I'd say that just about anything is possible, far fetched or not. Dave may be some jerk that was trying to take folks for a little ride (how many of you have taken you city cousins Snipe Hunting when they came to visit?) or someone that actually saw something that could endanger someone else because every time he tried to report it he got jeered. Guess we'll never know. I haven't seen Bigfoot or Elvis (since he died) but have seen panther, wolves, and bears where it was sworn that they couldn't be. North of where I live now is where a lot of the old Hansel and Grettal, Rip van Winkel, and witch stories originated. Walk through some of that area (even in daylight). Take Care, Dave

Just an update on the project. I haven't seen the site yet but I hope to in the next few days. After discussing the goals of the project via email and reading your suggestions, I am suggesting two wormeries. Their primary goal is education; being able to process their garbage is a desirable secondary goal. First, a cold compost pile designed to attract and protect native worms from predators, since they were planning a compost pile anyway. Two, an educational bin with EFs where the kids and meet the worms and throw in their lunch scraps and prepared bedding. To reduce uninvited guests in the bin, I plan to discourage them from using leaves and other garden leftovers in the educational bin -- they go in the compost pile. My current thinking here is a strawbale construction bin (with drainage, of course) and an insulated lid tough enough to withstand raccoon attacks. I think the strawbale construction, or something similar using insulating foam, will lend itself to artistic interpretation as well as being functional and will make a ledge for the kids to lean on and to help catch any dropped worms kids pull out. The whole site is made of recycled and eco-friendly materials, so the strawbale construction will fit right in. I'd love to think of a lip or other barrier that discourages worms from leaving the bin... good luck with that, Nicole. It'll be a big bin, so maybe some tubes coming up in the middle of the bin for aeration. There is a shady spot set aside and they are trying to get a grant to build a "Worm Shack" for the worms similar to a garden shed. For the winter, a heating strip in the bottom of the bin. For the summer, a solar powered fan on a temperature sensor to help cool the bin if it starts getting too hot. Rain barrels are going in to water the garden and the worms. Nearby, a hand sanitizer dispenser, a model of a DIY home bin, an instructional display and instruction sheets to take home. I haven't decided on the design for the DIY bin, but probably one of the RM bin variations. More info on the project here: http://www.madisonal.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=123&ARC=431 And the PDF of the original plans (which don't show a spot for the worms) here: http://www.madisonal.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1281

Lemon Verbena (can grow 6 feet/like a small tree i've read, mine's at 2 feet+, used for tea/food/etc and smells amazing all the time), and Lemon grass (west and east type for tea/thai food), Honey Melon Sage(mainly for the smell, havent had a chance to cook with it) are the only 3 herbs I brought in for the winter. I am already covered on all the novelty/less commen herbs possible that I could find from the last year and a half, now moved onto fruit as you can see, which is more longterm/care/lifetime wise generally. I have about 15 types of mints I will regret planting later im 100% sure but worth the wonderful scents, outside in cinder blocks down the pathway i'm building with 50+feet of flowerbeds and trellis's around the side of the house that has never been used, on month 10 clearing it out from weeds/building plant related/sidewalk), On the left each cinderblock with a different mint to spread down the unwalkable/passable hill full of weeds. thats used to keep anyone from falling down the 20-30+feet and mints/catmint, goji bush,strawberries and kiwi at the with grapes for the trellis's, and right side Saffron bed with a few hundread bulbs now from the previous 50 and that is with animals digging them up to poop in the flowerbed, gotta protect them better. Tulip bed, flowerbed, etc on the right, Somewhere among this and on the porch and other locations, Lemon thyme, golden lemon thyme, with the following basil's - Cinnamon,Lemon, Lime, regular, sweet, Genvue, Box, Purple, Thai, spicy,red, and some others, Lemon grass west and east types. Lavender, couple parsley, cilantro, marjoram, lemon blam, garlic/onion chives,catnip,catmint, Mints - Orange Mint, Apple Mint, Berries n' Cream Mint, Hillary's Sweet Lemon Mint, and Lime Mint, Cotton candy mint - Of those only 2 made it? and none were pleasent overall, was refunded but i've given them a chance outside to smell better. But for sure have/better sources as well peppermint,lemon, apple,sweet,orange,banana mint (lowgrowing) pineapple,spearmint,chocolate,Kentucky Colonel, The best of something,curly, and at least 5+ types i have no idea what the name is, from the botantical/other places. Which are all unlabeled/labels faded/neighbors dog stole labels, or got mixed up, and all mostly near each other I have the seeds for that watermelon, moon&stars and some others. I didnt get any of those to fruit this year, I just found a watermelon in the yard yesterday in the monkeygrass, i mistakenly broke it and it fell out of the monkeygrass when i was digging it up yesterday, smelled so sweet, but it was cracked in half with dirt in it from the shovel. Random event actually. It was a yellow watermelon. I don't really use the herbs for food mostly for smell. Gotta love a breeze from any direction most of the year and get a good wiff of delightful mixed aroma of various plants. I did make some tasty applemint chips by mistake trying to dry them in the toaster oven, actually pretty tasty. This post was edited by JGlass on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 12:32

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.