No, Paul, I live on O'ahu, but that quake was a 6.6, and it was felt all the way to Kaua'i. It didn't do any major damage on this island, but it was enough to knock Hawaiian Electric's generators out of wack, so all of the islands were without power most of Sunday. Without electricity, the pumping stations can't move water around the island either, and everything kind of falls apart. Fortunately it wasn't serious, and they got everybody back on line by the following morning. People on the Big Island had more structural damage, and some landslides, but as far as I know no one was hurt. It was centered about 10 miles off Kailua-Kona, rather than where the volcanic activity is taking place, which is what I would have thought too. They described it as plate slippage, much like the San Andreas fault in California. I grew up in CA, so I'm used to (mild) earthquakes, but this was about as strong as I've ever experienced. We don't get that kind too often, but we do have an occasional quake. We actually had a lot worse damage early in the year due to unremitting heavy rains and flooding, and then six months of drought....... I guess it's been a bad year for weather all around, by the sound of it!

So if the jars are opened and tasted, win a ribbon,they are not displayed? They keep them for display here. Only last year did the new, young girl open the jams and jellies, prior to that they didn't open and taste, They are afraid of illness.I can understand, the year I judged at the pumpkin/apple fall festival I promptly came home and threw up. To this day I cannot eat a cream cheese frosting. Our new ag director is lazy, he got rid of all the contests that had corporate sponsors, big cash awards and a free pass the day of the contest to bring in the product. I have one of the fair shares we get parking, 14 passes and 2 show tickets. The shares now sell for $10,000, can you tell we like the fair around here? We are very limited to the amounts we can enter, if I make 2 different cherry jams I can only enter one cherry. Other than that you have a misc jam category, my own Rhuberries Jam came in 2nd last year I was proud of that, fruits usually don't place for that it is usually the habeneros that win there cause they have no other place to go. Wow Shirley 20.00 entry fee! Ours here is 2.00 per person per building, we have the ag building, the hort building and the arts and crafts buildings for general public, then the kids have the education building. Premiums are low here, 9.00 for a blue for most of the things in the ag building and 3.00 for a blue in the hort building. Plus you are competing with businesses. The giant pumpkin you get 25.00 and bragging rights. I am doing another scare crow display that is 100.00 blue, won 75.00 2nd 2 years ago for Rosie the Rivitor. Creative Arts Canned Goods, intresting,do they have the premium book online? A few of the old ladies and I were talking last year, we didn't know our canned displays could have other items in the basket and the one that threw a jam jar in won circle of champions, we know this year, lol. look out competiton is going to be heavy.

Major congratulations!!! Babies are the BEST! We had twin granddaughters born on Oct. 7 and they are so precious. Hope you get to see her soon!

Oh, Granlan, they live in my neck of the woods! They are so cute. However, I have to admit when I recall the newborn sleep deprivation days, I don't know if I could've handled 3! LOL I bet Mommy is just glad they are here safe and sound. Sheryl in Portland