I know the 'telephone' sound.....we call them fax frogs. Check out the advertisement call of the American toad and also the grey tree frog and see if it's the same one you're hearing. Have you ever heard a snowy cricket.....and I do not know how something that small packs such a wallop. One of them got into my kitchen and started singing in the middle of the night. The old schnauzer flew out of his bed, well he nearly levitated and he was almost deaf and would not be settled until I caught the cricket and put him outside. It was nearly as loud floating in through the open kitchen window. I'd never seen one until that night, but googled it because man.......was I impressed. They're also called thermometer crickets, because you can count how many times they trill in a given number of seconds and add a constant and it'll give you your temperature. I also had a mockingbird who could imitate the sound of my house phone. One day I flew in and out of the house at least a dozen times to catch it before the answering machine picked up only to find out the phone wasn't rining. Looked up and saw it sitting on an electric line and I swear it was laughing at me.

I can definitely relate Wendy. I met a 'gardener' in the neighbourhood when I first moved here and was so excited. The first winter I sowed things, she asked for some of the seedlings Angelica Gigas and KMOTGG. I grew them on and gave her nice sized plants. Three weeks later I was at her place and saw them under the deck - DEAD! Since then, I am very picky about those I give seedlings to. She came to my plant sale this weekend and bought some plants then spotted a Brunnera Jack Frost in the gardens and asked for a division. I told her it would be a while before that plant was divided and she could purchase it at a nursery located 2 hours drive away. :O) Yep, I know how you felt, but take solace in that your Asclepias and Lupines went into our gardens this past weekend and are weathering the heat we're having today. They are all little troopers!!

Does she enjoy family reunions? Maybe you could organize a "family party" near her birthday (I agree August is pretty far off) and have a nice cake with candles. For my 50th, my husband gave me the nicest gift, and it might be nice for your aunt, too, because she doesn't like to be the center of attention and might not like toasts or tributes to her at the party. He contacted all the relatives and friends -- including old friends from school and even camp! -- and asked them to send him a favorite memory or story. He put photos in, too. I ADORE it -- it's the nicest gift I ever got. We had done this years for my parents' 40th anniversary, and they loved it, too. So you could do this for your aunt; buy a pretty scrapbook and ask all the relatives and, if you know who her best friends are, them, too, to contribute. Maybe you could invite a few of her friends to the dinner, too? If all of this would still be too much fuss for her, maybe just have a small group take her for a little trip or something. Then the focus is off her, even though she is the guest of honor. We and my SIL's family are taking my MIL on a family trip for her 80th (although she LOVES being the center of attention!). If that is still too much, then just take her to dinner at the best restaurant you can do and give her a nice gift and/or a generous gift to her favorite charity. If I were your aunt, I would love any of these, because they all share the most important thing: they show you love and honor her. You are a good niece!

Those bread crumbs could have been dipped in antifreeze or another poison. Please make certain your pup is on leash in that area in the future, and you can teach her not to put things into her mouth by carrying a tiny travel size toothpaste or a tiny bottle of tobasco and dose your dog (it takes very little) after it puts something in its mouth it should not have there. I trained my dog this way, when he was a pup, I would take a tiny dab of the toothpaste (smaller than your little fingers fingernail) and place it on your dogs tongue, now some dogs actually like toothpaste and so tobasco sauce can work as well. A small dab should do it. A couple of times and your dog will stop puttig things in its mouth. It took my dog only 3 times, tho I carried the travel tube for 6 months. Good luck, hope your dog is okay.