A question for the more informed - who and how is it determined that a species is native or non native? And is this like everything historical - that history is only what we have actually found? I personally, from observing and being involved with rugosas for quite some time now, find it difficult to believe that this species has distributed itself to the degree it now exists in the possible time allotted. I also, don't put much stock in introduction dates as more than rough guidelines.I am descended from a long line of sea captains and know from family history that these people were keen observers of plant material and brought back all sorts of plant treasures (rugosas in seed,or plant form would have traveled well and there was no USDA then.) Plus sailing the Maine coast for example, I've found rugosas in the most remote and never inhabited locations. Having grown at least 500 rugosas in my gardens for over 25 years, I really can't fathom that this species could have distributed itself so thoroughly in the possible 400 year time frame. A couple of other tidbits that regrettably I can't remember sources for or there simply weren't any: Somewhere I read that there were 'rugosa farms' in New England for the production of rose hips for vitamin C aboard the sailing ships. Also, apparently there are confirmed native colonies of rugosas in Alaska.

I remember my first time in Newport - walking around in the harbor area in the evening after a romantic dinner (before Ken's time, LOL) and everybody was talking about "A Snowball In Hell" and asking have you had one? Well, after a whole bunch of different people told us "you have to have one" and wouldn't tell us what it was - just that "you have to have one" - so of course we hit that bar - well, it wasn't a drink after all (like we thought it was) - it was an incredible concoction of - freshly made to order - a martini glass, freshly and completely dipped in hot fudge to coat the entire glass, scoop of vanilla ice cream, more hot fudge to cover, and some coconut on top. OMG - still warm fudge that you just lick off your glass - maybe you need a spoon for the ice cream, I forget :)

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

Roger, This will be my last response because I think the issues have been resolved and everyone is moving on to greener pastures hopefully. I think we all reached out to kpaquette because she has had a number of unfortunate issues arise during this long distance remodel. Remodeling from far away is in and of itself a stressful process, but she has had several other problems and is also dealing with an ailing cat who is a beloved family pet so we wanted to reach out and give her a big internet hug. Most of us did also point out that the sink cut out was the responsibility of the cabinetmaker and she (OP) conceded that point fairly early on. That can be one of those things that gets lost in translation. I myself have had several things slip through the cracks and I'm here everyday, but between subs speaking to my husband and also to me, we sometimes fail to communicate everything to one another. All that said, I think it's nice that you wanted to set the record straight, and as a former sales/marketing person myself I think it's important to get both sides of a story out so that the reputation of your company isn't damaged. There are many glowing reports of Texiera on here so I don't really think there is much fear of that in your case. I did have to chuckle a bit when I read you were a commercial pilot, my husband is also a pilot and even attended the Navy's Test Pilot School. Pilots tend to be a breed among themselves...very much about setting things straight and staying within the letter of the law so to speak! I hope you don't take that as an insult, it was just something I might have guessed on my own had you not mentioned it! ;-) Kat :)