Well, The Rime isn't in "old English"...that would be Chaucer. There are glossed versions with his interpretations of certain words in the margins. As for what the Albatross represents....better critics than you and I have debated that. I think the bird represents an angel, perhaps Christ? Notice that it appears to lead them from the ice and all is good as long as it follows, the Mariner shoots it and all turns bad.....and in anger his mates hang the dead bird around his neck. To punish him? To remind him of his transgressions? To remind him that a good force came to lead and he killed it? And when all is at it's worst and all but him have died, in desperation he prays.....and the albatross drops and sinks into the sea...?? What I find more mystifying, why a wedding guest? And the frequent references to the clergy in the church and the bride?

And yes calliope, non-native bugs, blights, fungi and diseases have wreaked havoc on many of our natives once they got imported here. Those were unfortunately a by-product of bringing plant material from other places; the chestnut blight, for example, came in on an Asian chestnut stock that was brought over as a new landscape plant. Their ability to eat and affect the American cousins of their host plant was unfortunate. This is what I am getting at, not only can alien insects thrive on our native trees, our native insects can thrive on alien trees. It works both ways. I'm in your camp actually about introduced species, but pandora's box is already open now. Yes, yes, yes there are overused non-native trees and many of them are weeds when they reach our shores. I live near a city where urban planting is rife with bradford pear they replace and replace as they die. Burning bushes run ramplant through the landscapes from escape from gardens. We absolutely need to rethink it and I support that movement. But it lacks credibility when it's applied too broadly to an either/or choice.

Cooling degree days are absolutely helpful for me as I come to realize that my tomatoes do very well if I set them out when the Forsythia approaches full bloom (774 gdd) not unlike that old phrase to plant corn when the dogwood blooms. (166 gdd) That peculiar saying of planting tomatoes on Memorial Day here in CT is borscht because I would never be able to pick by the 4th of July if I followed that gibberish. It is time to spray plum trees when GDD is 1000 as that is when the bugs return to the trees. With some accuracy, I can predict when the locust (1447 gdd) will sing, when the peepers (794 gdd) will be heard, when the crickets (1478 gdd) start to keep me awake at night not to mention the Katydids (1929 gdd). When I compared by tracking of first color of a plant, when full bloom happens and when the plant is done blooming then compared it with my mother's hand written notes from the 60s and 70s, I can see that they are in fact blooming later in the year. After four years of tracking GDD, I can start to guess see all this in numbers. Granted, there will be some variance of a few dozen GDD but it can be tracked. The longer I do,the more accurate it gets. I believe that these numbers are independent of zone or location if these plants and insects are present. If I filter my list by GDD, I can see which plants will bloom together so I can plant them with each other for special splashed of color at times throughout the year. Jack will be preaching from his pulpit on 749 gdd. Start looking for fireflies at 724 gdd. After all, isn't that what it is all about?

I have no idea which blue but it is beaitful. I agree it has some aqua or teal in it. The lighting is so dark in that image it almost looks like wallpaper to me. Here are some blue teals that I have that are not the picture but maybe can inspire you. I would say there is lots of gray in the color too making it less saturated but still dark. Nice color. I hope you find it. You can try this iphone app called Color Capture and Color Snap. This can help find the hue through their phone. I can not say it always works but it can't hurt to try. ~boxerpups Oh and I love those danes. Adorable. (your pic) My best guess on a BM paint Blue Danube BM BM BM Van Duesen Blue BM Marine Blue BM Sea Star BM Claydon Blue BM Frank Roop Design Photo Byer (I was told this is a mix of two colors)