My four I think were $3 each last year. I ended up thinning them out of the pond at least 5 times over the season. The garden center I go to had them, but I asked the guys and they both agreed I shouldn't get them yet unless I intended to bring them in if the temps drop

Avedon: If your interested in CAPACITY FOR WONDER, I have two clumps of it and would like to eliminate one. It would be about 5 to 6 fans. I just ask that you pay the postage for shipping and it won't ship till late August or early September. Registration Info:36",Tet,6",SEv,ML and that is very accurate as to how it performs here. With your zone, it may start earlier in the season for you. I just finished photos from early this afternoon and here is a pic of the one I would be eliminating. You might want to find out if any folks in your zone/region grow it and how it does. You can click on my name and send me an email via GW if your interested. Julia

Dear Sighing Carl, You actually sound quite normal and gardener-sane considering the present circumstance. Many of us here felt the same way last Oct. 30 when 14" of wet snow brought down everything it could and destroyed years of growth and thousands of dollars. Last year's event for me and your current status, as unpleasant as they were/are, brought me to a new level of gardening thinking. I try to make gardens look like more with less material not just because of $, but the aging bod can't do what it once did. Also, I've had to adjust my expectations of plant/tree/shrub heights. Last year's storm toppled 15' rhodies so that I had to lasso them and use the riding mower to bring them upright again, rebury the root system, only to eventually have to cut their height in half to prevent toppling again. The changing climate and its odd timing of storms forces me to rethink what I plant. Full Southwestern-like xeriscaping isn't quite my thing, but Mediterranean style with shorter growing plants works for me. Once one has lived through a night of 90' tall oak and maple trees cracking and their tonnage crashing to the ground making your house shake, well, shorter ornamental trees are now quite appealing to me. If you want them, Carl, I have a couple of lovely little Jap maples here with your name on them. Oh, and as for the sighing or 'deep breathing', I'm a 7th generation Connecticut Yankee who can make fire with two sticks, have had to pee in the woods and live for weeks without electricity; but these recent storms damn near made me pass out, so you can bet your asters I'm changing with the climate change. Start thinking about your spring swap wants. We will help you. Kindly, Jane

Well, here it's raining. In the 40s tomorrow, then down to 17 tomorrow night, so I'm assuming it'll be slick. This was a couple of years ago, we can pile up some pretty impressive snow but we have experience and equipment, so we're good at moving snow and getting around in it. That's our old truck, a full size Chevy Silverado with a "crew" cab. The problem with putting oil on the weatherstripping of the doors is that if you then rub against it while getting in or out, you get oily spots on your clothes. (yeah, ask me how I know) WD 40 and PAM both work too, but can degrade the rubber weather stripping. Rubber conditioner is really best if you want to treat the rubber weather stripping. My problem is that water gets into the locks themselves and then I'm heating my key, or using Lock-Ease. The Enclave does have heated seats, and I have a garage, so I can start the car, turn on the seats, go inside and have a cup of coffee and then leave after the car warms up nicely. It also has all wheel drive to get me though most of the navigable stuff and the old farm truck is 4 wheel drive, of course so we're pretty prepared, usually. So we're enjoying the break, but it'll only last until tomorrow, then it's back to normal Michigan winter, it looks like the 20s in the day and single digits at night for another month or so. Annie