GREAT thread! I've been reading it throughout the weekend, but have been too distracted to post. Monday morning now...hubby back to work...you get the idea... Did spend all yesterday messin' with my grafts. Most of the Pinus mugo, and several more Picea pungens rootstock have died. After a closer inspection it looks like too much moisture, as silvervista suggested earlier. Between the humidifier, packing in damp coir, and the second banding layer with parafilm I, as Ken would say, killed them with kindness... They have all been systematically unpacked of coir, stripped of parafilm, sprayed with Phyton fungicide, and put back into the grafting case. David also helped me upgrade the humidifying system by adding to the ultrasonic humidifier's outlet a 40" length of 2" PVC pipe with 1/4" holes drilled every 1.5": Now it will take me a few days to get a timer adjusted so things don't get too wet... And just so you don't go thinking that everything I attempt to graft dies, there are three shelves that look like this: href="http://s385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/barbaraincalif/?action=view¤t=P5040035.jpg" target="_blank"> Barbara

Sue, As long as they don't add, "Crazy" in front of "cat lady"....I am known as the cat lady in our neighborhood and I honestly think there might be a sign at the end of the street, "Home for Wayward Cat/kittens" and it's pointed right at my house.... My Dh, like your's, has put his foot down, softly...(He's almost as bad as me.) At one time, we had 2 feral mommas on the patio and each had had a litter of 6...When the kits started getting older the mothers tried taking them into the bushes, to teach them to live on their own...That's when we bundled up all the kittens, put them in our basement and would bring them out for feedings...We had to sit with them and as soon as they were done eating, back in the basement...There were times when momma would start through the yard, make a noise and all the babies would run after her...My DH would run with a big box and be scooping up kittens along the way...As soon as the kittens were weaned, we were able to get them adopted...It was like giving up my own kids and boy did I screen the new parents...We were able to get those 2 females spayed and they are still living on our patio....I loved having all those little ones and often would foster for one of our local no kill shelters. From fostering, I did keep 2 little girls and now when I mention fostering, DH gives me that look....But what a thrill, watching them grow.....I keep saying, if I ever win that lottery, I'll have the best shelter around.....See, how I can go on and on when it comes to talking about fur babies.......You should be around when I pull out the pictures....

Nick, my favorite mezzo in trouser roles was (the late) Tatyana Troyanos, an American with the origin from your beautiful country. Carol, I don't know how far back early music you like, but in opera I think someone like Cavalli might fit the bill and this performance by a fab French countertenor Damaux is as good as it gets, I think. Seeing him at the Met's Giulio Cesare a couple of years ago made me a (albeit, somewhat reluctant) convert to countertenors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWWsHP7OooM One day, I hope we might have a thread about roses and classical music/opera. In my garden, I have a little "Richard Strauss corner" recreating flowers from his last song including a rose, though, like you, I prefer Italian (Verdi!).

I've seen that too, Arkansas girl. Horses, donkeys, mules, dogs and cats, and I am sure parrots and other animals suffer the same fate. He does get in trouble. I think it is because I like him so much and I am so particular about him. If I just didn't care so much, maybe he would get along better. I didn't ride for 20 years. My horses were fed and taken care of but I didn't worry about them. They never got sick or hurt. we put down one 35 year old that had a cancerous tumor on the side of his head. It was basically inoperable, especially at his age, so we let him go as long as he got along and was eating and not losing weight. One day he just looked bad and didn't want his feed. I knew his time had come, but he had a very good life for a horse....horse companions, hadn't been ridden in many years, never missed a meal, never got sick. He was still in good shape and looked at least 15 years younger than he was. Val is enjoying being a horse. Being in the kill pen is very stressful, so this time to let down and relax is good for him. He just happens to live with a bunch of mares and a molly mule and they can be bitches. He is timid around other horses to begin with...probably from being around very aggressive horses at the kill pen and not ever getting enough to eat. This is what he looked like when he arrived there in November.