Hello everyone I want to thank everyone for such a warm welcome :-) . I am kind of addicted to forum. Learning from you all . when I am on the computer the forums are open und in the background is Helpmefind. sunnishine - you are right about being a great place , I have learned so much and learning everyday something new . Chris - thank you I have spent many hours reading the daylily forum , I have the daylily bug too . Sherry - you are right modern technology, it can be a pain in the ... and at the same time a great joy . The world at your finger tips. or just a phone call away. I have an internation flatrate and don´t hesitate to use it . I love to share and you find what you give comes back around and usally is better. Kathy - you are right about this forum , you all got me started again roses. Rainbow - you all are wonderful and what I have learned here is priceless . Julie and Karl - you both are absoutly right about the secerets and tips . some of them you can not use word for word but a litte of this and a litte of that and you have something the works for yourself . and yes Julie the friendships that develope . I am having luch tomorrow with a that called me out of the blue and asked a question about something in the garden , and guess where i got the answer , yepp here from you all . Terry - the people here are great and after a long day in the shop I find it relaxing just to read through the forums, sometimes some of the answere are cranky or short , sometimes I just have to shake my head and laugh, we are adults and sometimes we even have bad days :-) And back to you Karl- I have wore the link to you web page out . some how I am always ending up on your webpage, and my hat goes off to you . It is like when Karl speaks everyone listens . There was a tribute to you a few montha ago and it was well deserved . Randy - it is fun to be around people that enjoy gardening , I wish I could find more here. For me the garden is relaxing and not work . in the summer I am in the garden at 4 A.M. open the shop from 10-8 and back in the garden until dark around 11 P.M. I can sleep in the winter and get things done that I have neglected over the summer . Pauline - is is not all amazing with everything that is out there , and the more I learn the more I want to know. and the more I want to share what I have learned . Judith - I will give it a try . :-) Violet and Niecey - we have had the red lily beetel 4 years now . The first year they destroyed my liles , the second year I planted Crown imperial lillies. they bloom early then the foliage attracts the beetels before real lilles have really started to grow . Then I just spay with what ever is recomended for beetels and they are under control before the real lillies are attractive for them . The crown imperial also repells rodents . They smell like sweaty feet . The first sprig as they were growing I thought oh man my feet stink but I was the crown imperials . I even took of my shoes to snell my own feet but it was not me :-) it was the Imperials . Mendocnio - the world is a better place with beaatiful gardens . I alwas take time to smell the flowwer where ever I am rosantimo- a group hug is alway good LOL first of all sorry for my Denglich ( Deutsch- Englich ) I have been here in Germany to long and second sorry for the novel . I think I just made up for the 2 years I have not posted :-) Kenny

This storm came from the west. Last week's storm (and it was a doozy here too!) was from the north which brought the cold arctic air clear down to us. Your problem Connie, is you live close to the arctic air. It doesn't have to travel very far before it gets to you. LOL The four day a week school system is great for students in sixth grade and older. The little kids struggle way to much for the schedule to be a success. The district tried this for two years when Jesse was in first and second grade and she struggled and struggled and struggled. For on thing, the days are longer and the breaks are shorter. Because of being required to cover X amount of subject matter in less time the teachers cannot/will not do the refreshing little kids needs....like, on Monday go over the new math concepts covered the Thursday before, etc. etc. It being too hard on the little kids was the reason the stopped doing this before. Now they are doing it again. Morons. This time Digger was a junior and a senior and things went much smoother. But then, she is older, more mature and learned the first and second grade basics. We're such a tiny school that when there is an away game everybody goes and not just the students. Teachers travel with the teams too. We got into trouble with the State Board of Education because of the low attendance scores. During the basketball season it wasn't unusual for the boys and girls teams to travel to a game on Wednesday or Thursday, then again on Friday. Throw in the wrestling team traveling somewhere during the week and that's a lot of time for students and teachers to be missing school. Now, supposedly, we are not to travel to games/meets on any day but Thursday to cut down on absenteeism. This is a joke. Most games are legal but about 1/4 are not. The starting and ending dates of the school year concern is strictly for the teachers, They don't want to start early and stay late. To this I say 'big woo'. Building in a snow day means we would have to have that many more days on the calender so they just don't schedule one. The board thinks they can fool mother nature. Morons. The thing that baffles me the most is if our schools are in session until noon (or if a student is in school until noon) it is considered a full school day. They could send everybody home at 12:15 any and every day and still meet the attendance standards. (Test scores would suck but that's beside the point) So why didn't they bundle the kids up and TAKE THEM HOME at noon, in full daylight? *sigh*. "There weren't any kids on the bus" is how the district is excusing the two drivers who ran off the road yesterday. Again. 'Big Woo'. Morons. Sometimes I think a man named Crandall actually owns this coal mine. Long ago if the roads were closed and guys couldn't get to work the mine would just not pay them for that day. New management changed that policy ten years ago and started taking a guy's sick/personal day. In a bad winter could pretty much eliminate a guy's sick and personal leave. While he was boss guys had to be pretty careful when they called the federal safety hotline because he would get even with them. Right now the union and the company are arbitrating two cases of harassment because miners either called the hotline OR said 'I won't move my piece of equipment because it isn't safe." The pit bosses will try to intimidate the miners. They can't fool with the old timers like Custer but guys who just started are pretty careful because they are afraid they'll lose their jobs. Yes, I think Mr. Crandall's son or nephew is running this mine. Now they have a new manager and he seems like a decent guy. Maybe there won't be any flack over last night? There's been times when the roads were closed and carpools would run the blockade, go to work and divvy up the fine between them. They've stopped doing that. The union lost an arbitration over road closures because if one carpool gets through (and takes the risk of a wreck or a fine) the manager figured EVERYBODY should get through. That's why they all stayed home last night. One fellow in Custer's carpool has only worked there two weeks and until he's off probation he has no time off. He was nervous and wanted to go by himself. Custer finally got the union president on the phone who assured him NOTHING would happen to his job if he stayed home where it was safe. I'm not sure he believed the guys but when Custer pointed out that collectively the guys in the carpool had over a hundred years at the mine compared to his two weeks he did calm down and listen to them. LOL Poor Kid. Driving on bad roads does not bother me. When my babies would get sick I would drive into the jaws of hell to get them to a doctor. I know what to do on slick roads; my vehicles were heavy and reliable. I also know 4x4 doesn't mean you can't drive 76 miles an hour on ice/snowpacked roads. LOL What always worried me was people who aren't as cautious as I am. They're the ones who'll get you in a fix. Today is beautiful though. The skies are blue, the wind isn't blowing and the birds are stealing cat food and driving the cats nuts. I'm feeling pretty good too. A little stiff and sore but I think it's because I've laid around all week. My house is starting to bug me too. My living room is a wreck and the carpets are begging for a vacuum. I think this means I'm feeling better. Lori

Wow....what an amazing list of people.... too many of them no longer with us or active here. It is nice to remember some of their names and their struggles that we shared. Thanks for the memories.

I visit but rarely post.(maybe once last year) Live in Southwestern Ontario. Married for 18 years with 2 children age 8 and 6 plus 2 Maine Coon cats. I am a horticulturist and husband is a paramedic. Our kids are absolutely amazing. My oldest daughter has some serious health problems along with being vision and hearing impaired. She goes to a regular public school and despite her vision/hearing and frequent hospital visits she keeps up with her peers. Youngest daughter is the most easy going child and is best friends with her older sister. Most think they are twins. Love Gardenweb Canadian Seed exchange and visit frequently during winter months.