An allergy is actually one's body attacking itself. If weakened immune systems make some people suscepible to pathogens, such as those some yack about in cat poop, I take it you have never had a serious allergy attack and what that does to ones system. I spent two days sitting in a chair due to a doctor giving me a medicine I was allergic to after the doctor who gave me the medicine said if my headache, no one ever found out what caused it, did not go away within three days he was going to send me for a brain scan. The headache went away, I recovered from looking like the poppin fresh dough boy. Some allergins make you simply puff up and it is very hard to go up and down stairs and breathe. Later, same year, I spent forty days in the hospital as the specialist said "we will send you home when we find the bug that is killing you." Are they related not likely. Had they happened at the same time, as the doctor who cut me open was amazed I was able to walk into the hospital, had the allergies happened later only God knows how that would have turned out. So if one is not allergic to much of anything, any poop related pathogens will probaly just give the one the runs and a few headaches but if the one has allergies, the one becomes far, far more susceptible to a pathogen attacking the one's immunes system as it may be compromised from the body already attacking itself. I never had the test and learned and recovered the hard ways. Get the test and one will know a lot more about how well his immune system is working.

Thank you all for the comments. Glad your enjoying the pics. I'd rather see blooms than the white stuff on the ground. COTTAGE CANDY is a keeper. VICTORIAN LACE survived but its bloom is butt ugly and doesn't even look like VL. It tried to open yesterday and seems to be hung up. I went back here on the forum and looked at posters photos and sure doesn't have the same coloring. I'm not sure if its a weather thing or the wrong plant. Time will tell. Kathy: Yes, the picture quality is just as good inside as out. I use a Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT with a telephoto lens that has IS. I haven't ever taken the lens off and put back the original lens back on since I started using it. I think I will try it just to see what the difference in picture quality would be outside. I love this camera even if it is heavier than the Canon Powershot SD800 IS, which I also have. Vickie: I reset the camera so that if the CF card is not in the camera it will display a message. But you are right...I did get to go back out and visit the garden again ;-). As a tip, if you want to know what camera someone is using for their pictures,settings, etc, you can click on the photo and typically it will take you to the posters album photo in whatever web hosting site they are using. You will see on the right side "Photo Info" which you click on the little arrow next to it (Photobucket) or it will open with all the Photo Info listed (Picasa). Also know that if you haven't marked your albums as "Private" anyone can access all your photo albums, if that matters to you. Julia

Today . . . (knock on wood !!!), the ants aren't winning, but then we're due for a big rain, so I'm sure they'll be coming back in droves !!! Weed, thanks for the tip on Tat - will make a HD run and pick some up -- Figure I'll try everything mentioned here - Flyleft -- I squished the ants, and no smell -- so guess they're just run-of-the-mill annoying no-use ants !! (Not that they would be useful if they had an odor !!) Lisa, interesting that you mentioned granite !! Our granite is Vyara, and parts of it has black/blue small specks that really do keep the ants camouflaged sometimes. Just yukky !!! However, I do love my granite, so price to pay, I guess !!! Compumom, I'm beginning to think that we will have to resort to an exterminator, much as I hate to, because I'm thinking they just have to be hanging out in our walls !! They were coming out of the granite edges, so obviously are between the granite and plywood somehow -- and I haven't a CLUE how they get into the dishwasher !! THAT is what's really irritating me !!!!!! OH -- WELL !!! -- I could certainly have worse things to deal with, so guess I should keep this all in perspective ! They really do tend to get on that last nerve, however !!! Thanks again, everyone, for your tips !!! C.

My sister's family and I were driving to watch the eclipse the other day, and before we got very far we passed a bunch of emergency vehicles. We could see a whole line of rolled hay bales charred and smoking. Someone must have rolled it up too soon. Funny thing is that there was no rain forecast at all. Around here, the guys with round balers go from farm to farm rolling hay. My guess is that they were trying to get as much done as possible (more cash) and jumped the gun. Can't be sure why they rolled it wet, but it's a reminder that it can happen. I guess another cause is that someone flicked a cigarette butt... but that's doubtful, it looked like fairly new hay.