The finals were today, he won. He re-sang his audition song "Nessun Dorma" PJ - he did study classical opera, a diamond in the rough non-the-less. He is his winning performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_5W4t_CBzg Here is a link that might be useful: final, winning performance

I didn't know that the drought was driving up the grasshopper population. This article from Texas Gardener's Newsletter 'SEEDS' tells how: Grasshoppers break out" but not as copiously as in 2011 By Robert Burns Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service "After a dry winter, as expected, grasshoppers are becoming a problem, but they are not as severe or profuse as they were during the 2011 drought, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. â 'ItâÂÂs mid-summer and the grasshoppers have gotten bigger; theyâÂÂre now winged, so theyâÂÂre moving into other crops and orchards,' said Dr. Allen Knutson, an AgriLife Extension entomologist, Dallas. "As they were in 2011, this yearâÂÂs grasshopper outbreaks are connected to drought conditions, he said. From July through the fall, grasshoppers deposit their eggs 0.5 to 2 inches below the soil surface. On an average year, fungus and other diseases take a toll on egg survival, thereby reducing the first generation grasshoppers that hatch in the spring. "But most of the fungi and diseases affecting egg survival depend upon moist conditions, so during a drought year, outbreaks are expected, Knutson said. "But the outbreaks this year, at least so far, have been spotty", he said. âÂÂ'Though some areas have had good rains, which reduce grasshopper populations, others have not, and theyâÂÂll still have problems,' he said. 'They are intense in some areas, while others donâÂÂt have any.' "Reports from AgriLife Extension county agents support KnutsonâÂÂs account. "Logan Lair, AgriLife Extension agent in Navarro County, northeast of Waco, reported, âÂÂGrasshoppers, grasshoppers, grasshoppers; they are back and with a vengeance. This is affecting hay production.â "Heath Lusty, AgriLife Extension agent in Lampasas County, north of Austin, reported that along with hot, dry, windy conditions, 'grasshoppers are a serious issue in some parts of the county.' "In East Texas, where grasshopper infestations were especially severe in 2011, there was only one county reporting outbreaks in June, that of Rich Hirsch, AgriLife Extension agent in Henderson County, west of Tyler." Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Gardener Magazine - Past Newsletters are Available for Viewing

I've been trying to get my yard in shape for a couple of months. It's starting to get hot down here so I want to get things in shape before then. I've been putting down some fresh mulch but ran out and will be doing that again this weekend. I love love love working in the yard. Here are a few new plants I started this year: Brunfelsia (Yesterday Today and Tomorrow): Persian Shield: Popcorn Cassia: This is my butterfly garden: Passiflora alata careulea: Have a great day everyone! ~Betsy

Lonepiper..I completely agree with you. If I have to ask my parents for money, then in my opinion, anything that is not essential has to be put on the backburner until the situation improves. Update on this situation...We got into another big argument about it last night. We had come to the agreement that we would pay our half now instead of waiting the 30 days the divorce decree allows, just to try to be amicable. Since we came up with that offer, DH has been trying to reach BM and discuss this arrangement with her. She finally called him back yesterday 1 hour before he was to pick his girls up for their 2 week uninterrupted visit with us and started going off on him..telling him he is nickel and diming his daughters..how she can't pay her bills because he isn't paying enough CS,..on and on. So, he caved and told her we would pay the entire bill since she is so strapped. I FLIPPED OUT! What happened to our agreement? He tells me.."I have you on one side saying one thing and her on the other, and I feel stuck in the middle". Newsflash..you put yourself in the middle. She isn't your wife anymore (HER CHOICE) and chose to marry a man who makes 1/3 what you do. If she can't pay her bills..that's her problem. And guess what..we don't have the money either. Why is it ok for her to say she doesn't have the money, but when he does, he is a bad parent. When my DH lost his job last year, he had 500 dollars left to pay her from the divorce decree due 15 days after he lost his job. We asked her for a little time until he found another job...she absolutely refused..told him our finances weren't her problem. So, again we borrowed the money from my parents so he could pay her off. She didn't care about our money problems...I could care less about hers. I know her lack of money right now isn't going to keep the kids from eating because WE HAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, so I am more concerned with keeping my refrigerator stocked for them. Anyway, after this blow out where I totally lost it, he went out to start his car and it's DEAD. Hopefully, he will just need a new battery, but it totally proved my point that we can't just be throwing good money after bad because his car is 12 years old and we have to think it is going to have problems. It is very frustrating, and I told him that contacts were low on the priority list...I am going to pay car insurance, health insurance premium, DS's school tuition (before anybody jumps and says I care about my kids before the sk's-this is my son from a previous marriage and his dad pays more than enough CS to cover his school) and the water and power bill first. To me, all of those things are more important than contacts this week and I am going to fight this battle to my death (hopefully not necessary). Usually, I give in just to regain the peace, but I know I am right on this one, and I refuse to put this family in hardship when we offerred a compromise that BM is unwilling to accept.