Hello! I am new here, but I also love these lovelies. In Latvian shops unfortunately we don't have labelled Schlums. They are sold as "Christmas cactus" and the shop assistant looks at you weird if you call it "Thanksgiving cactus". I guess it's because we don't celebrate Thanksgiving and not everyone has given a thought about schlums. Today I asked if they know names for schlums they are selling. The answer was no, there isn't any label to see where it has come from so my cacti are NOID, but I have tried to ID some by looking at photos. Today I think I bought "Samba Brazil" *squeals*, I will post photos tomorrow. Today I want to post photos of two I have no idea what they are called. Since files were huge I put links. Perhaps you could play ID for me please? Maybe there is someone who can ID them just looking at photos *looking around hopefully* Yellow one: http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0001.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0002.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0003.jpg.html Orange: http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0004.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0005.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0006.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0007.jpg.html http://s141.photobucket.com/user/brunhilde100/media/Schlumbergera/DSC_0008.jpg.html This post was edited by Lii-sama on Fri, Jan 3, 14 at 15:01

I am referred to as "the tick magnet" in my household. It is not uncommon for me to walk across the lawn, spend 10 minutes in the veggie garden, and come in with a tick. I've gotten so I can spot a wood tick sitting on the top of a plant, waving its little legs and waiting to grab hold. I'm going to repeat what I said in the post from last fall that Claire linked. I live on an old farm with a mix of field, brushy growing-up field, and woods. I use bug dope with DEET, though I put it only on my clothing and I don't always use it. I own several pairs of the pyrethrin impregnated socks and I tuck my pant legs into them. (Along with my bug net during black fly season I usually look pretty dorky when I am out in the garden.) I don't really worry about ticks because during the height of the season I might find 6 or 8 on me over the course of a day, but I do take them seriously. Instead of worrying, I do a complete visual and touch check whenever I come into the house in the spring and fall. Clothes get stripped off and examined along with my body. I again do a complete visual and fingertip check at bedtime every night (until it gets too cold for the ticks to be active) standing nekkid in front of a mirror so that I can see places like under my arms and the middle of my back, etc. in case I missed any the first time around. I also comb my hair with a comb having close-set teeth and do a careful touch examination of my entire scalp. Clothing I take off doesn't go into the bedroom. I view that nightly 15 minutes as the dues I pay for being able to get out beyond the lawn areas at my house. When we first moved here I used to freak out about getting a tick, but there are so many (mostly wood ticks, though there are some deer ticks) that I just don't have the energy to get worked up about them. I'd rather put the energy in to doing careful checks afterwards since it takes a day or more for a tick to get seated and spread disease. I do this check religiously, every single night, even if I have not worked in the garden. It's part of my bedtime routine, like brushing my teeth. It is my understanding (and fits in with my observations here) that rodents are a large part of the cause of the "deer" (more accurately referred to as "black-legged") tick problem, so the tick tubes, which target the application of permethrin specifically to rodents, make good sense. I haven't used them, however, and studies vary in their evaluation of effectiveness. Last season was the first we had appreciable numbers of black-legged ticks, so we are just starting serious consideration of management for them. I haven't previously seen reference to nematodes as good for controlling ticks, so I did some reading. It seems like around here they aren't too effective since nematodes live in the soil, and when are ticks are in or on the ground, it's too cold for the nematodes to be effective. They are also more effective on adults that the nymphs that often spread disease. However, I did come across a fungus that it supposed to be better in this part of the country, Metarhizium anisopliae, that has met with EPA approval for tick control. Unfortunately, it appears to still be in the product development stages. As others have mentioned, keeping areas with brush or long grass mowed will help reduce shelter areas for ticks, and reducing areas like stone walls where rodents hide will help as well.

Linda, i know, it does make you wonder, why money? they say hey can't take things because the of the high shipping charges and sizes might not be right so they can get exactly what is needed. but the battered woman's shelter here, takes any clothing, housewares and furniture, the food bank will take food or money, Saint Vincent society, anything, PACE - people who don't have alot will take anything, march of dimes, used wheelchairs etc., red cross - money, and if you want to donate winter knitted items, you have to use their pattern and make only the sizes they want. We also have alot of Native Canadian persons and they have alot of agencies and they are looking for and gratefully accept it. the value village -- who supposedly helps the diabetic association, picks us your unwanted things and diabetic association is paid something really stupid like 3 CENTS A POUND (they weigh the donations). so this is what it is like in my city (about 120,000 people), also we have about 6 or so privately owned seniors homes (they run about 2,000.00 a month) and about 6 city owned homes. very interesting post PeaBee i am enjoying finding out about how generous other cities are! debbie

Thank you, "holiday-ers" for your comments. OA...that's a great idea about a framed pic by DBaby...this one is too big but I do have a snapshot my Mom must have taken for this special day. And this pic is one I remember seeing over the yrs as I was growing up...t.v. studio must have taken it. That outfit will be going bk in cedar chest after Christmas. jane...my DGM always let me "snope" in her cedar chest when I spent an overnighter quite frequently...she was an inspiration! So glad to hear about your DGM's cedar chest! Everyone...thank you...I enjoy taking pics & posting them here...& I love, love seeing everyone's pics & decor! Doing the decor is for (me)...but I'm thrilled to get feedbk from friends on this forum! Am ready to post some more pics. Still cold & windy, but sunny here...enjoy your day! Jeanne S.