i am so glad i found this forum! my family has also taken on a "pet" horn worm and basically rescued it from being squashed from grandpa. my 4 year old loves it and we've been feeding it tomatoes and leaves daily. this morning we woke up and basically thought it was dying- it was not looking good and we thought maybe the cat got to it (still a possibility?) anyway, thanks to wikipedia i was happy to learn about the pre-pupua stage and i think that's where it is. he is currently in a plastic food storage container and i learned that they molt in dirt. just added some dirt. any suggestions? i'm a little confused about the fridge thing? we live in san diego and i was hoping just to release the moth whenever it's ready (when will it be ready?) do i need to continue to feed it? it's not eating right now. thanks in advanced for any help. this is my first worm/caterpillar and a little clueless but thrilled to know i'm not the only one caring for something that most people view as "pests."

Hey Everyone......Thanks for missing me. I should have taken a minute to say hello because I come here two or three times a week. Just haven't had a lot to contribute because I didn't get too much canned last year......I am feeling much better and regaining a lot of my energy after all that chemo. I got a good buy on apples and came to get LindaLous Jam recipe. I have it on another computer but it was easier just to search for it hear. I'm excited about gardening season. Have just 1 and 1/4 lungs and tend to be a little short of breath but if I do it all slow and easy, I get it done. I resorted to getting some help last year with the hard chores and at 72 years old, it's time to think about help don't you think.....I am excited though about garden season.

Krista, Your website is great! I can appreciate your dilemma as I had the same problem when I went looking for neat cool containers to grow Selaginellas in. The best thing I found was a thin glass bowl with a lid-I supposed it was for candies or cookies ?? at the local Target store. There were also larger thicker glass cookie jars with lids-got one with an Africa Violet growing in it (without the lid-it is in my greenhouse). If you love browsing then take your time but in the meantime a very inexpensive container is one of the large plastic containers that bulk candy is sold in. I am not too sure where you can find it there but perhaps at a Costco type of store where you have to buy in bulk, cases, etc. Also check out grocers or WalMart etc for large containers, like pickle jars etc that may be adaptable and cool. Take your time. From your site bet you like Celtic? The link is to someone's site who is a kindred spirit. Also you may enjoy Jessica Galbreth My spirit animal is bear. Here is a link that might be useful: Renae Taylor

Let's see ... ... got up yesterday near noon, spent afternoon preparing and seeding garden, including dropping water into trenches prior to seeding. Planting seeds to set up a new asparagus bed. After dark, made supper, checked some emails. Felt a bit of a tickle on the hand - tick. Did for him, about the ninth one, so far, and three have nicked me ... so far with no untoward results. Quite a bit of paper work dealing with a new project that I'm setting up, offshoot of an earlier one. Spent some time reading a book, "Running on Empty" by a former U.S. Sec'y. of Commerce (under Nixon), written in 2004. More activity on computer, including several postings here, talking to you folks. Figured that I should go to bed, to sleep when sun does, not using lights during few hours of darkness ... but postponed it. Checked some end-of-week stock prices. Dealt with some emails. Did some posting on THS, including KT ... and a fair major one on "Saving". Some rain during the night. Still busy by daylight. After daylight, brought stuff in from car, including water from city taps for drinking and cooking. Plus some bulk candy, some of which I've enjoyed through today. Some breakfast. Discussion with landord about where he wants to put his stuff in the garden, which is all staked ... and that to accomodate his tiller, that cuts over 40" wide. Fed, watered cats. Checked garden ... some peas coming up, and some corn just showing. Heavy rain for a short period during the morning. Some more planning about what to do in garden ... had bought strawberry seeds, but decided that I wanted them in part of garden that's already planted. Discussed with landlord whether to let them lie till next year. But may decide to plant them along with the things that are planted where I want them to be ... they can grow together: doubt that they'll fight. After investment discussion group on Wed. night, one guy left his jacket, I tried to catch him, still have the jacket, tried to find phone No., will have to send email. Friend asked me to buy him cigs., I went down the road and got some ... likely see him tomorrow ... he's just about out ...and you know how antsy addicts get when they don't get their fix! Oh, yes - while looking in desk ... found sticker certifying my vehicle licence was renewed (it was cold and messy on the day that I got it). Driver testers would ride with me only after I showed them sticker in registration certificate. Also, police pulled son and me over the other night, no ticket: accepted the sticker in the registration certif. But female accompanying him was distressed by the empty beer cans in the car ... wanted assurance that we hadn't been drinking. I should have suggested that she smell them, for there was no odour ... and mud on some of them: from the roadside. Just installed the sticker: that should keep the authorities happy for a while. Now I need to add the rest of the paper to the stack of receipts ... $74.00. The kitten that didn't show till it was half grown, and has been rather skittish till a while ago, but when it got some petting decided that it liked it, spent some time with me. Her mother will follow me to the garden or part way to get the mail ... but if I get my hand within about 9" of her, will swat me ... and she means business: draws blood. But expects me to feed her. Sort of like a teen ager, I guess. It's fully dark: 9:35. I guess I'll get a snack ... and go to bed. Just about out of bread,will have to put another loaf to bake. I usually make the dry mixings for about 5 at a time (as I store the flour at the other end of the house, to avoid the moths ... so far successfully) and I'd used the last container last time. So brought out the flour ... and found that I had one mix left, so I've put it to bake. When the measuring cup dries, I'll make up 5 mixes, then put the flour away again. I've been checking store specials next week, as will be in town tomorrow and probably not otherwise till Thurs or so. About all that interests me is good price on choc. milk. As I said a week or so ago ... since I'm on dial-up internet connection, I've been trying to figure ways to break household and kitchen chores into 15-, 30- and 45-second segments, in order to keep me from chewing fingernails while waiting for downloads. I hope that your weekend is meeting all of your expectations ... so far ... and continues to do so. It is Saturday ... isn't it? When one's retired ... every day's Saturday. ole joyful