(Altadena Mara) Peach trees don't last that long so are gone in around ten to fifteen years, from my experience at least. A foursome of plum trees also died over a ten to fifteen year period. One foursome of apricots had two trees die. One of them that was left was especially good so I let them grow full size. A three some of apricots is hard to keep cut back but doable. In a three citrus, one sapote cluster, the sapote has grown four times the size of the south placed citrus but is trained away from them so they still are growing and producing. I wish I had not planted the sapote there, another citrus on the same rootstock would have been better, but the sapote fruit are too delicious to remove it. I have several threesome of fig trees which aren't doing that well, compared to individual trees planted elsewhere, are about half the size, but are still producing a nice crop of figs. Banana trees make their own foursome, given half a chance and a little time. I would suggest that if you have a favorite fruit, plant it by itself. If you moderately like several different fruit, fruiting over time, plant a three or four cluster.

LOL Medo mine is just a lil bitty one, its 4 shelves with a raincoat that zips over it but it is holding now more than 100 cups of seedlings plus 5 trays of peat pots and the bottom shelf is still empty. It works for me but then too I have the pool table in the barn that I have more seedlings on (well on plywood over the pooltable) Bunny if I were there I'd go with ya to ask them. That sounds like a great thing! Im excited for you about ya'lls plans for your greenhouse!! Becki, I have been checking into farmers markets around here and they really don't have them close to here (closest one is 30 minutes away and then there is one every Thursday in Needville that is about 45 mins away but sounds like a good one, I am going to go there and look around this Thurs.) I also am finding out about a roadside stand to see if the outskirts of Katy allows that, things are so weird around here but if they do then I am going to do that if my cukes, squash,tomatoes and other veggies go good. (ohhh I hope they do just to show fox that gardening doesn't only burn calories but also produces dollars!) I have all the stuff for both a roadside stand and a booth at the farmers market from my woodworking and crafts booth. I think fox is happy that I have been getting back involved in living again. He and I were talking this evening about my plans for my gardening and also my woodworking/painting/crafts, he was very encouraging about everything I talked about. Thanks ya'll :) Pixie

The raccoon was away one night, the next day and was returned the next night, so probably around 30 hours. Hopefully, they will be okay. BTW, there is at least one other albino raccoon in that park. I have a lot of raccoons here, and one of the young ones was born with a bobbed tail. I call him "Puff". I've been trying to get a picture of him but he is hard to recognize unless he turns his backside to me. :) Raccoons are extremely smart. When I first moved here, I started feeding the raccoons because I raise waterlilies and that was the only way I could keep them out of the lily tanks. I had a lot of them named, and they learned their names, and would come when called. I raised 3 baby raccoons and one of them is still here. Maybe two...I am not sure I can recognize the other one, but the tamest one is named Audrey, and every night she comes to me for yogurt. She used to want grapes all the time but now she just wants yogurt. She is usually ready for it before I am ready, but if I happen to get it before she is here, I can call her by saying, "Audrey! La Crema! La Crema!!" (That's what I call it when I talk to her. You know, you live by yourself...you get a little nuts.) Anyway, she comes running. If she is ready and I am busy, she follows me around, patting me on my leg, or pulling on my pants leg to remind me that she is here. Yesterday I got a newborn squirrel. Someone thought it was a possum. I don't know if I will be able to raise him, but I am trying. He still had his umbilical stump, so it is awfully hard to raise one that may not have even got to nurse it's mother very much, if at all. Even tho I hate the cruel things I see, and I get down on people who do them, I do meet some of the kindest people and that makes me feel a whole lot better. People will go out of their way to help a hurt or orphaned animal, and when people bring me animals, I try to keep them updated with pics and emails to let them know that the animal is doing okay. A lady and her daughter brought me a baby possum that had been mauled by a dog. They were literally crying. Fortunately, the dog had just slobbered on it a whole lot and the little thing was okay, and he went on to grow up just fine, but they stayed in touch for a long time, checking on him. It was sweet.

I'm glad to hear it is working so well. We haven't seen nearly as many deer cruising the edges of the garden or the compost pile this winter as usual, but I see deer tracks every day so I know they are around after dark. With such a big mast crop, I guess they've had plenty to eat in the woodland. Still, once the yummy stuff is planted in the garden, they are always going to show up for a fast food meal if they can get away with it. With your new fence, they shouldn't be eating your beans and okra this year....or anything else that you plant there, and it is nice to have that peace of mind.