Moni, we were getting ready to go into a corn maze. They give you brooms to hold up high if you find yourself lost. That way the people at the lookout tower can see you and help you out. Flamey, I too thought of MaryRose at first when I saw the gal in pink and I know she was there that day but I don't think that is her. It seems to me that her hair was more of a bob cut and she was a bit, uh, rounder. Jodi-

Oh lucky you! We LOVE that area, have spent many happy times in Flag, at the Canyon and in Sedona. There's not a lot to do in Flagstaff itself, other than admiring the San Francisco Mts, but the Canyon will leave you with your jaw dropped and Sedona is very beautiful, despite the tourists and over-building. Where are you staying in Flag? We like Little America a lot, although not for the food. There is also a lovely museum of Native American history and crafts which is well worth visiting. You will love the restaurant at El Tovar Lodge at the G.C. You can also hike along the canyon rim without getting so close that it bothers you (I also hate heights). Just be prepared for the place to be stuffed with wall-to-wall tourists in July. Take sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. In Sedona, the Pink Jeep tours are excellent. Personally I don't think much of the vortex idea, but the views from them are very good. There's an accessible vortex on the hill going up to the Sedona Airport. Sedona has some of the best shops and galleries in the Southwest. A special place to visit is Tlaquepaque (ta-lah-ka-pah-key) Square. This is an area of galleries and restaurants that is built in the style of an old Mexican town. Even if you don't buy anything - haha - just strolling around is great fun. I like Rene's French Restaurant there and also the very good Mexican one. The galleries are tremendous - take an empty credit card, lol. There are also good galleries across Oak Creek from Tlaquepaque, including one just over the bridge that specializes in Native American rugs and weavings. To die for. There are many shops on the main road through town, but lots of those are pretty junky. Best of all, IMHO, is the drive through and up Oak Creek Canyon on Highway 89, which connects Sedona to I-40 and Flag. I would drive it from the top down for a spectacular view that you will never forget. It's very, very twisty for about 15 minutes and then settles into an easy winding drive through O.C.C. that is just a dream. Personally, if I were you, I'd take one or two overnights in Sedona. You will want that much time, and it's a bit of a shlep back and forth from Flag. When we're in Sedona we stay at Sky Ranch Lodge, on Airport Mt. It's a well-kept motel, nothing remarkable, but OMG the views are incredible. At night, with the town lights below and the stars above, you'll think that you're in heaven! Enjoy!

Hi everyone ... if there may have been rumours of my demise, let me assure you that they were wildly exaggerated! I've made some major posts over on Saving and Finance. Covering and picking tomatoes and finishing with the garden. Cleaning and putting away the coverings that I used for the tomatoes. Pitching a number of tomatoes that won't ripen. Does anyone want some sprouted radishes? I think that I have hundreds of little seedlings that have come up after a number of the plants that grew in the spring went to seed: hundreds of pods. I plan to ask a fellow gardener who asked for some radish seeds tomorrow whether he'd like some sprouts to see whether he can bring the radishes to maturity in his house this fall, I plan to bring some in here, and think that I'll cover some of the ones in the garden with bales of straw, to see whether we can keep them surviving in the ground over winter. We had a federal election (with only about 6 weeks of electioneering - can you believe that?) ... not much change from before. So, about 30 million for ... minimal result. I had a substantial dispute with a local Member of Parliament in his campaign office a few days before the election ... about some generous tax benefits to rich guys ... but nuthin fer the rest of us. I said that an announcement that his boss The Prime Minister had made had rubbed salt into what had been an open wound of mine for years. He figures that I should pay taxes on my wages, pension, etc. ... but when his asset grows (doubles, maybe) he shouldn't have to pay tax on the extra income. As an owner of a Wendys, he seems to feel that the little gals who work there for minimum wage (plus a few cents an hour, maybe, if they're lucky), should pay tax on that income. But when the owner of the shop who paid, possibly a million for it ... ... later sells it for 2.5 million ... ... that there should be no tax on the increase (that's his opinion: the law doesn't say that [yet]). I don't suppose he'd be too interested in sharing some of the gain with the hard-working staff who'd helped him build the business. No room here for a full discussion of the systems that caused my open wounds ... but the salt that his boss offered was his plan to pay $750.00 to folks buying their first home, to help them pay closing costs. I said that if someone can't cover closing costs, and have some money for a down payment, as well ... ... that they have no business buying a home ... that they may well end up losing it. I said that it was such an approach to buying houses that triggered the avalanche of financial troubles that has bedevilled the U.S. financial system in the past year and a half - do they want to set such similar troubles in motion here?? But there are many more restrictions here to deter such possible troubles developing. My problems dealt with the exemption from income tax that owners of owner-occupied homes enjoy when selling ... but there's no parallel benefit for people who don't own their homes. A limited number of people (farmers and owners of small businesses) have recently enjoyed a major increase in what was a pretty generous exemption from capital gains tax when they sold their business ... but there was no similar exemption from capital gains tax from others of us who may have built them up. I'll be happy to provide more details to any Canadians who'd like to learn them - just contact me. U.S. folks are welcome, as well, but it'd be of minimal interest to most of you, I think. Some lunches and various activities at church, including "Commitment Sunday". Helping a friend get her computer email working better. I hope that you're all learning some interesting things and enjoying your week. ole joyful

This time of the year in that region can be very unsettled. As mentioned above, weather fronts move through with dramatic temperature drops. In the northeast New England states, expect wet and misty conditions for 1/3 of the days. Look at the wide area long range forecast. If you see a number of cyclonic storms forming in the Atlantic between Georgia and Africa, watch these. These storm systems may be spaced 2 to 3 days apart and as these gremlins march toward the US Atlantic coast. They turn northward as they approach the coast and sweep north. Landfall may be in New England bringing wet weather. As those progress northward, western cold fronts sweep these east bringing clear, but cold days. At that time of year, popular venues are not crowded during weekdays because the student crowd is engaged in school, for both high school and college. Summer resorts may be closed. The forests will be turning color. During the peak color season, the woods and associated roads will be filled with leaf-peepers over weekends. In my opinion, the maples in New Hampshire rival the color of those in Vermont. Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire have covered bridges, many you may have seen on Christmas and post cards. Light houses are good photo subjects as well. When you have the chance to photograph historic light houses, do so. These structures are disappearing.