What a nice story. The "Question of the Day", yesterday, for the "Free Kibble" site was about George, too. (I hope I'm not breaking any copyright laws by posting this!) Anyway, here it is: Q: Pres. George Washington bred American Foxhounds; which of the following were NOT names of his dogs? A. Sugar and Spice B. Sweetlips and True Love C. Captain and Rover D. Drunkard and Tipsy If you go to the "Free Kibble" site and answer today's question, you can access a trivia archive, where you can find the answer.

Solana asked in an old post if anyone had read "Lad, a Dog" but no one responded. The author, whose house may have been haunted by a dog, was Albert Payson Terhune, the author of many touching books about dogs. Terhune was famous for his rough collies but a large, short haired mongrel named Rex was seen by several guests laying at Terhunes feet ... after the dog had died. On at least two occasions, guests later in the evening asked about the devoted dog who so lovingly stayed by his master. Terhune was astonished, as he never saw the ghost himself. But when guests would later decribe the dog down to Rex's scared forehead, there could be no doubt as to what dog had been seen resting at Terhune's feet. Another of Terhunes indoor dogs, Bruce, always detoured around Rex's favorite resting spot. Bruce would be called, and everytime, the dog would make the strange little detour as if avoiding an invisible object. For the four years Bruce out-lived Rex, he always went around Rex's spot. This comes from "Strange But True, 22 Amazing Stories" by David Duncan.

Lhylcn- sealing should ideally be done both by the fabricator in his shop, and again in your kitchen once installed. Most sealer manufacturers I've spoken to say there's no exact number or times it should be done, but it usually takes several applications until every part of the marble is sufficiently sealed. This is tested by letting water sit on the surface of the marble and making sure it beads up well rather than soaking right in. Honing is just a process that makes the marble "dull" rather than shiny. It's a personal preference. My Vermont Danby marble is very honed, very little sheen. Red- two things that have etched my marble instantly are tomatoes and lemon juice. I'd think ketchup would etch, too, being tomato-based. Etching, though, seems not to bother most marble owners, myself included. You can only see it in certain lights, and it's a part of the patina of the living stone. As far as staining, my counters are sealed with Porous Plus 511, and could easily handle ketchup sitting on them for awhile with no stains. I've had coffee droplets that splashed from the Keurig sit overnight and just wipe up the next morning. I have no stains at all. The counter have only been in for about 2 months or a little less, but I've cooked a lot in these months, have had house guests and hosted Easter at the house, no stains! That said, the Vermont Danby marbles are known for being less porous--and therefore a bit more stain-resistant--than many other marbles.

Had my share of Austin addiction. Would not do without some of them (Heritage, Lady of Shallot, Teasing Georgia and CPM), but would not ever touch some of the dogs again, ever..... :) I suspect that their power to demand a premium might be "diluted" in the future as (i) more rose breeders doing the same things they do (e.g., flower types) and (ii) they focus more on disease resistance (and thus their roses become more "generic"). Whatever the case may be, I am actually very grateful to them: without them, I probably would not be growing roses today. Four or five years ago, 90% of my mail orders would be Austins. This year, out of the 15 roses I got, only two of them are. It is not that I don't like/love Austins anymore. It is just I have learned a lot more about what roses might take to my climate and garden, and which roses might not. But there would always be some Austins in my garden and roses from other breeders, unless, of course, RDD and rose midge render it completely pointless in growing roses here. Knock on wood, but I hope that the day never comes, and for now, I am looking forward to seeing my Abes, the Ladies, and Princesses from Austins in bloom hopefully in 5 to 6 weeks.