The first pic says it all. WOW. Thanks for posting the pics. Glad you had a great time. Brent is wonderful and also a member of FieLDS (Finger Lakes Daylily Society). One year I'll make it there to see all that beauty but probably not this year. I hear that ODS (Ontario Daylily Society) will host the Region 4 next year so maybe an opportunity to stop on the way back home from that trip. Julia

I feel terrible that I missplled the man's name. Its Cory not Cori. The place was great and well worth the 1.75 hour drive (one way). There was no deer fence. Robert (the owner) did say that he sprayed with liquid fence and in the fall would thin the herd a little on his own. You can see his deer blind in the 2nd picture near the middle, off in the distance and his bait station at about 3 o'clock in the photo. I asked him about seeds and he says he rarely has seeds because the deer always get to the scapes first. He did have two originals. I'm regretting not picking one up while I was there. I absolutely loved the fallen tree with the Junes planted in it. What a cool place to put hosta.

You should thank Pebbles for giving you another view because there may be some parents you haven't heard from as yet who don't feel the way you do. It's important to understand that if you are to be effective in changing this situation. It may flatter your ego that you've been ask to "take it to the streets" as you say. I wouldn't go about it that way. I'd take a quiet, methodical approach and attempt to build a consensus with a specific alternative plan of how this *should* work -- a plan which is reasonable, will not sound like you are trying to take over the school and dictate how they should be running things (not your responsibility after all though you can certainly take your kids out of the band), and a plan that has a prayer of being adopted. You can make this into a diva vs diva situation, polarize the community, get everybody screaming, upset a lot of the kids even more and end up in a fight that goes on and on with everyone dug in. Because that's how these things usually go. Or you could quietly call someone who knows municipal and public law, an accountant, a travel agent, a child psychologist, a couple of other parents (maybe one a teacher) who know how to keep their mouths more shut than not, and produce something concrete. Figure out how to get your plan out there to be legally and logically considered, a plan that will benefit everyone and be reasonable. But I will bet that if you are emotional about this and go on about it and turn it into a crusade it will be less effective than it might be. We have a lot of that where I live. Somebody's always screaming about something and even when it's worthy you just tune them out. The bottom line for me -- and I say this as someone who has no children in the school system so I don't know what this sort of thing should/would cost -- it sounds very much like the school board members in our city who were having "meetings" in fancy hotels around the country and traveling there to meet with various educators on other issues and it was a complete reprehensible boondoggle -- free vacations. Or the school superindentant who ordered a $3000 leather couch for her office. In our community the tabloids get hold of the $3000 couches or the $125 catered lunches and people don't stay in those jobs very long because after 1 or 2 front pages and public humiliation and photos that make them look like they're taking the perp walk, there's pressure on the mayor and the school board to act. Public education in this country is a disgrace in many states. And while band is certainly an excellent and creative activity and a great experience I'm sure, I'd rather see that kind of money go into books, facilities, enrichment programs, special education. I'm sure many parents feel the same way (and of course some won't). But if it's not done in the right way the principal and band director are going to marshall their forces and roll right over you and the other parents without even looking back. Then it's your kids who will suffer.

That's horrible that you're having to deal with this, but get locks on the gate(s) ASAP. No one should step inside your fence/gates if you don't want them there. I have locks on all three gates going to the fenced back yard, and I keep them locked at all times. They have code numbers, so I don't have to carry a key. I am absolutly amazed at the number of "normal" people who don't have enough sense to shut and secure a gate, immediatly if not faster, as soon as they walk through it. Open gate, step through, shut and secure gate; it seems so easy to me. "Oh I was just going to be a minute." is the usual response I get when I have to get up in someones face about not shuting the gate tightly (before I got locks). My dogs can get out, be gone, or get killed in a few seconds. They're hunters; it's out the gate and after something before you can blink an eye, and there's no calling them back. We fixed the fence and gates so none of the utility meters are inside the fenced yard. All the meter readers can check them from outside the gate. I've "briefed" every delivery person, and after having to practically put one guy up against the wall, I think they've finally learned to not come in my gate, unlocked or not. The front door is, ha-ha, in front of the house, by the driveway. Why don't they take the packages there? I'd like to leave the one gate we use from the driveway to the mudroom unlocked, and if I'm home I sometimes do. Still, I have to keep an eye on it all day long.