, IMHO. Below is a link to Wikepedia's entry on edible "amaranth" which has a lot of good info on the edible varieties. Apparently there are different edible varieties eaten in different parts of the world. Sounds like something very healthful! Here is a link that might be useful: Amaranth

you want the 'candle' to show...i don't think the shade looks too small-the problem with bigger shades is that they might hang too low...i am changing out my chandy shades to rh drum shades-significantly bigger than what i currently have, but wanted a change in look! i do have to change my lightbulbs tho...am putting in halogen bulbs that are taller and keep the shade from coming down too low on the 'candle'.

When I had the master suite created in my DH's home up north, it was crowded for bedside tables too. So I got two wooden tall plant stands, with 12x12" tops. They fit perfectly fine. Then swing arm wall mounted lamps for each side of the bed. Enough room for a book on the shelf below and a glass of water or whatever. I never just use an end table when there is an option to have a small chest beside the table. That works even in a small room with limited storage space. Every item has to WORK to make the cut when space is scarce. And, in the bedroom in Alabama, I am going to be sorry to leave it for the BACK bedroom, which will become an ensuite master, because it is beginning to look SO comfortable. It is a west-facing bedroom, on the street. It has two PAIRS of windows, and the closet and entry to the bedroom are on a third wall. That leaves one wall which has no windows and no doors or other obstructions. However, I did not want the bed to be sideways in front of the entry door, so had to put the bed first diagonally in the corner between the two pairs of windows. This worked fine for a while, with the wicker chests I use for bedside tables centered between the windows. However, it was hard to make up the bed. So I decided to center the bed in front of the windows on the street wall. I closed the blinds to block the high heat coming through those windows anyway. And then I found some floor/ceiling grommet drapes at Tuesday Mornings! That is when I got DH to install crown molding wide enough to mount the double drapery rods, and I started planning 3 layers of curtains...grommet drapes wall to wall on both window walls, sheers on the second drapery rod, and finally the top-down roman shades using 90% shade cloth and Thermasuede fabric as a liner. I am almost done with the curtain project, but even with the shade cloth pinned in place on the west wall, the difference in heat gain is significant. This room is 12 x 12 give or take an inch. We changed out sliding closet doors for 2 pair of Jeldwen bifold shutter doors which I painted to match the crown molding and base boards and other wood work. The wicker chests are on either side of a full sized bed, with lots of breathing room. There is a rocking chair near the closet. There is a third chest between the closet and the door to the hall, and a wall mount TV is above the chest. So now I've ordered the Hudson queen size storage bed from Room and Board in cherry. It should arrive this month. I can hardly wait. It is a platform bed with no footboard, and no box springs, and it measures 60 x 80. A full bed is 54 x 75, so only a few significant inches of comfort which I look forward to having. But when the contractor finally comes, and bumps out the master bath for a tub and a long walk in closet, we'll be moving this new jewel to the back bedroom. This current bedroom will convert to a nice study/guest room. Only we seldom have over night guests, and may just put desks and bookcases in there until we move the contents of the up-north house. It seems to me that we have plenty of space in the 12 x 12 bedroom. Since we've repainted and made the room so peaceful, I will now take a horizontal break to meditate or read or chat on the phone. It looks good in natural or ambient light all times of day since northern exposures give true light, and the shade cloth gives a sense of separation from the street. Keeping active pursuits out of the bedroom is conducive to rest and separation from the cares of life.