Marric, we KNOW! Kurango decided to confuse everyone by taking down the picture of the REAL seed he was wondering about. He had seen little airborne seeds all over the place and was wondering if they might be a pest insect of some kind. See the attached link for the seed in question. The seed is from a common wildflower, yellow goatsbeard aka Tragopon pratensis. And you are one hundred percent right about the aphids. There are swollen aphid mummies, aphid adults and aphid babies, as well as plenty of shed skins laying all over the place. Here is a link that might be useful:

OK......been there and done that. I was in engineering for the first part of my career. There was an economic crises in the first half of the 70s and the booming techical fields went through a lot of downsizing when the war ended and I took that opportunity to make some career choices. The company I work for shut down and after several interviews for a new position decided I'd be better off taking that hiatus to go back to school. Being older and in a better position to know where I wanted my work life to take me, I decided to switch over and study ornamental landscaping with an emphasis on plant protection. In my senior year, a divorce happened, and a relocation and that option was not available at any university within commuting distance, so I ended up with a degree in nursing instead. At 40 (your age) and my kids out of school, I took the same leap and did just what you are wanting to do. The only jobs here were at two larger independent grower/landscaping/retail garden center combos. If I hadn't dumbed down my resume I'd have never been hired because your first jobs at places like that are always entry level unless you have that degree in hort. I was close, and with six years of university, and coursework in plant path, taxonomy, design and ag engineering and economics.........but unlike horseshoes, close to the stake doesn't count. Most jobs in the green industry without that hort degree are entry level. I wanted to be on the growing end of the operation and frankly, a mature woman with a powerful resume is at a disadvantage in the hiring process for such jobs. I had sized up the situation accurately because after the fact, I found the owner got resumes from women like that routinely and just figured that most of them didn't have a clue how much hard grunt work was involved and also knew growing flowers in a home garden bears little resemblance to growing thousands of them commercially. I took a 75% pay cut just to get my toe in the door and dumbed down my application and interview to get that. I knew that once I got in, I could use my skills and did. Kept my mouth shut and took every opportunity to learn the ropes of the business and after a couple years, left and broke out on my own. You need to know what branch of this trade you want to be in. I knew retail garden center wasn't my goal. You need to scope out the job opportunities in your immediate area. It's amazing how many different types of skills are needed in the green industry. Working with the public selling posies is a small segment. Know your strengths and know that home gardening at a large growing operation is like comparing a candy striper to a surgeon. Many employers would not be impressed with your credentials in the hort field and actually might be discriminatory of your credentials in other fields. It's their loss but it happens because of their mindsets. Get 'out there' and see what you want to do and with whom and what they have to offer and have some discourse with owners and employees before you write that resume. You'll answer your own question better than we can answer it for you. I just retired this year and closed my business down after nearly a quarter century in the trade. I am so glad I did it, but this is not an easy question to answer.

Now that Austin has been walking for the last few months I never wish twins on anyone again! LOL...he and Seth are only 5 months apart...but when Austin's feet hit the floor running he has matured 5 months! The 2 of them keep me running all day long!My partners in crime! I used to think how fun twins would be....uh-uh, no more! They keep me laughing too....but more running and no-no-ing! One would be enough for ya Steph.....Grant will need extra attention too!

stephanie I don't know how much weight, and I really don't want to know. I do know, what I need, and I did leave a few things behind, cause Anna posted in my guest book, and suggested some. Here is the list of what I took: left front aka clothing pannier: 3 pairs of socks (only wore one pair the whole trip, but of course, washed it several times), 1 pair tights (only worn once), 3 tops/jerseys ( 1 long sleeve, 1 short sleeve, and 1 sleeveless), 3 cycling shorts, 1 pearl izumi cycling vest, arm warmers, knee warmers, 2 pair cycling gloves, 3 Bandanas, headbands, for off the bike I have 1 swim suit (never used it, went swimming twice at the end of the day, but just wore my cycling clothes, thus, pre rinsed them), 1 long sleeve cool max Tshirt, 1 long sleeve merino wool top, 3 underwear, 1 casual shorts, 1 sun protection hat (worn only on two camping afternoons) and one stocking cap. Along with toiletries: toothbrush, paste, floss, comb, nail clippers& file, lip balm, sunscreen, soap, shampoo, razor, deodorant, lotion, towel, scrunchie sponge (ended up leaving it at Kelly's apartment), glasses cleaner, mosquito repellent, pills/ibuprofin/vitamins, ALLERGY SHOT STUFF, spare zip lock bags right front pannier: REI sleeping bag rated at 30 degrees, silk sleeping bag liner (left behind because of Anna's notes in my guest book), emergency bivy sack for adding on colder nights (didn't need it, never used), Big Agnes insulated air core sleeping mat, earplugs, small headlamp (this is my flash light), and a small pillow right rear pannier: Kelty Crestone two man tent/ground cloth, spare tire, 2 1 liter platypus bladders (soft bottles), clothes pins and line, solar shower and 1 pair of off bike sandals. In one of the outside pockets are my rain pants; 1 pair water proof socks and water proof gloves, in another pocket a tube to use as a tent pole splint, along with assorted screws for replacements as needed, brake pads, electrical tape, zip ties, hose clamp. first aid kit (mainly to handle road rash), solar cell phone charger (also left behind because of Anna, and I wouldn't have needed it anyway) and regular cell phone charger. In the long tube/pocket are my tent poles and stakes. left rear pannier: alcohol stove, pots/lexan spoon fork etc., matches, knife, journal, pen (emergency contact list written in the back of my journal, along with addresses), book. In the outside pocket is my rain jacket and in another pocket are: sewing kit, maps and address cards for this website. Kleenex/toilet paper, maps, allergy shot stuff, spare bite valve, and spare rear view mirror and in the rear pocket are: white lightning, fuel bottle, and sun screen also along are credit card, insurance card, sunglasses, clear prescription glasses, camera, Bike Equipment bike, tire pump, panniers, helmet, two water bottles, cable lock, cyclometer instructions! (copy only the page I really need), camelbak, Bike Maintenance and Repair is in the trunk bag: patch kit and 3 spare tubes, tire irons (plastic), Alien tool, Allen keys (5,6 mm), spoke wrench, in my camelbak lives a FiberFix Emergency Kevlar replacement spoke and butt cream (bag balm), and my phone. I wash my clothes every day, after I shower. Moni