Maryann - I understand what your mother was feeling, but please tell her it is a very natural feeling. For many years every time I first went to a new country to do the butterflies I had a little nervousness about the new species of dangerous critters I might encounter while there. But once I ran into my first on a trip and it all ended well, they were pretty much forgotten the rest of the trip. I soon got over being nervous when going someplace new. A little story on myself... I well remember my first trip to another country specifically to do butterflies many, many years ago. I was nervous after hearing all the stories about the numerous species of poisonous snakes, spiders, scorpions, tree frogs and plants in Costa Rica. Having a friend who was also lep smitten that was born and lived there would help a lot though. First day out I went hiking in a rainforest alone as Olaf couldn't get away from his finca until the next day. I was tip-toeing around looking for a specific bug in very thick cover that I just knew the countries entire population of Terciopelo (Fer-de-lance) probably lived in, and that they were all just waiting there for me to get close enough. I had plodded along for hours not finding the bug I was after, and luckily also no "Ticos". Then I finally caught a glimpse of what I was looking for flying along the ground in a small glade, Cithaerias menander. I know of no common name other than to lump it in with the Clearwings. They are on the small size of medium and don't fly fast, but the are very difficult to see in the dark dappled light of a rain forest due to their all clear wings except for a splash of red on the hind wings and flying close to the ground darting around plants. They seem to appear and disappear with every wing beat and are very easily lost sight of. I stalked at first trying to intercept this jewel, and then ended up running full out when that failed and I spooked it to finally net my first example of this bug. I had run in leaps and bounds for a long way and had completely forgotten about the Ticos. After realizing that I never worried about them again. I had plenty of encounters with them later on that trip (and other nasty things), but with the insight of Olaf I learned and kept out of trouble. BTW, a later trip down there with Olaf to do some specific backlighting was always referred to after it by us as The Night of the Jaguar (and later always saw a blank stare in Olaf's eyes when we talk about it). But that's another story. LOL L.

i should take pix of my dragonfruit cuttings too, they are huge now compared to the pics you saw!

Hello Friends, swrancher - Yes I have tasted the "Black Pearl" Way Jambu. My tree had like 9 or 10 fruit. Very interested texture. It was kind of like a cross between a regular apple and a radish. Very Juicy and very refreshing. It was sweet, but not as sweet as I would have liked, still very nice though. simongrow - Thanks for the kind words. That Emperor lychee tree in the pictures is not mine. Those were pictures posted by ajaysr5. I have a Brewster, Mauritius and 2 Sweetheart Lychee trees. Pictures of My Sweetheart are posted at the top of this thread and it is flowering and fruiting right now like crazy. As for th Emperor, last time I was at Mimosa Nursery in Los Angeles, they had some of them. I do not remember the price, just that they had them in 7 and 15 gallon. - Jacob

I love the look of cabinets or shelving with a pretty color painted inside or wallpapered or covered in fabric in a nice pattern on the back. I was thinking.... rather than painting the back, which is kind of permanent, what about painting a thin sheet of mdf or some type of stiff paper the color you want, and cut it to fit? That way it's not too permanent and you can change it out if you want... my island is maple and we left the insides (including inside of doors) all natural.