I checked the forecast for the southeast Ches Bay - WU says "partly cloudy" now, but it's very clear. After rains stopped yesterday, it was very clear last night - many stars. Keep your fingers crossed - the cloudy weather may hold of a little longer.

Thanks Spruce. I've been known to hold plants so as to try and match up with a rain. I've also taken the step of having the forester order up an inch of rain per week and moderate temperatures for next year! This whole thing represents a departure for me-from my first plantings there in which I would hand-dig holes, mulch with woodchips and yes, even do some initial watering as best I could. I also used to trim around my trees and spray glyphosate rings. The trend has been away from all of that finally arriving at this machine-plant operation I've got lined up. Forester is not the guy I originally worked with, that guy retired, and this one was much less willing to reimburse me for my cadillac methods. Initially, I was peeved. I'd expected, and documented work hours to the tune of something like $1500 that year of transition. His offering was something like $150! But once we met up there and got talking, I decided his ideas had merit. Among them, the machine, which he says will do a really good job and a tighter stocking rate than I'd been doing, to allow for losses. Obviously, mulching will too be out of the question. When I began, that planting area was alfalfa. He said that a corn crop in the prior year would in effect give one year of free weed control, so when my farmer guy wanted to do corn, I said sure. He's into Roundup Ready which I do realize there is considerable legitimate question about, but I do think in the case of this planting, it too should be helpful. And while that area is at the very north limit of meaningful agriculture in this state, it is interesting to note that the corn up there did great, my field included, unlike the major growing areas further south. He's also big on an over the top herbicide spraying in year two, which I will also look into. There's guys that contract work like that out. I don't recall the chemical off the top of my head but I've got it here somewhere. All in all, this is a much bigger scale planting method. But for what I'm trying to accomplish, it sounds good. +oM

Well I sat outside in the back garden in my pajamas and housecoat in a deck chair and couldn't see much because the moon was too bright. So then I moved to a dark corner of the front garden where I lay on a lounge chair for about half an hour .....and I saw one meteorite.... ....just the one lol! However it was mild and the night blooming dama de noche was sending out a lovely perfume. There are tour groups here on the island which get together in a coach or minibus first for a meal and then a drive up the volcano with a guide to above the tree line near the top. They then sit with chairs, blankets and bottles of champagne to watch the sky. Then they go to one of the astronomy labs or a planetarium room on the top of the mountain for a talk. Sounds like a wonderful evening....but I would probably have a problem keeping awake. Apparently I wasn't the only one who didn't see much last night, but I hear now that the best viewing was around 5 a.m. by which time I was asleep in bed. SharonCb

I read that it gets 20-30 inches tall. But compared to the straight species, this definitely looks to have more branching and looks denser. And I suspect the lack of seeds will mean it will bloom more profusely.